SACA volunteers, families and friends filled the space on Friday, July 17. (Mark Peterson)
On July 17, Southern Anoka Community Assistance (SACA), a 50-year-old food shelf, officially opened its new building at 3905 California Street in Columbia Heights. The facility had a “soft” opening on April 13 which was designed to get the services up to speed while continuing to refine the operation.
The event introduced Ed Minnema as SACA’s new executive director. Minnema served as vice president of operations for Native American Community Development Institute, a Minneapolis nonprofit that focuses on “food sovereignty, civic engagement and contemporary Native Arts.”
He replaces interim executive director Andrea Kish-Bailey, a consultant with Strategic Consulting & Coaching. Kish-Bailey was tasked with assisting the organization in transitioning to its new physical and operating structures.
SACA was founded in 1976. It primarily serves residents of Columbia Heights, Hilltop, Fridley, Spring Lake Park and Northeast Minneapolis through its food shelf, thrift store, and more.
The organization has transitioned from a pre-packaged model to a “client choice” food shelf, encouraging people to select their own groceries based on needs and preferences. It has nine salaried staff and what it calls a “robust volunteer base” to operate its services.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, SACA experienced a sharp drop in older volunteers while seeing a massive spike in need. By 2021, the nonprofit was serving 49,000 people — nearly double the volume it saw in 2018. In 2025, SACA served 35,647 households and 93,000 individuals.
In an interview before Minnema’s appointment was announced, Kish-Bailey said SACA is sustained by strong community support and a mix of funding sources, including banks, businesses, donors, foundations and fundraisers. SACA is supported by over 900 volunteers each year, including about 150 daytime volunteers who help sustain regular weekly operations. Many have been involved with SACA for years.
After outgrowing its previous space at 38th Ave. NE, SACA acquired the former machine shop. The project received $1 million in federal funding and $2.5 million from the Minnesota Legislature in January 2023.
The new building is 6,500 square feet — triple the size of the previous site. This gives space to operate the “Community Market” model, which gives neighbors more flexibility in accessing food. The larger building improves food storage, refrigeration, sorting accessing food.
Kish-Bailey said it provides “a more welcoming environment for neighbors and a better layout for staff and volunteers.
“With more room for volunteers, partners and community activities, we are better positioned to involve the community in this work and expand the support systems that make our mission possible,” she said. “Overall, the new building gives us the capacity to grow with the community and respond more fully to rising need.”
Asked about public response, Kish-Bailey said, “At our previous site, SACA served approximately 40 families a day. It is still early to make a full comparison, but the response to the new building was immediate. In the first week of the Community Market, SACA served more than 375 families, and the Thrift Store had a record-breaking sales day on day one.” She said the numbers reflect both the level of need in the community and “A strong response” to the new space.
Kish-Bailey said Southern Anoka County faces higher poverty than the county overall. In the communities SACA serves, poverty rates are generally in the 10-12% range, compared with about 6% countywide. Several neighborhoods are designated Areas of Concentrated Poverty, including all of Hilltop and roughly one-third of Columbia Heights. In Columbia Heights alone, over 78% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which Kish-Bailey said “speaks to the level of economic strain many families are facing.”
Many neighbors who come to SACA are employed, but wages have not kept pace with the cost of living. About 70% of households served report having income and still needing food support. Recent household data shows how difficult those tradeoffs have become: 47% reported choosing between food and utilities, 46% between food and housing costs and 26% between food and medical care or medication.
Kish-Bailey said needs are also shaped by the community’s diversity. SACA serves many immigrant, multilingual and multigenerational households. Neighbors look for food that reflects their traditions, preferences and household needs. SACA serves many older adults and families with children: Over half of households include children under 18, and nearly a third include adults age 65 or older.
In 2024, SACA served 68,106 individuals and distributed over 905,000 pounds of food. In 2025, that figure rose to 93,008 individuals across 35,647 households, with nearly one million pounds of food distributed. “The old building simply could not keep pace with that level of demand.”
SACA offers several other programs designed to make food access more flexible, consistent, and responsive to community needs. These include SACA Delivers, which provides grocery delivery for homebound seniors and individuals with disabilities, produce drops that offer seasonal distributions of fresh fruits and vegetables. A curbside pickup option launched in May.
SACA partners with Allina Health through the Allina Health Pantry (AHP). AHP serves individuals receiving services for mental health and addiction. It also works with schools, health providers and community organizations to reduce barriers to food access and community support.
Besides food programs, SACA operates the SACA Thrift Store, which provides affordable clothing and household goods while generating income to support their mission.
Over 100 individuals, most of them connected with SACA, attended the July 17 grand opening. SACA Director Minnema recognized the Board, volunteers and staff for their work in fulfilling its mission.
“We are growing and building an incredible team,” he said. “And with the new facility and new programs, our capacity is starting to be stretched, and they just keep knocking it out of the park.”
First Lutheran Church in Columbia Heights pastor Susan Demner delivered a blessing. “The blessing of this place and of this work is not found in what we hold on to; it’s found in what we let go. We let go of the shame, judgement and fear that divides us … so that we can all do better when we all do better.”