Bountiful Basket Food Shelf

Our Mission in Action: Nourishing, Supporting, and Inspiring Hope

Our mission at Bountiful Basket Food Shelf is simple yet powerful: Nourishing neighbors, inspiring hope, and supporting families on their road to self-sufficiency. For 16 years, Bountiful Basket has been addressing food insecurity and strengthening families in Chaska, Chanhassen, Carver, and Victoria. Two years ago, we were invited into the Cologne community to serve more of western Carver County—a rural area considered a food desert due to limited access to full-service grocery stores and fresh, nutritious options.

Thanks to the support of our community, we have strategically built capacity and expanded programming to meet the growing need for food assistance in Carver County and beyond. In the past year alone, food services increased 72%, and since 2022, overall services have grown 286%—rising from 4,758 annually food services provided to a projected 18,345 this year (fiscal year October 2024 - September 2025.) These numbers reflect not only increased demand but also our intentional efforts to ensure no neighbor has to go through challenging times alone.

At both of our welcoming, brick-and-mortar locations, we maintain an open-door policy. Anyone in need is welcome, no matter their circumstances. Both sites are SuperShelf certified, meaning they are designed to provide a dignified, grocery-store-like experience that emphasizes health, nutrition, and choice. This certification reinforces our belief that every person deserves to feel respected and empowered when accessing support.

But our impact extends well beyond our walls. We bring food directly to where it is needed most:

• Mobile deliveries to seniors, homebound, and homeless individuals who cannot reach us.

• On-site pantry services at the West Creek Apartments, providing vital nourishment to 18 homeless youth.

• School snack and weekend food programs, ensuring students can focus on learning, not hunger.

• Foster care food bags, supporting Carver County’s foster care program by providing food bags to families who welcome children into their homes during emergency placements.

• Homeless Program, delivering food to individuals who are in housing transition and are temporality housed at local motels in Chaska

• Our annual Thanksgiving program, which provides families with all the ingredients for a holiday meal to share together.

Each of these programs reflects our commitment to meeting people where they are, both physically and in life’s journey. Beyond providing food, we are cultivating hope, dignity, and opportunity. And as we continue to grow, our focus remains clear: empowering families, strengthening community connections, and building a future where no neighbor has to choose between food and other basic needs.

Community Resource Navigation

Building on this commitment, to help neighbors move toward long-term stability, last fall, we launched a Community Resource Navigator position. In addition to providing food, we recognize that hunger is often just one piece of a larger puzzle for families.  Our navigator, Janet, is bilingual in English and Spanish and is dedicated to walking alongside families as they connect with vital resources beyond food.

The Community Resource Navigator helps individuals access services such as housing support, employment assistance, health care, and educational opportunities. By offering personalized guidance and removing barriers, this role ensures that families feel seen, supported, and empowered. Whether someone needs help filling out paperwork, understanding available programs, or simply someone to listen and point them in the right direction, our navigator provides a bridge to greater stability and self-sufficiency.

Community Generosity

We reply on the generosity of our community partners, donors and over 160 volunteers who spend countless hours rescuing food, sorting food donations, stocking shelves and helping families shop. Donations are welcome and can be financial and/or food.

We would love to meet you! If you would like to visit either of our locations, call Patti Sinykin, Executive Director, at 952.556.0015. For more information, visit: www.bountifulbasketfoodshelf.org.