ICA provides nutritious, well-balanced food for our neighbors. Please call 952.938.0729 to make an appointment.
Food Shelf
ICA's Food Shelf is a choice model food shelf, which means that when you visit ICA for a food appointment, you select the groceries that you and your family eat and know how to cook. Depending on the size of your household, you are able to choose a certain number of items from each section.
Volunteers check in ICA clients and help with the shopping process as needed. We ask that all neighbors make appointments to visit the food shelf. Households are encouraged to utilize the food shelf up to two times per month.
At your first appointment, you will meet with an ICA case manager to review paperwork, walk through using the food shelf, and learn about other available services. ICA is a safe space for you to get the help you need. All conversations with ICA staff and volunteers will remain confidential.
Emergency bags
Emergency Bags are always available at both ICA locations.
Emergency Bags are pre-assembled bags of nonperishable food items, and include boxed milk, if available. Each bag contains between 10 and 15 pounds of food.
Please note, we highly encourage you to make a full shopping appointment rather than just relying on emergency bags. A full appointment will provide approximately 35 pounds of food per household member, and includes fresh vegetables and fruit, meat, and bread, in addition to nonperishable items.
Mobile food shelf
ICA's Mobile Food Shelf serves neighbors in several apartment buildings in our service area.
Neighbors who utilize the Mobile Food Shelf are able to receive two services per month. You do NOT need to be pre-approved for Mobile Food Shelf delivery; you are eligible if you live in the building.
Currently, ICA's Mobile Food Shelf delivers to the following buildings:
Dow Towers
Hopkins Village
Boulevard Gardens
To make an appointment for the Mobile Food Shelf, please call 952.938.0729.
Each Mobile Food Shelf delivery includes the following:
Meat
Fresh vegetables and fruit
Bread
Nonperishable food
Roll of toilet paper (one per person in household)
In addition, you may make special requests for both food and non-food items.
Clients may utilize both the Mobile Food Shelf and the K-Tel Food Shelf, but are still limited to two total visits per calendar month.
Home delivery
Home Delivery is available for neighbors who are unable to come into the food shelf. You MUST be approved for Home Delivery by one of ICA's case managers.
Neighbors are eligible for two Home Deliveries per calendar month.
For more information about Home Delivery, please contact us at 952.938.0729.
Clients may only use either Home Delivery or the K-Tel Food Shelf, not both.
School Snack Bins
ICA works with the Minnetonka and Hopkins School Districts to provide snacks to hungry students. Based on feedback and need assessments from individual school counselors, nurses, and teachers, ICA puts together bins of grab-and-go, healthy snacks from which students can find something to get them through the school day. Students can drop in and discreetly grab something for breakfast and be ready to learn.
During the 2017-18 school year, the Snack Bin and Weekend Bag programs supplied local kids with more than 21,000 pounds of food.
If you have questions about this program, please contact your school's front office.
School Weekend Bags
In addition to Snack Bins, ICA provides local schools with Weekend Bags.
Weekend bags are designed to provide additional food to students in need during the weekend when school breakfast and lunches are not available. The food is packed by ICA volunteers into a plastic bag and is small enough to fit into a student’s backpack. Each bag contains 3.5 pounds of nonperishable food, as well as a flyer for the student's caregivers. Our hope is that the bags help neighbors learn about ICA, so that they then use our programs.
During the 2017-18 school year, the Snack Bin and Weekend Bag programs supplied local kids with more than 21,000 pounds of food.
If you have questions about this program, please contact your school's front office.
Summer Food Program
ICA’s Kids' Summer Market provides clients with extra food for every school-aged child in your family during the summer months.
There is a special section in the store with kid-friendly foods from which you can choose what will best meet the needs of your family. This section includes items such as soup, oatmeal, mac and cheese, PB&J sandwich fixings, plus carrots and other snacks.
This program is designed to provide extra food for families with children during the months when kids do not receive breakfast or lunch at school.
Turkey & Holiday Meal Giveaway
Every November, ICA distributes more than 800 holiday meals to our neighbors in need during a designated day. The food provided during the day is in addition to the food that clients receive during a regular appointment at the Food Shelf.
Watch our event calendar for information on how and when you can pick up your holiday meal. The 2018 Turkey & Holiday Meal Giveaway will occur on Thursday, November 15. Please check back in October for more information.
Interested in volunteering or donating food or funds to assist with this event? Email us or donate here.