Welcome

Minnehaha Food Shelf was founded more than 20 years ago and is a coalition of four south Minneapolis churches: MINNEHAHA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, LAKE NOKOMIS LUTHERAN CHURCH, LIVING TABLE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST and GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH. All are welcome regardless of religious affiliation.

Demand continues to grow
Over the course of 52 Tuesdays in 2023, Minnehaha Food Shelf served 42,240 individuals: 19,669 children, 19,229 adults and 3,342 seniors.

Demand rose dramatically throughout 2023. In January, Minnehaha Food Shelf served 818 households. By July, the monthly tally had grown to 949 households, and during the month of December, Minnehaha Food Shelf served 1,020 households. In order to continue to meet that growing demand, Minnehaha Food Shelf needs your support.

Did you know:
• 1 in 10 Minnesota households are affected by hunger.
• Minnesota recorded more than 7.5 million food shelf visits in 2023, a 30 percent increase over 2022.
• More than 50 million Americans, including more than 13 million children, live in households that don't have consistent access to nutritious food.
• More than 5 million American senior citizens, ages 60 and older, face hunger. (Source: Second Harvest Heartland, Star Tribune)

Donate to Minnehaha Food Shelf
Your financial support is vital in the fight against food insecurity. Click on the tab below to donate via credit card, debit card or PayPal. (If you prefer to donate by check, send it to Minnehaha Food Shelf, 3701 E. 50th St., Minneapolis, MN 55417). Thank you.

Give to Minnehaha Food Shelf
Your gift of non-perishable food items will help combat food insecurity in Minneapolis. Look for the big blue bins at Minnehaha United Methodist Church and Oxendales (5025 34th Ave. S., Minneapolis). Personal care products are also welcome.

Volunteer at Minnehaha Food Shelf
Consider volunteering your time and expertise. We need assistance with unloading trucks, food distribution setup and takedown, inventory management, registering/checking in clients, Spanish-to-English interpretation, community outreach, volunteer coordination, social media support and other vital tasks. Many volunteer positions require being on-site during our open hours (Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.), but others do not. For more information, contact foodshelfvolunteers@minnehaha.org. 

Two food banks support Minnehaha Food Shelf
A food bank acts as a wholesaler, efficiently sourcing large amounts of food — both donated and purchased — and then making it available to local food shelves. 

The primary source for food at Minnehaha Food Shelf is SECOND HARVEST HEARTLAND. It’s the region’s largest food bank, serving 423 food shelves in Minnesota and western Wisconsin from its Brooklyn Park facility. In 2022, Second Harvest Heartland distributed nearly 123 million pounds of food.

Minnehaha Food Shelf also partners with THE FOOD GROUP. The New Hope-based nonprofit serves 224 food shelves and other organizations in Minnesota. The Food Group distributes produce and other foods from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a 43-year-old initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that’s designed to combat hunger and boost American agricultural markets. 

In 2024, Minnehaha Food Shelf is spending an average of $3,100 per week with Second Harvest Heartland and the Food Group.