PROP News and Events
A Community Ready to Help: Join Us to Pack for a Purpose
Over the past few months, we’ve heard a message again and again—from longtime supporters, new families, corporate teams, and neighbors who simply want to do something meaningful:
“How can I help?”
It’s one of the most encouraging things we hear at PROP. In a time when so many local families are facing uncertainty, our community continues to step forward with generosity, compassion, and a desire to make a difference. People want to roll up their sleeves. They want to support their neighbors. They want to know their actions matter.
And here is one simple, powerful opportunity to do exactly that.
On February 10 from 5–7 PM, PROP is hosting Pack for a Purpose: Community Night—a hands‑on volunteer event where community members of all ages come together to pack food boxes for PROP clients. These boxes go directly to households in Eden Prairie and Chanhassen who rely on PROP each month for essential groceries.
If you’ve ever wondered what you can do to support local families, this is it.
Unlike fundraisers or long‑term volunteer commitments, Pack for a Purpose is designed for anyone who wants to help in a direct, tangible way. For two hours, volunteers will sort, assemble, and pack food items that become part of the lifeline PROP provides to families experiencing food insecurity. It’s simple work—but the impact is anything but small.
The best part? Everyone is welcome. Bring your kids. Invite a friend. Come on your own and meet others who care about strengthening our community. No special skills needed—just a willingness to lend a hand.
If you’ve been wanting to get involved, wanting to give back, or wanting to show support for families in our community, we hope you’ll join us. This is a night where your time becomes kindness made visible—one box at a time.
UPDATE: This event is now full. We will be holding another event soon. Thank you for your interest.
PROP Hosts February 5 Town Hall to Share Service Updates and Community Needs
PROP Food invites community members, partners, and supporters to attend a Community Town Hall on Thursday, February 5 at 6 p.m. at the Eden Prairie City Center (Heritage Preservation Room). The event will be led by Executive Director Jenifer Loon and will focus on emerging community needs, PROP’s current programs, and how we are adapting services to ensure food and housing support remain uninterrupted.
This Town Hall is an opportunity to learn more about PROP’s mission and how we continue to support local families with dignity, safety, and client choice at the center of our work. Staff will share updates on our service delivery model, including expanded options that make it easier for neighbors to access food—such as designated trusted individuals who can pick up food on a client’s behalf when needed.
We also recognize that housing stability is increasingly at risk for many families. By preparing now, PROP is working proactively to provide continuity of care and guide residents toward the resources they need before a crisis escalates.
Share Your Questions With Us
We welcome your input! Community members are encouraged to submit questions ahead of time using this link.
Bring Donations to Support Our Culturally Meaningful Meal Kits
Attendees are invited to bring items that will be used to create Arepas and Calabacitas Kits, which help us prepare delicious, culturally meaningful meals for our neighbors.
Most-needed items include:
Corn tortillas
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Small cooking oil (8.4 oz)
Salt
Pre-cooked white corn flour (Harina P.A.N. or equivalent)
These donations will be used during our community packing event on Tuesday, February 10 from 5–7 p.m. at PROP (14700 Martin Dr., Eden Prairie).
All Are Welcome
For more than 55 years, PROP has served as an essential resource for Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, and surrounding communities. Whether you’re a long-time supporter, a volunteer, a community partner, or someone who wants to learn more, we hope you’ll join us.
📅 Thursday, February 5
⏰ 6 p.m.
📍 Eden Prairie City Center – Heritage Preservation Room
Standing With Our Neighbors: How PROP Is Adapting to Serve Our Community
During this challenging time, our message to the community is clear and unwavering: PROP remains steadfast in our commitment to serving our neighbors. What is changing is how we deliver services — not whether the support is available.
Neighbors can continue to access food, and we are proactively preparing for the housing needs we know will increase in the coming weeks. Our team is taking thoughtful, deliberate steps now to ensure continuity of care while protecting the dignity, privacy, and safety of the people we serve.
To support this, PROP is adapting service delivery in client-directed ways. Clients may designate a trusted individual to pick up food on their behalf, ensuring uninterrupted access even if they are unable to visit in person. We are working with clients who are unable to identify a trusted proxy to pick up their groceries. This approach is intentionally designed to center client choice, comfort, and confidentiality.
We are also deeply aware that housing stability is at immediate risk for many families. Demand for emergency rent and utility assistance is expected to rise quickly. We encourage anyone who anticipates needing support to reach out as early as possible so we can explore available resources and provide guidance before a crisis escalates.
Food is a basic human need, and meeting that need on a community-wide scale requires more than good intentions. PROP operates a robust, highly coordinated food-distribution system — one built on trained staff, safety standards, logistics, and the capacity to serve at scale. This infrastructure ensures families receive consistent, dignified, and reliable access to food.
We are deeply grateful for the community’s desire to support our neighbors. Meeting rising needs requires a coordinated, established, yet adaptable system. PROP’s existing infrastructure can be amplified through coordinated community partnership. Financial contributions, donated food, and volunteering at one‑time events all directly reinforce our ability to respond swiftly and responsibly. These collective efforts ensure we can continue providing dependable, dignified care during a time when many families need us most.
PROP’s long-established systems exist precisely for moments like this — to ensure no family is left navigating uncertainty alone.
For more than 55 years, PROP has served as an essential resource for Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, and our surrounding communities. In moments of uncertainty, our role is not just to respond — but to lead with clarity, compassion, and stability. We remain steadfast in our promise to show up for our neighbors with transparency, care, and thoughtful support.
PROP Food Provides Extra Support Ahead of the Holidays
In December, PROP Food worked to make sure families had what they needed before the Christmas holiday closure. Knowing PROP would be closed for three days, we offered additional services to help our neighbors prepare:
Weekend Curbside Pickups
We hosted two weekend curbside pickup events, serving 134 households. These pickups gave families the chance to stock up on groceries ahead of the holiday break.
Mobile Food Distribution at Immanuel Lutheran Church
We also held a mobile food distribution event at Immanuel Lutheran Church, in partnership with Second Harvest Heartland. Together, we:
- Served 245 households
- Distributed 10,000 pounds of food
A Huge Thank You to Our Volunteers
These efforts wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible volunteers. They gave their time on weekends, braved the cold, and worked tirelessly to ensure every family received the food they needed. Your dedication and compassion truly embody the spirit of community. We are so grateful for you!
You Can Help Make a Difference
The need in our community doesn’t end with the holidays. Your support ensures that families have access to food year-round.
Donate today to help us continue providing essential services.
Every gift—big or small—helps feed our neighbors and strengthen our community. Thank you for being part of the solution!
Help Keep Families in Their Homes For the Holidays and Beyond
Your monetary donation to PROP this December will help to keep families in their homes for the holidays and beyond. We can’t thank you enough for embracing your neighbors who need extra help during these winter months.
And now is a wonderful time to give, because all donations made between December 1st through December 31st are eligible for a match up to $50,000 thanks to a very generous couple and Scheel’s – Eden Prairie. This is the couple’s 8th consecutive year of providing a matching gift of $25,000 and the third year that Scheels has matched their gift.
The couple shared, “We aspire to evidence our thankfulness to God in our daily life by doing justly, loving mercy and kindness, and walking humbly loving our neighbor. Recognizing the growing challenges and consequences of homelessness, our hopes and prayers are to keep families stable, secure and safe in their apartments or homes.”
Scheels commented, “SCHEELS is humbled to play a small role in such an impactful campaign! We are beyond grateful for PROP Food’s efforts and dedication to serving and supporting residents in the Eden Prairie and surrounding communities.”
We are so grateful to these generous donors whose gifts will help PROP to provide needed financial and food support to Eden Prairie and Chanhassen residents in need over the coming months.
Happy Holidays to you and yours, and thanks for caring.
Food Assistance Without the Stigma
MPR News November 24th
“Hunger and Shame – Breaking the Stigma Around Food Assistance.” By Catharine Richert and Cari Dwyer
PROP Food was mentioned in the 11/24/25 MPR News broadcast regarding the increased need for food assistance and how local food shelves like PROP Food in Eden Prairie are responding. Click on link to hear the program in full.
PROP Mobile Food Distribution Event
PROP is holding a Mobile Food Distribution Event on November 19th from 10 AM to 2 PM in the Eden Prairie Mall parking lot near the former JCPenney store.
A variety of foods will be available to select from including fresh produce, proteins, canned goods and ready to go items. Food available while supplies last.
All who need food during these difficult times are welcome. No ID is required to participate in this event. Current PROP clients will NOT having participation counted as one of their monthly visits.
Give to the Max 2025 is November 20th
It’s time to “Give to the MAX” in Minnesota. Since 2009, nearly 1 million donors have given over $355 million to 14,000 Minnesota nonprofits during the annual “Give to the MAX” Day (GTTM).
This year Give to the Max Day is November 20th.
PROP’s 2025 GTTM Goal. At PROP, we are so grateful each year for the outpouring of generosity from our community during Give to the MAX month. The need for support is even greater this year due to the possible disruption in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the prolonged government shutdown. PROP has added additional Food Mart visit appointments and curbside appointments to meet the increase in need. PROP has set a goal to raise $125,000 during Give to the MAX 2025 so that we can continue to meet the increased needs of our clients.
Now is a Great Time To Give! Thanks to the special generosity of a group of donors, all gifts made during the Give to the MAX campaign will be matched up to $25,000!
Early giving begins on November 1st and goes through midnight November 20th. To donate, go to www.propfood.org/donate
If you’d like to host a Give to the MAX for PROP yard sign, email Prima Sisinni at primas@propfood.org
Thank you for Giving To The Max!
PROP’s 2025 Holiday Gift Card Program
You can help to “Make the Season Bright” for our neighbors in need!
With PROP’s Holiday Gift Card Program, qualifying families experiencing food or financial insecurity receive a $40 Target gift card to purchase what they need most to celebrate the holidays such as festive food for their families or a heartfelt gift for their child or grandchild. Please help us reach our goal to fund and distribute 800 holiday gift cards.
Between October 1st and November 14th you can:
- Donate a gift of any amount to PROP at www.propfood.org/donate and select the Holiday Gift card appeal option. With your donation, we’ll purchase the gift cards needed for the program, or
- Purchase a $40 Target gift card online at www.target.com and have it sent to PROP Food Shelf at PROP 14700 Martin Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344, or
- Bring in or mail a $40 Target gift card to PROP
Thank you so much for helping PROP to make the season bright for our neighbors in need!
Weekly Co-working Sessions for Job Searchers
At PROP, we’re excited to share a new way to support your job search!
Starting the week of September 8th, Tangee Cassidy, PROP Employment Counselor and Case Manager, will be hosting weekly coworking sessions on Microsoft Teams. These sessions are a chance to focus, make progress, and benefit from body doubling—working alongside others for motivation and accountability.
Here’s the schedule:
- Mondays at 10:00 AM – Kickstart Focus
We’ll spend the first 10 minutes setting individual job search goals for the week, then use the rest of the hour to work quietly side-by-side. - Fridays at 4:00 PM – Accountability Check-In & Coworking
We’ll begin with a brief check-in to reflect on progress made during the week, then co-work together to wrap up any remaining tasks before the weekend.
How it works:
- Mics off, cameras optional.
- Stay for the full hour or just part of it—whatever you need.
- No formal agenda, just a supportive, distraction-free space to work on applications, resumes, or networking tasks.
Join the Sessions Here:
👉Mondays: Join the meeting now
👉Fridays: Join the meeting now
You’re welcome to join either or both sessions each week. We hope this provides a boost of structure, focus, and encouragement in your job search.
Warmly,
Tangee Cassidy
Employment Counselor & Case Manager
PROP