Community Aid of Elk River (CAER)

Thank you for your ongoing support to help provide food assistance to thousands of people in our community every year!

CAER, or Community Aid of Elk River, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit committed to fighting hunger in the communities of Elk River, Otsego, and Zimmerman. 

We appreciate your support as we move toward Give to the Max Day Nov. 16, 2023! Financial donations received by CAER online, in person, and via mail from Nov. 1-16 will be counted towards the Give to the Max Day fundraiser.

For more than 40 years, CAER has opened its doors to families and has reached deep into the community to provide healthy and nutritious food. 

How your donations impacted our community in 2022:

Food Shelf 

760,140 pounds distributed

6,764 food shelf visits (4,887 unique individuals served from 1,329 unique households)

Financial Assistance (Shelter/Utilities)

47 households avoided homelessness

47 households retained utilities 

Kids Weekend CAER Package

1,239 school-age youth (unduplicated) received Kids Weekend CAER Packages

Backpacks/School Supplies

461 backpacks with school supplies distributed to 189 households

Outreach Programs for Seniors, Youth, and Adults

55,173 pounds of food distributed