Food options:

Provisions Community Restaurant is a pay-as-you-can restaurant. Twice every weekday, Provision is offering free, single-serve take-out dinners to anyone who needs it. The are also taking financial and food donations to continue to serve meals.

Cafe Racer Kitchen are offering a Break Bread meal, which will be available no charge and will accommodate any special dietary needs. If you'd like to donate to the Break Break Free Meal effort, click here.

Local Charities/Non-profits:

• The Sheridan Story: Preparing and distributing meals for children and families affected by school closures in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

• Interfaith Outreach: Works side-by-side with families in times of need. Services include food, case management, emergency financial assistance, employment services and child care resources.

• Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis: Heading up homeless shelters and providing food services.
  

• Salvation Army: Using financial donations to help individuals and families get supplies and shelter.
  

• Second Harvest Heartland: In the process of putting together 100,000 emergency food boxes. They also created a $5 million initiative called Minnesota's Central Kitchen to pay closed down restaurants to prepare meals for people in need. Expert culinary teams include, Chowgirls Killer Catering, The Sioux Chef, The Wedge Table and more. The takeout meals will be distributed by Loaves and Fishes.
  

• Metro Meals on Wheels: Making sure people in the community are provided with nutritious meals. They are looking for on-call volunteers in the event of a volunteer shortage during this time.
  

• St. Stephen's Human Services: Helping individuals and families navigate crises while assisting them with basic needs and finding stable housing.
  

• The Aliveness Project: Providing critical HIV care and prevention services (including meals and food shelf) for low-income and homeless people. They are accepting donations and volunteers.
  

• Otto Bremer Trust: Creating a $50 million emergency fund to provide financial support to Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana nonprofits and other community organizations. This new fund will provide emergency funding, loans, lines of credit, and other financial resources to organizations impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

• Greater Twin Cities United Way: Started a COVID-19 fund to provide immediate support for people who need things like food, housing, childcare, and financial assistance.

• Headwaters Foundation for Justice: Trying to raise $1 million to support community efforts advocating for sick leave and preventing housing evictions, especially among low-income people of color, who face wider health and education disparities.

• Avivo: A non-profit organization that's helping Minnesotans experiencing homelessness and/or addiction.

• People Serving People: Provide emergency shelter housing units for children and families experiencing homelessness. Financial gifts can be made online and provide immediate support.

• Khidma Initiative: Through a network of volunteers and partnerships with local organizations, Khidma plans to deliver basic food and essential supply kits to those most at-risk for contracting the virus, including the elderly and the immunocompromised.

• Heart of the House: Founded by chef Gavin Kaysen and Alison Arth the non-profit is providing support to the restaurant community.

Hotels offering discounts to essential employees:

• Courtyard Minneapolis Downtown: Courtyard Minneapolis Downtown invites first responders and support staff providing medical, relief, support services or essential business services to book a $99 preferred room rate. We hope to provide health care and relief professionals, and those supporting their communities, a place to stay in close proximity to hospitals and government buildings as they aid in COVID-19 response efforts. Booking details below. Book your discounted rate at www.courtyardminneapolis.com/discount.

• Sheraton Bloomington Hotel: The Sheraton Bloomington Hotel is proud to offer discounted rates to the members of the health and first responder community during this critical time. Any COVID-19 first responders looking for a safe place to stay between shifts/long string of shifts or working with or near COVID 19 patients and want to take precautionary measures to make sure they don’t transmit this to their families at home. If you have any questions about the rate or booking, please reach out to Megan Boosalis at 952 656 5920 or megan.boosalis@sheratonbloomingtonhotel.com.

• Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West: Essential workers, First Responders, and Healthcare Workers. We appreciate you while you are out working during this time! Enjoy our extended employee rate offer and stay with us. Plymouth MN 3.5 star hotel with complimentary parking, and WIFI.

• Sonder: In response to the need for immediate lodging, increased social distancing, or private places to work, Sonder is currently offering 40% off of all bookings of 14 days or more. If you know someone who needs temporary housing, a person in need of alternative private workspace, or a traveler that requires last-minute accommodations, please let them know Sonder is here to help. They just opened a beautiful new building in the heart of the North Loop with grocery, liquor store, interstate access, and riverfront all within a block. The building is Second + Secondand there are brand new units, ready for people to enjoy, rest, and adapt to this new world we are in. To get the discount, book directly at www.sonder.com/extendedstay.

• The Saint Paul Hotel: For First Responders who need a safe and comfortable place to rest their heads, The Saint Paul Hotel will extend authentic hospitality to you. Your special rate is $79 plus tax per night. Must show ID at check in. Ask for the First Responder rate.

• The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Minneapolis Convention Center: The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Minneapolis Convention Center is providing First Responders and Medical Workers with a special rates as low as $69.00 + tax which includes free WiFi, a free to-go bagged breakfast, and complimentary parking through the end of June. Reserve Online or call 612-341-3300 and mention the First Responder rate.

Local Businesses

• Norseman Distillery: Are producing hand sanitizer and distributing it to first responders.

• YogaFit: Offering corporate memberships for unlimited virtual classes for $10 to $30 per employee per month to help keep teams connected and active, and to allow people to try yoga in the comfort of their homes. A portion of the proceeds from the virtual classes will be donated to the BeliEve Foundation which helps families facing financial hardship after the death of a child by providing immediate, practical financial support.

• You Betcha Box: Feed the Frontline-You Betcha! campaign provides healthier grab-n-go snacks to frontline workers working around the clock in hospitals, nursing homes and U of M research labs. These funds are used to purchase nutritious snacks from dozens of local artisan-food small businesses who also need our support during this challenging time. Each team-sized box costs $100 and has enough for 30-40 workers.

• Surly Brewing: created First Ave First Aid. For the entire month of January 2021, they’ll be donating $1 from every 4-pack of +1 Golden Ale sold to the Twin Cities Music Community Trust.

• North Loop Galley: Are accepting donations and have been providing food essentials and gift cards to people within the service industry.

Other Resources:

The City of Minneapolis is providing free WiFi in Minneapolis for those who may need temporary internet access during the COVID-19 situation: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/wireless/index.htm

If you know of or see other organizations that are helping out the community in some way, please send their information to info@minneapolis.org and we will consider including them on this page.