Gather and Grow Food Shelf & Connection Center

06/20/2026

🥦🧀🌽 Free food for everyone — no strings attached!

Starting this comingTuesday, June 23, Gather and Grow is hosting our Watertown Free Summer Food Market — and it runs every Tuesday through August 4!

📍 Watertown City Hall · 309 Lewis Ave S
🕞 3:30–5:00 PM

Stop by and choose from produce, grains, dairy, meat, and more — food options change each week. No registration, no personal info required. Just show up!

Everyone is welcome. 💚

More info: www.findfoodcarvercounty.org

Thank you Watertown MN Lions Club for supporting this great community resource!

06/18/2026

This article successfully describes the current state of food insecurity in our state and the challenges food shelves are facing.

Minnesota is on pace for a fifth consecutive year of record food shelf visits. Many working families simply cannot make ends meet in this economy, Michael Tankenoff of Loaves & Fishes writes.

06/17/2026

🎉💚 WOW. We are SO grateful!

A huge thank you to our incredible friends at Mackenthun's Fine Foods for their continued support of Gather and Grow Food Shelf! Last month we had a blast helping out at their Annual Charity Golf Event — and the community really showed up in a big way.

We are beyond honored to share that this donation will help keep our shelves stocked with needed groceries for almost an entire month!🏌️‍♂️⛳

That kind of generosity changes lives right here in Carver County. Every dollar goes directly toward making sure our neighbors have access to the food they need.

Mackenthun's has been a cornerstone of this community since 1917 — and they continue to prove that local businesses can make a massive difference. We are so lucky to have them in our corner. 🙌

Thank you, Mackenthun's family and team — and thank you to every golfer and sponsor who made this possible!

❤️ The Gather and Grow Team

06/15/2026

We’re in print. Be sure to look for Gather and Grow in the June issue of Waconia Living and see our new ad out in the community. If you spot it, we’d love to hear from you.

Waconia Living Magazine

06/15/2026

📞 Temporary Phone Outage Notice 📞

Our phone line is currently down at our Waconia location, and we are unable to make or receive calls at this time.

If you need assistance, please contact us by email at: [email protected] or visit our website at www.gatherandgrowmn.org for information about our programs and services.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience while we work to resolve the issue.

*We will post an update as soon as phone service has been restored.

06/12/2026

🌽🥕🍅 The Fresh Summer Food Market Returns for Summer 2026 in Watertown! 🍓🌽🥒

Fresh, healthy food is coming back to Watertown this summer — and everyone is welcome!

Beginning Tuesday, June 23, the Free Summer Food Market will once again be available at Watertown City Hall, offering a variety of fresh produce, dairy, grains, meat, and other nutritious foods to individuals and families in our community.

📍 Watertown City Hall
309 Lewis Avenue South, Watertown

📅 Tuesdays | June 23 – August 4
⏰ 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

✔️ No registration required
✔️ No personal information needed
✔️ Food selections vary each week
✔️ Open to everyone

Last summer, this program made a tremendous impact:
🥬 12,260 pounds of food distributed
🍎 10,217 meals provided
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 190 families served (more than 590 people)
🥕 30+ varieties of fresh produce offered throughout the summer
💚 Families reported eating healthier, experiencing less financial stress, and feeling a greater sense of belonging in the community.

We are grateful for the partnership of the City of Watertown, Gather & Grow Food Shelf, community sponsors, volunteers, and supporters who make this program possible.

Help us spread the word by sharing this post with friends, neighbors, schools, churches, and community groups. Together, we can ensure everyone has access to fresh, nutritious food this summer.

06/11/2026

You might catch our Executive Director, Angie Cruzen, with frosting on her face this Friday. Angie is raising money for Backyard Wishes at the Hometown Bank Block Party on June 12, their team is already halfway there but they are still not there!

Backyard Wishes helps local Waconia kids take part in the activities they love, which is a cause close to our hearts.

f you'd like to back her (pie and all), here's where to give:
https://givebutter.com/hometown-bank-block-party-2026-benefiting-backyard-wishes-he4lgy/angiecruzen

Backyard Wishes HomeTown Bank

06/10/2026

⚽The World Cup has officially begun! 🏆

As the world’s best teams face off on the pitch, we are asking our community to tackle a different challenge: ending summer hunger!

☀️Summer is historically the hardest time of the year for local food shelves. While school is out, thousands of local kids lose access to free and reduced-price meals, and donations drop drastically.

🤝Summer Challenge is a matching grant opportunity through Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless. By donating in July you will help us provide food for those in need during the summer AND receive a matching grant. Join us in Kicking Hunger Together this summer! 🍽️

06/08/2026

Mobile delivery is this week.

Getting to the food shelf isn't always easy. Maybe a ride falls through, a work week runs long, or life just gets hectic.

That's why we bring groceries to you. Mobile delivery runs this Wednesday, June 10, and signing up takes about a minute.
Add your info on our website by Tuesday (tomorrow) and we'll take it from there. We will deliver Wednesday between 5 and 7 PM.

Start here: https://forms.gle/dwsfTJwtpTLqveN48