CAER is a non-profit, community-based Christian organization, whose mission is to provide emergency food, clothing, furniture/household items, special assistance, and limited financial assistance to individuals and families in need.
CAER was founded in 1979 as a vision of the local ministerial association. Churches, schools, youth groups, civic organizations and businesses have joined hands in a wonderful community effort to help those in need.
CAER personnel and service coordinators are available to reach out and lend a hand, to help with problems until a permanent solution is found, to provide emotional reassurance during stressful times and to provide tangible help without all the 'red tape'.
Current & Upcoming Events
Summer Kidz Kitz
THIS IS THE LAST WEEK FOR KIDZ KITZ! Kidz Kitz are available from CAER until Friday, 9/3, to help meet the need for additional food to feed school-aged children. The Kidz Kitz include food for breakfast and lunch for approximately 5 days.
The kitz will vary, but may include items such as bread, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, crackers, microwave meals, sandwiches, veggies, fruits, milk, etc. Just check in at the CAER front desk each week this summer to receive your Kidz Kitz!! Clients are asked to make their request for Kidz Kitz at least one hour before we close.
Currently, we are supplying 250 - 325 children with Kidz Kitz per week so your financial donations for this program would be much appreciated.
It is VERY important that kids have the appropriate supplies when they return to school this fall. Last year, we passed out 400 school supply kits (K-12) and we expect demand to be even higher this year. (We gave out over 100 school supply kits the FIRST DAY of distribution!)
Please drop off donations at CAER's garage door OR at Wal-Mart in the bins by Optical. Thank You!
Community Aid Elk River (CAER) will host its annual Spaghetti Dinner at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Elk River. When: 10 - 10 - 10 Time: TBD
Set aside your supper hour on this memorable day to help support CAER! The event will include spaghetti and all the fixings PLUS a silent auction, etc.
Open Your Heart Food Shelf Challenge
Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless brings a new approach to Hunger Awareness Month (September) with their new $100,000 food shelf challenge grant. This statewide initiative will leverage Open Your Heart funding to bring additional dollars to food shelves and increase awareness of hunger within Minnesota.
CAER Food Shelf has registered for the challenge so any money that we raise during the month of September will be proportionally matched with a minimum grant of $250.
We Squidoo, Do You???
Squidoo is a community website that allows users to create pages (called lenses) for subjects of interest. The premise behind Squidoo is that everyone is an expert at something so users (called lensmasters) share their knowledge about whatever they want on a webpage (called a lens) that they generate. One GREAT thing about Squidoo is the interface that allows even novice internet users to create webpages without learning a bit of html or any other programming language. The other GREAT thing about Squidoo is that lensmasters can generate revenue on their lenses by placing referral links to places like Amazon, E-Bay, and Google Adwords. You can keep these revenues for yourself or donate them to partner charities at Squidoo.
CAER Food Shelf is now a Squidoo Charity Partner meaning you and other lensmasters can donate your earnings directly to us!! So far in 2010, lensmasters at Squidoo have donated nearly $6,000 to CAER!
Share Your Expertise & Support CAER!!
This is your chance to give to CAER from the comfort of your own home. You can write a lens at 3 PM or 3 AM on any subject that interests you....recipes, travel, fishing, kids crafts, local events, restaurants....the possibilities are endless! To get started, simply CLICK HERE to join Squidoo for free. Sign up for a new account and then watch the "Getting Started" video that will show up once you join. It goes over the basics. Be sure to set your earning settings to donate to CAER Food Shelf! If you need help, you can always contact janices7 who is our resident Squidoo expert here at CAER.
CAER is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax deductible organization.
FOR DONATIONS
CAER gladly accepts donations of food, products & seasonal clothing during our business hours:
**Urgent means that the food shelf is very low or out of stock on these items. We are currently unable to purchase the items so without donations, families will not receive them.
We accept an unopened, currently dated, non-perishable food items. Please check with staff if you have perishable donations.
