These are some of the most common questions asked about our services. If your question is more specific or time-sensitive, feel free to fill out our contact us form or call us at 651-233-1296.
General Questions
Can anyone come and get food?
We are open to anyone in need of food, regardless of where you live.
When are you open? Do I need an appointment?
No appointment is needed for Drive-Up or Today’s Harvest.
South Oakdale Location (CCEFS) (8264 4th Street North, Oakdale, MN):
Drive-up Market Hours:
Mondays 12 – 4 pm
Thursdays 3 – 6 pm
Fridays 10 am – 1:30 pm
Today’s Harvest Market Hours:
Monday-Friday 12-6pm
Saturday 10am-1pm
North Oakdale Location (5703 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale, MN):
Monday-Friday 12-6pm
Saturday 10am-1pm
Do I need to bring any documents?
You don’t need to bring any ID’s or documents with you.
For Drive-Up service we will just ask a few simple questions about your household, then load the food in your car.
For Today’s Harvest you will only need to provide your household size and zip code.
Where are you located?
Our South Oakdale Location, “CCEFS”, which has Drive-Up and Today’s Harvest Market is located at 8264 4th Street North Oakdale MN 55128.
Our North Oakdale location which has only a Today’s Harvest Market is located at 5703 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale MN 55128.
How often can I come?
You are welcome to use our Food Market program (Monday, Thursday, and Friday) every week.
You are able to visit Today’s Harvest Market every day.
Descriptions of all our programs are available here.
What is the difference between Drive-Up and Today’s Harvest?
Drive-Up is designed to be a weekly amount of groceries. Think of it as a way to stock your shelfs. You will receive produce, deli, dairy, meat, bakery, nonperishables and cleaning/hygiene. You will also be able to pick out choice items, which are culturally specific, as well as diapers, pet food, and pads/tampons.
Today’s Harvest is intended to be a 1-2 day shop. Most of the food at Today’s Harvest is rescued from local grocery stores and has a shorter shelf life. You will be able to shop for produce, deli, dairy, meat, and bakery.
You can find out more about the differences here.
Can I use both Drive-Up and Today’s Harvest?
Yes! You are welcome to use both programs. You can use our Drive-Up Service once a week and Today’s Harvest Market once a day.
What are the current COVID protocols?
At our both our locations, we are no longer requiring masks indoors. However, our policy is subject to change.
If you are not feeling well or have been exposed to someone with COVID, please stay home. You can request a delivery to make sure food gets to you.
Where can I find the most up-to-date information about your services?
You will find the most up-to-date information about our services on our Facebook page. You can access the Facebook page here.
We also provide a monthly client newsletter which includes information about upcoming programs and opportunities outside of CCEFS. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
Drive-Up Questions
How does Drive-Up service work?
You drive through the line and our intake volunteers will ask a few simple questions about your household. Then we will put the food in your trunk. Make sure there’s room in your trunk or backseat for the food you’ll be receiving!
You don’t need to bring any documents or schedule an appointment.
You are welcome to use our Food Market program every week. We also offer inside shopping at our Today’s Harvest locations. You can learn more about our programs here.
Can I pick food up for someone else?
Yes! You are able to pick up food for someone else outside of your household. For every adult in the car, they are able to pick up for 2 households. You will need to know the other household’s information in order to pick up food for them.
I don’t have transportation, can I still receive food?
You can still receive food if transportation is an issue. You can have someone pick up on your behalf; they will need to provide us with information about your household.
We also offer food delivery once a week to those in Washington and Ramsey County. This delivery is designed to replace our Drive-Up Market. You can request a delivery by clicking on the button.
Are you open during bad weather?
We try to remain open, but because our services are Drive-Up, we might close or change our hours for lightning, heavy snow, or extremely cold temperatures.
We will post an update to Facebook anytime we are closed for weather.
You can now sign up for text notifications from CCEFS for any weather related service changes or program updates. That way, if we have to close a distribution or shorten our service time due to weather, you will be notified right away by text. To receive our text notifications, text ccefs to 651-571-5848 or click here.
Today’s Harvest Questions
What is Today’s Harvest?
Today’s Harvest Market is a free market that allows people to shop inside and pick out meat, dairy, produce, and bakery 6 days a week. To learn more about Today’s Harvest, you can visit our website.
How does Today’s Harvest work?
You arrive at our stores and grab a cart. If we are busy, we may hand you a pager that will buzz when a cart is available for you to use.
Once you have a cart, you can follow our signs which will tell you how many items you can take from each location. If you have any questions about what to take, please ask our volunteers.
When you are done shopping, you will roll your cart onto our scale and follow the prompts on the tablet. We will ask for your household size and zip code. You can optionally provide your phone number to save your information for your next visit.
After you are done weighing your cart, all you need to do is bag your groceries. It’s that easy!
When is the best time to come to Today’s Harvest?
The best time to visit Today’s Harvest is in the later part of the afternoon. We receive food for our market throughout the day and continuous restock, so no matter when you arrive we will have food for you.