When times hit hard

We never want you to go a day without a meal. Many of our locations provide hot meals year-round to anyone who needs them, no questions asked. There are also Salvation Army food shelves that offer free groceries and grocery delivery to homebound seniors. Contact the location near you to learn when meals are provided each week or to determine which food shelf serves your area. You may need an appointment for groceries, depending on the location.

Many of our service centers offer a pre-screening, which is the first step toward receiving assistance from the Federal Food Support Program. Once we determine if you meet the eligibility requirements, we can help you file an application for benefits.

When you don’t know where the money for your next rent payment is coming from, check with your local service center to see if funding is available for rent assistance. This type of funding ebbs and flows, but if we can help, we will.

During a long, cold winter, your heat bill swells and you receive a notice from your energy provider that all utilities will be disconnected unless you can pay the overdue balance. Or, maybe a job loss forced you to choose between paying rent or paying your electric bill. You chose rent and just received an electric shut off notice. We can help. Learn more about utility assistance.

Steady employment is the core to your long-term stability. We want to help you find a job that not only pays the bills, but utilizes your God-given skills. For help developing interview skills and finding a job, contact your local Salvation Army.

Clothing and household items can be a drain on an already tight budget. Our Salvation Army Stores sell these items at a reduced cost. In most locations, we can supply store vouchers to single adults, families or disaster survivors experiencing financial strain. To request a store voucher, schedule an appointment at your local service center.

An unexpected accident totaled your car that was supposed to last five more years, or you’ve lost your job and money is too tight for the tank of gas needed to get to a job interview. The scenarios vary, but one constant is that The Salvation Army is there to help. We can provide bus cards and gas money. To request transportation assistance, schedule an appointment at your local service center.

Nothing is more stressful during a medical emergency than the piling up of unpaid bills. Check with your local service center to see if funding is currently available for medical assistance. We may be able to help with insurance co-pays and prescription costs.

We understand the winter months may be especially difficult as needs arise and finances are stretched. When growing kids require new snow boots, gloves, hats and coats, let Coats for Kids provide the pricey must-haves to keep your kids warm. Not to mention Christmas, which can be more stressful than joyful when the budget is tight. We may have a holiday program in your area to meet your family’s needs.

All of our Salvation Army service centers provide general basic needs assistance such as food, utility, and housing help throughout Minnesota and North Dakota to anyone in need, including veterans.

In the Twin Cities, both our Harbor Light Center and social services office in downtown Minneapolis offer veteran assistance programs.

Pathway of Hope is a Salvation Army approach to create a path out of poverty. We provide targeted services to families with children under the age of 18, both traditional and non-traditional family structures, that desire to break the cycle of crisis. Through case management, we focus on a family’s capabilities and raise hope by empowering them to overcome barriers on the path to sufficiency. Families set their own goals, and we partner with them to provide the resources needed to accomplish each one.

This program is available at every Salvation Army service center in Minnesota and North Dakota. Learn more about the program.