CEAP Asks For Donations During Busy Holiday Season

Community Emergency Assistance Programs (CEAP) in Brooklyn Center is preparing its “Season of Sharing” holiday programs to support those in need.

“CEAP’s goal is to help families not need to choose between a warm cherishing Christmas with their family or paying the bills,” said Maggie Murphy, director of programs and community partnerships at CEAP. “And so these services that we have … are to help families not have to place that worry on themselves during that time and focus on their families, and the joy and the love.”

The organization’s toy distribution program helps to brighten the holidays for about 3,000 children.

Parents can come into CEAP and pick out unwrapped toys to give their kids.

“Our community room — it gets transformed really into a toy store,” Murphy said. “It’s kind of a way for them to have a lot more independence and autonomy in what their child will be receiving.”

A volunteer at Community Emergency Assistance Programs (CEAP) loads baked goods into a paper sack. CEAP is is preparing its “Season of Sharing” holiday programs to support those in need.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit expects to provide about 3,000 holiday meals to those in need throughout December.

Volunteers will deliver some of those meals through CEAP’s Meals on Wheels program, which serves seniors in eight cities in the northwest suburbs.

Families can also pickup holiday cooking essentials through the CEAP food market. 

Murphy said visits to food shelves have doubled in Hennepin County in the last year. 

As a result, the organization is asking the community to continue providing food and monetary donations to support their neighbors. 

“Any nonperishable food items,” Murphy said. “Canned goods, baking goods, snacks, chips, things like that.”

CEAP is also looking for new volunteers. Visit their website to learn more. 

Brooklyn Center