Care and Share of Crookston

26/08/2026

We want to send another heartfelt thank you to Richard N. for once again visiting the shelter and generously sharing fresh cucumbers from his garden. There is something incredibly meaningful about planting, growing, tending, and then choosing to share the fruits of your labor with neighbors who may be experiencing food insecurity.

These farm-to-table donations have truly given the end of summer another level of freshness, nourishment, and joy at the shelter. Fresh produce is more than food, it is an opportunity to offer nutritious choices, dignity, and a reminder that our community cares.

We also want to extend our deepest gratitude to an anonymous donor who dropped off fresh zucchini to help us fill bellies with nutritious alternatives.

This is what community looks like: people giving what they can, sharing what they have, and recognizing that even something grown in a backyard garden can make a meaningful difference in someone's day.

For those facing food insecurity, access to fresh, healthy food can be incredibly important. Every cucumber, every zucchini, every donation represents someone choosing kindness and choosing to make sure their neighbors have something nourishing on the table.

Richard, thank you again for continuing to think of the shelter and the people we serve. And to our anonymous donor, thank you for your generosity and quiet act of kindness. Together, you are helping us nourish not only bodies, but the sense of community and belonging that reminds people they are not alone. 💛💫

25/08/2026

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Andy from Irishman Shanty in Crookston for visiting the shelter and donating such a generous amount of fries for guests and community members.

Acts of kindness like this remind us what community support truly looks like. When local businesses choose to give back, they are doing more than donating food, they are modeling compassion, generosity, and the importance of looking out for our neighbors.

We are incredibly grateful for businesses that recognize that their success is connected to the community around them. When you use your resources to help someone who may be struggling, you create a ripple effect of kindness that reaches far beyond a single donation.

Thank you, Andy, for thinking of our shelter and the people we serve. Your generosity helps us provide not only a meal, but also a sense of comfort, dignity, and belonging.

Thank you again to Irishman Shanty for showing our community what kindness in action looks like. We are truly grateful for your support! 💛💫

25/08/2026

Happy Birthday to Our Incredible Shelter Advocate & Security Staff Kay M.
Today, we want to take a moment to celebrate an incredible member of our shelter team and wish her the happiest of birthdays!

Her dedication to the work we do is something we are truly grateful for. Every day, she shows up with a genuine passion for advocating for the guests we serve, helping ensure they are seen, heard, respected, and treated with dignity.

She brings something special to our organization. She shows up not only for our guests, but also for her fellow team members, offering tenderness, compassion, understanding, and a willingness to stand beside others through both the easy moments and the difficult ones. Her presence reminds us that this work is about more than providing shelter, it is about creating safety, connection, hope, and a place where people know they matter.

We are incredibly grateful for the heart she brings to this work and for the countless ways she contributes to our team and the people we serve. Her compassion and commitment make a difference, often in ways that may never be fully seen or measured.

Please join us in wishing her a happy birthday! May this next year bring you plenty of laughter, peace, beautiful moments, and opportunities to make new memories with the people you love.

Happy Birthday Kay! We are grateful to have you on our team and thankful for the heart you bring to this work. 🎂💛✨

25/08/2026

From Farm to Table, From Hearts to Community

This evening, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Crookston High School Girls Soccer Team for visiting the shelter and bringing fresh corn generously donated by Luckow Farm. 💛🌽

There is something incredibly meaningful about young people choosing to show up for their community, and tonight, this team did exactly that. Their kindness reminds us that being part of a team is about so much more than what happens on the field. It is about learning compassion, service, generosity, and what it means to lift up the people around you.

We also want to give a very special thank you to Luckow Farm. Local farmers give so much of themselves to our communities. Behind every ear of corn is hard work, the planting, tending, early mornings, long days, unpredictable weather, and countless hours invested in bringing food from the soil to our tables. When farmers generously share the fruits of that labor with those who are experiencing hardship, they are giving more than food. They are giving nourishment, dignity, connection, and a reminder that their neighbors matter.

This is what farm-to-table community care looks like. Fresh, nutritious food making its way directly from a local farm to the tables of individuals and families who may not always have access to it. It is a beautiful example of how community works when we choose to share what we have.

To the Crookston High School Girls Soccer Team and Luckow Farm, thank you for showing us that kindness can be as simple as bringing fresh food, as powerful as giving freely, and as meaningful as reminding someone in need that their community sees them and cares about them.

Your generosity makes a difference, and tonight, you helped put fresh, wholesome nourishment into the hands of people who need it. We are truly grateful for both of you and proud to have such caring members of our community standing beside those we serve. 🌽💛

Thank you for helping us nourish our community, one act of kindness at a time.

25/08/2026

Thank You, Girl Scouts of Crookston! 💚

A heartfelt thank you to the Girl Scouts of Crookston Service Unit for visiting our shelter and for their incredibly generous donation of Girl Scout cookies!

Acts of kindness like this are about so much more than a delicious treat. The Girl Scouts have long stood for leadership, courage, service, community, and making a positive difference in the lives of others. Seeing these values carried forward through generosity and compassion is truly meaningful to us.

For someone experiencing hardship, a simple cookie can bring something that cannot always be measured, a moment of comfort, a little joy, a reason to smile, and a reminder that their community cares about them. Sometimes, it is those small gestures that help brighten an otherwise difficult day.

We are deeply grateful for your thoughtfulness, generosity, and willingness to share with the guests. Thank you, Girl Scouts of Crookston Service Unit, for helping us bring a little sweetness, comfort, and cheer to those we serve. Your kindness truly matters! 🍪💚

21/08/2026

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Richard N. for visiting the shelter and donating farm-fresh cucumbers to share with our guests and community members in need.

There is something incredibly meaningful about food that is grown by hand. From planting the seeds and tending the soil to watering, weeding, nurturing, and patiently waiting for something to grow, every harvest represents time, care, hard work, and dedication. When someone chooses to take the fruits of that labor and freely share them with others, that kindness becomes something even more powerful.

Fresh produce is not only nourishment for the body, it is a reminder that our community continues to look out for one another. Richard, thank you for taking what you have grown with your own hands and sharing it with those who may be struggling. Your generosity helps bring fresh, healthy food to the tables of people who need it most.

Thank you again, Richard, for your generosity, your hard work, and for being part of a community that believes in growing, giving, and making sure no one is forgotten. 💚🥒

19/08/2026

18/08/2026

A Heartfelt Thank You to Crookston Fire Department

A heartfelt thank you to the Crookston Fire Department for visiting the shelter and thinking of our guests and community members in need by donating items from your pancake event during Ox Cart Days.

We are incredibly grateful for the thoughtfulness behind this donation. When community organizations look at what they have left over and think, “How can we make sure this still helps someone?”, that is what community truly looks like. Being resourceful with food and supplies means those items can continue serving a purpose rather than going to waste, and they can find their way to neighbors who may be experiencing difficult circumstances.

Acts like this remind us that helping one another doesn't always require something new or extravagant. Sometimes, it is simply recognizing what we already have and choosing to share it. That generosity helps us stretch our resources further and allows us to continue providing meals, food, and support with dignity to the people we serve.

We are humbled and grateful to have a community that continues to look out for one another. Thank you, Crookston Fire Department, for not only serving our community through your important work, but for extending that service even further by helping us give back to our neighbors in need.

Thank you for thinking of us, for giving back, and for reminding us that community is strongest when we take care of one another. 💛💫

14/08/2026

Today, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Amanda from A&H Vending for visiting the shelter and generously donating an assortment of chips and sodas for our guests and community members. Your kindness brought a little extra joy to those we serve, and we are truly humbled by your generosity.

As we look at the number of people walking through our doors, receiving meals, accessing our food shelf, and seeking support, we are reminded every day of just how great the need has become. Over the last year alone, we have distributed a little over 190,000 pounds of food to individuals and families in our communities.

That number is both overwhelming and incredibly meaningful. It represents thousands of meals, families supported, children fed, and people reminded that they are not alone during difficult seasons.

But we also know something important: we could never do this alone.

This work is made possible because businesses, churches, organizations, donors, volunteers, and the communities we serve continue to believe that everyone deserves access to food, dignity, compassion, and hope. Every donation helps bridge the gap created by food insecurity. Every bag of groceries, every meal, every box of food, and every act of kindness becomes part of something much bigger than any one organization.

Amanda and A&H Vending, thank you for choosing to be part of that bridge. Your generosity helps us continue meeting people where they are and serving them with dignity and compassion.

Thank you for giving, for showing up, and for reminding us that when a community comes together, we can make an extraordinary difference. We are deeply grateful. 💛💫

12/08/2026

A Heartfelt Thank You to Renee ❤️

A very special thank-you to Renee for visiting the shelter and bringing essential supplies for both our guests and members of the community.

Donations like wipes and other everyday necessities may seem simple, but they make an incredible difference to someone who is already facing difficult circumstances. These are items people rely on every single day, and having access to them can provide comfort, dignity, and one less burden to carry.

We are deeply grateful for your thoughtfulness and your willingness to recognize the needs of others. Your generosity reminds us that caring for a community means seeing the everyday needs that can so easily be overlooked and stepping forward to help meet them.

Thank you again, Renee, for your kindness, compassion, and generous heart. Your support truly matters, and the difference you are making reaches far beyond what you may ever see. ❤️