Donate Food & Essentials to VEAP
Your donations keep our shelves stocked and our neighbors fed. We welcome food and essential household items at Door 4 during our regular hours — no appointment needed, just show up and we’ll take it from there. Now accepting:
- Shelf-stable food
- Household & personal care items (laundry detergent, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant)
- Baby diapers, formula, and wipes
- Menstrual products & adult diapers
- Pet food
- Children’s books (baby through middle/high school)
Do you have specific donation questions not addressed in our FAQ below? Please email donations@veap.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
The neighbors who visit VEAP’s food pantry are looking for the same things you’d find in any well-stocked kitchen — fresh produce, wholesome staples, and foods that help families feel their best. Here’s what makes the biggest difference:
Pantry Staples Whole grain products, foods low in sodium and saturated fat, and basic staples that stretch well across a week of meals.
Protein Lean protein in any form — canned fish, beans, lentils, and nut butters.
Dairy and Calcium-Rich Foods Products high in calcium, including shelf-stable milk or canned dairy alternatives.
Minimally Processed Fruits and Vegetables Canned, dried, or 100% juice options are all great choices.
Unfortunately we aren’t able to accept frozen or refrigerated food donations from individuals. Our food safety standards do not allow us to safely receive perishable items from outside our supply chain. We can only accept refrigerated and frozen food from food industry organizations, and items must be individually labeled with ingredients and source information.
If you have unexpired frozen items you’d like to put to good use, we’d encourage you to share them with a neighbor, or a friend in need.
For everything else — canned goods, dry staples, fresh garden produce, and household items — we’d love to have it.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept bulk items at this time, nor bulk products that have been re-packaged by the donor.
Absolutely, and we actively encourage it. VEAP’s neighbors come from all walks of life and more than 40% of the families we serve are Latino. A donation that reflects what people actually cook and eat at home is extremely valuable.
Some examples of culturally-specific items we gratefully accept:
Hispanic and Latino pantry staples: masa harina, dried chiles, canned chipotles, corn tortillas, hominy, refried beans, canned jalapenos, rice, lard/manteca, tamarind, piloncillo, and sofrito.
Fresh and produce donations from personal giving gardens are also especially welcome: tomatillos, chile peppers, epazote, cilantro, bitter melon, lemongrass, and other culturally-specific herbs and vegetables make a real difference for families who cook with these ingredients regularly.
If you’re not sure whether a specific item is a good fit, the answer is almost always yes.
Yes, and these donations are some of the most impactful ones we receive. Household essentials aren’t generally covered by food assistance programs like SNAP, and unlike food, VEAP cannot purchase them at a discount from our suppliers. What you donate is exactly what our neighbors receive.
Items we always need:
- Dish soap
- Hand soap
- Toothpaste and toothbrushes
- Laundry detergent
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Menstrual hygiene products
- Diapers and baby wipes
Yes! We are always in need of your paper grocery bag donations which we use to pack our shoppers’ items. We’ll accept your paper bag donations at Door 4. Please, no plastic bags.
Unfortunately VEAP isn’t able to accept supplements, medications, or medical equipment. Safety and storage requirements make these items outside our scope, and we want to make sure they end up somewhere they can be used safely and well.
Here are some Twin Cities organizations that may be a better fit for these donations:
Medications RoundtableRx accepts donated medications from individuals, which are inspected by a licensed pharmacist and redistributed to uninsured or underinsured Minnesotans at no cost. Donations can be mailed or dropped off at their Minneapolis office.
Medical Equipment Global Health Ministries gratefully receives donations of medical supplies and equipment, matches them to specific medical partners overseas, and sends them all over the world to help make healthcare accessible for all people.
We’re grateful for the generosity but our team doesn’t have the capacity to schedule donation pickups at this time. All donations need to be dropped off at Door 4 at our location in Bloomington.
If you’re bringing a larger haul from a food drive or group collection (more than a car’s worth), we just ask that you give us a heads up in advance so we can have someone ready to help you unload. Contact us at donations@veap.org
Not able to transport a large donation yourself? Consider recruiting a volunteer or colleague to help with the trip—many hands make light work, and we’ll take care of everything once you arrive.
Food and household item donations can be dropped off at at Door 4 behind our building:
9600 Aldrich Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55420
Drop-off is available Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
No appointment needed — just bring your items to Door 4 and a member of our volunteer team will be happy to help you unload and get you a receipt.
Holding a food drive? If you’re dropping off a larger donation from a food drive (more than a car full), we recommend giving us a heads up in advance so we can make sure someone is available to help. Contact us at donations@veap.org
Holding a food drive is easier than you might think and the impact adds up quickly. Here’s how to get started:
1. Register your drive Let us know you’re coming by filling out our food drive registration form. It only takes a few minutes and ensures every pound you collect gets counted toward your group’s effort. We’ll send you a summary of your drive’s total impact when it’s complete — perfect for sharing with your team, school, or congregation.
2. Download our materials We’ve made it easy with ready-to-use flyers, collection box labels, and most-needed items lists you can share with your group. Download your food drive kit here.
3. Collect donations Set up collection boxes in a visible, high-traffic spot and share our most-needed items list so donors know what to bring. The more specific you are, the more useful the donations tend to be.
4. Drop off your donations When your drive is complete, bring everything to Door 4 at the back of our Bloomington location — no appointment needed for smaller donations. Dropping off a larger haul? Give us a heads up at donations@veap.org so we can have someone ready to help you unload.
Questions? We’re happy to help at every step. Reach out anytime at donations@veap.org.