March 2008
THE FOOD SHELF NEEDS YOUR HELP!

We are desperately in need of basic food items in order to continue to provide a nutritionally balanced food package. Please consider a “targeted” food drive requesting the following items - peanut butter, tuna, macaroni & cheese, rice, cereal, boxed potatoes and canned fruit, corn and peas. Or you could sponsor a “Peanut Butter Sunday” or a “Tuna Friday Football Night.” Please feel free to copy the food drive poster or call us for colored copies. Monetary donations are also gratefully accepted.

Consider adopting the CAP Food Shelf for a week, a month or longer. Following is a list of food items with the amounts needed to feed our families for one week.

One Week at the Food Shelf:

Tuna – 350 cans
Pasta – 300 boxes
Soup – 600 cans
Cereal – 400 boxes
Corn – 700 cans
Beans – 600 cans (baked, black, etc.)
Peanut butter – 300-18oz. jars
Peas – 700 cans
Fruit – 900 cans
Macaroni & cheese – 300 boxes
Misc. vegetables – 100 cans
Rice – 300-1# bags
Potatoes – 300 boxes

Over 1200 households visit the CAP Agency Food Shelf each month. The majority of those households are the working poor. Others include persons with disabilities, older people on a fixed income, persons with a health care crisis and no medical insurance and those who have lost their employment. Nearly half of the members of those households are children. Our food supply is very low. Even though we have reduced the size of the food package, donations of food and money are not keeping up with the need. Please help us serve your neighbors and friends in Scott and Carver counties.

Please call us for help in organizing your food drive. We will gladly pick up the food donations. Interested in adopting the CAP Agency Food Shelf for a week, a month or longer? Contact Linda Shelton, Community Services Director, at 952-402-9856 or email if you have questions.

Printable Food Drive poster

Thank-you.

February 2008
STRETCH YOUR FOOD DOLLARS
CAP Agency begins Food Support Outreach Program

When low-income Minnesotans are struggling with high winter fuel bills, Holiday payments coming due and dollars are stretched to the snapping point, they shouldn't be also forced to cut back on their nutritional needs.

With a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, CAP Agency has begun a new effort to increase public education and participation in the Food Support Program, previously known as Food Stamps.

Many people may be unaware that Food Support is actually a program administered by the United States Agriculture Department (USDA) and is NOT a welfare program. In order for Minnesota residents to "recoup" some of their hard earned dollars back from Washington, they need to apply for programs that will bring those benefits back to Minnesota to be spent in their own communities, thereby supporting local vendors. The name change was needed to reflect not only the program's distribution format, (paper food stamps are no longer issued,) but instead, a plastic card, EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) is issued to enable the participant to more easily access funds at their local grocery store much like using a credit card.

Several goals are obtained with this new method: 1.) It saves the government money from having to print all those coupons, 2.) It reduces fraud 3.) It maintains privacy for Beneficiary, 4.) Ease of compliance for the vendor without the hassle of turning over paper food stamps to bank for redemption 5.) Monthly allotments are automatically loaded onto the card each benefit period.

The other reason for the name change was to reflect the mission of the program which is to supplement their food budget, not totally being the only resource of food. In this way, it is hoped that more Minnesotans will come to look at Food Support as one of many budgeting tools as well as other government benefits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Care Tax Credit, mortgage interest payment tax reduction, just to name a few. If the public is aware that it is only one of many programs available to support low-income Minnesotans, they will be more likely to apply for this great help. Together with trained volunteers, it serves Scott, Carver and Dakota Counties.

Please call Terry Hassan, Food Support Coordinator, at 952-402-9835 or via email, for more information.

January 2008
CAP Agency Dialogue on Poverty Executive Summary

Throughout the months September through December 2007 the CAP Agency invited the public to join in a “Conversation with CAP” to explore poverty concerns, discuss community solutions, and explore opportunities for action.

Participants had an opportunity to talk about their experiences with poverty and how they believe poverty affects their community. The discussion revolved around defining outcomes participants want in regard to poverty and related problems over the next few years.

Community members who were not able to attend the discussions had the opportunity to take a survey responding to the same issues. Surveys were available on-line and in paper versions. Responses were solicited via direct contact, e-mails, and public announcements.

These three methods provided a cross-section of approximately 300 respondents, which included professionals in the human service area, CAP current and past clients, government staff, CAP volunteers, CAP staff, senior citizens, advisory board members, and other residents of Scott, Carver, and Dakota counties.

To summarize these findings, participants were asked to rank their top three desired outcomes. The results were the same throughout Scott, Carver and Dakota counties:

1st Priority - Housing and Basic Needs
Increased percentage of citizens who have their basic needs met (adequate clothing, food, and shelter)

2nd Priority - Health
Increased percentage of citizens who have adequate health insurance coverage

3rd Priority - Income and Work
Increased numbers of full-time jobs with wages adequate to support the individual and offering health insurance and other benefits

December 2007
MANY THANKS TO A VERY SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY

Picture over 5,000 children with shining eyes and bright smiles. The generous people of Scott and Carver counties have made that happen through your support of the CAP Agency Hope for the Holidays and toy distribution projects. All families who registered for the Hope for the Holidays project were matched with sponsors who filled their “wish list.” The Agency continued to fill requests for holiday gifts through December 24 with the donations received through toy drives conducted throughout our two counties.

“Thank you so much to those who have supported the Holiday project and all of the CAP Agency projects throughout the year. We are proud to be a service organization in these communities,” said Mary Sullivan, Executive Director.

The Scott Carver Dakota CAP Agency, Inc. announces that it has been awarded the Charities Review Council “Meets All Standards” Seal indicating that it meets all sixteen of its Accountability Standards.

Nonprofit organizations such as the CAP Agency earn the Seal by voluntarily participating in the Council’s online Accountability Wizard. The Accountability Wizard is available to all nonprofit organizations soliciting in Minnesota and addresses a nonprofit organization’s performance in four critical areas: Public Disclosure, Governance, Financial Activity and Fundraising. By participating in the Accountability Wizard, nonprofit organizations can demonstrate responsibility, integrity and transparency to their constituents.

The CAP Agency is now listed as a reviewed organization on the online Giving Guide of the Council’s Smart Givers Network, www.SmartGivers.org and the Council’s Smart Giver newsletter distributed to more than 18,000 subscribers in Minnesota. The listing help a non-profit organization demonstrate its commitment to accountable ethical practices to the public and that it is a trustworthy organization. The Council’s Smart Giver Network is the sources of unbiased information where smart givers come for help and resources on responsible giving. The giving public can investigate an organization’s mission statement and programs, so they can be sure of what their money supports and determine whether it meets widely accepted standards.

The CAP Agency is a private, non-profit organization serving families and individuals of all ages living in Scott, Carver, and Dakota counties. Service areas include early childhood and nutrition education, food and clothing assistance, transitional housing, crisis nursery, transportation, energy assistance, congregate dining, and home-delivered meals. For more information contact the CAP Agency at 952-496-2125 (Shakopee office) or 651-322-3500 (Rosemount office) or visit the services pages on this website.