NE Metro nonprofits
NORTHEAST METRO NONPROFITS MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE
We wouldn’ t have the amazing community resources available for residents in the northeast metro if it wasn’ t for the hard work of all the nonprofits doing work here. Residents who are living in the margins get the help they need from The White Bear Area Food Shelf, Hammer & NER, Merrick, Inc., Solid Ground, TSE, Inc., Newtrax, Merrick and PAI. VHEDC is happy to support all these amazing organizations, as well as Partners for Good, VHEDC’ s nonprofit collaborative serving the nonprofit sector.
White Bear Area Food Shelf
At the White Bear Area Food Shelf, in 2025, staff will be focused on continuing to meet the need in the community.“ We saw a 60 percent increase in visits during 2024,” said Perry Petersen, the nonprofit’ s Executive Director.
According to statistics kept by the nonprofit, 66,000 people turned to White Bear Area Food Shelf for help putting food on the table in 2024. That’ s double the number of people served in 2022.
Petersen credits his organization’ s new community market that opened in March 2024 at 2446 County Road F East in White Bear Lake, with playing a key role in helping to meet the demand. The community market operates much like a regular grocery store, offering its patrons the ability to come in and choose the foods they want to feed their families.
“ The community market has been a game changer for us,” he said.“ It gives us the ability to let people make their own food choices in person, and in more of an experience similar to retail where people can do a self check-out kiosk. It’ s a pretty low barrier experience.”
Food isn’ t all that is available to patrons of the community market. As of early 2025, four different nonprofits had staff at the market on a rotational basis: Saint Andrews Community Resource Center, Northeast Youth and Family Services, Ramsey County Financial Assistance Services and Ramsey County WIC( Women, Infants and Children), a supplemental food, nutrition and breastfeeding
Our community market is primarily supported by our local grocery stores. They provide us with fresh bakery, deli, and produce items.
-Perry Petersen, Executive Director,
White Bear Area Food Shelf
program. Petersen expects to add more community partners as the year progresses.
“ Accessibility and being able to meet the needs of people right then and there really helps when people are going through times of crisis,” he said. About 150 people are visiting the community market every day when it’ s open.
The food shelf also offers menu-style curbside food pick up at its Whitaker Street location.“ We’ re here for anyone, and as often as needed,” said Petersen, who added that while the majority of people served live in and around White Bear Lake, there have
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