Senior Dining Provides Curbside Frozen Meal Distribution Across Central Minnesota in April

Catholic Charities Senior Dining has organized Frozen Meal Distribution pop-up locations for the month of April across Central Minnesota, with meals for seniors age 60 and over available at 27 locations, including Askov, Avon, Big Lake, Brainerd, Crosby, Foley, Hinckley, Little Falls, Long Prairie, Milaca, Mora, North Branch, Ogilvie, Paynesville, Pierz, Pillager, Rush City, Sandstone, Sartell, St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Staples and Wadena.

• Brainerd: Thursday, April 1, 11 am to 1 pm — Brainerd Lakes Salvation Army, 208 S 5th St, Brainerd, MN 56401
• Avon: Monday, April 5, 1 to 2 pm — Avon Food Shelf, 212 1st St SW, Avon, MN 56310
• Ogilvie: Tuesday, April 6, 11 am to 12 pm — Ogilvie Museum, 102 N Hill Ave, Ogilvie, MN 56358
• Mora: Tuesday, April 6, 12 to 1 pm — First Presbyterian Church, 551 S Wood St, Mora, MN 55051
• Brainerd: Wednesday, April 7, 11 am to 12:30 pm — North Star Apartments, 410 E River Rd, Brainerd, MN 56401
• Wadena: Thursday, April 8, 1 to 2 pm — Immanuel Lutheran Church, 403 2nd St SE, Wadena, MN 56482
• Milaca: Thursday, April 8, 2 to 3:30 pm — Alliance Church, 12543 MN-23, Milaca, MN 56353
• Hinckley: Friday, April 9, 10 to 11:30 am — Hinckley Community Center, 102 Dunn Ave N, Hinckley, MN 55037
• Little Falls: Friday, April 9, 10 to 11 am — Little Falls Senior Center, 510 7th St NE, Little Falls, MN 56345
• North Branch: Saturday, April 10, 9:30 to 11:30 am — Ruby's Pantry, 4359 392nd St, North Branch, MN 55056
• Foley: Monday, April 12, 11 am to 1 pm — Foley Area CARE, 321 6th Ave, Foley, MN 56329
• St. Cloud: Monday, April 12, 11 am to 1 pm — First Presbyterian Church, 340 5th Ave S, St. Cloud, MN 56301
• St. Cloud: Tuesday, April 13, 1 to 3 pm — Catholic Charities Emergency Services, 157 Roosevelt Rd, St Cloud, MN 56301
• Sartell: Wednesday, April 14, 9:30 am to 11 am — Sartell Community Center, 125 Pine Cone Rd N, Sartell, MN 56377
• Rush City: Thursday, April 15, 10 to 11:30 am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 425 S Frandsen Ave, Rush City, MN 55069
• Pillager: Thursday, April 15, 12 to 4 pm — Pillager Area Family Center, 305 Fir Ave, Pillager, MN 56473
• Sandstone: Thursday, April 15, 1 to 2:30 pm — Pine Habilitation and Supported Employment, Inc. (PHASE), 106 Main St, Sandstone, MN 55072
• Staples: Thursday, April 15, 2 to 5:30 pm — Lakewood Health System (Senior Campus by gazebo), 401 Prairie Ave NE, Staples, MN 56479
• Crosby: Monday, April 19, 10:30 am to 12 pm — Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, 320 E Main St, Crosby, MN 56441
• Askov: Tuesday, April 20, 1 to 3 pm — Askov Community Center, 6369 Kobmagergade, Askov, MN 55704
• Long Prairie: Wednesday, April 21, 10 to 11:30 am — Long Prairie Food Distribution Center, 127 Central Ave, Long Prairie, MN 56347
• Pierz: Friday, April 23, 10 am to 12 pm — Fellowship Bible Church, 12876 MN-25, Pierz, MN 56364
• Sartell: Monday, April 26, 8 to 10:30 am — Celebration Lutheran Church, 1500 Pine Cone Rd N, Sartell, MN 56377
• Big Lake: Monday, April 26, 10 am to 12 pm — Big Lake Township’s Lions Park, 21960 Co Rd 5, Big Lake, MN 55309
• St. Cloud: Tuesday, April 27, 1 to 3 pm — Catholic Charities Emergency Services, 157 Roosevelt Rd, St Cloud, MN 56301
• Paynesville: Wednesday, April 28, 1 to 2:30 pm — Green Roof Area Center, 1105 W Main St, Paynesville, MN 56362
• St. Joseph: Thursday, April 29, 10:30 am to 12 pm — Resurrection Lutheran Church, 610 Co Rd 2, St Joseph, MN 56374

The Senior Dining Frozen Meal Expansion Project started in August 2020 and additional pop-up locations are continually being added. At the time of writing, 27 locations for the month of April are currently scheduled. Visit ccstcloud.org/events for the most up-to-date information. The project is partially funded under a contract with the Central Minnesota Council on Aging as part of the Older Americans Act.

These healthy and nutritious frozen meals meet one-third of the recommended daily allowance for seniors, and are packaged in oven-safe containers that are easy to heat and eat in both conventional and microwave ovens. Meals are available in quantities of 10 and up to 30 per calendar month. Participants must be 60 years of age and older to be eligible, and all clients must complete an annual registration form. There is no cost to participate; however, donations will be accepted.

Catholic Charities Receives Minnesota DHS Circle of Excellence Award

In November 2020, Catholic Charities was awarded the Minnesota Department of Human Services Circle of Excellence award, which recognizes six organizations that have partnered with DHS and done an exemplary job of providing food, shelter and other assistance to Minnesotans in need.

The award recognizes that Catholic Charities—specifically, its Senior Dining program—has had to change its model for providing low-cost nutritious meal options for older adults in Central Minnesota during the pandemic. By incorporating frozen foods, developing pop-up sites and partnering with food shelves, including Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf, the Senior Dining program more than tripled its capacity and has been able to prepare and deliver about 91,000 meals per month, up from 26,000 meals a month the previous year.

About Catholic Charities Senior Dining

Catholic Charities Senior Dining sites have been providing seniors with food during the COVID-19 pandemic with modified quarantine practices. Recognizing that seniors who live in rural communities have limited opportunities for food support, Catholic Charities Senior Dining is partnering with several Central Minnesota locations to offer our frozen meals to pick up in a no-contact, drive-through format.

Catholic Charities Senior Dining, a program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, has been providing low-cost meal options for seniors 60 and older in Central Minnesota for more than 55 years. The program currently has senior dining sites located across nine counties throughout the Central Minnesota region, offering meals for takeout, pickup and home delivery. To see a list of Catholic Charities Senior Dining site locations by county, visit the Senior Dining section at ccstcloud.org/program-status.

About Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud

The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve and enhance human dignity for people of all faiths and beliefs. Learn more at ccstcloud.org.