CEAP News

Potbelly Sandwich Works in Coon Rapids held a month long food drive for Community Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP) in July. They raised nearly 120 pounds of food in all.

In exchange for non-perishable food items, Potbelly customers were given a free cookie for their good deed. This drive comes at a critical time, as CEAP is seeing an unprecedented number of families utilizing it’s services. An average of 1,000 families enter the charity’s doors a month. CEAP’s offices in Blaine and Brooklyn Park have given over 400,000 pounds of food to these struggling families. That’s nearly 115,000 pounds more than this time last year. And the need just keeps growing.

Thankfully, businesses like Potbelly understand that hunger and poverty don’t disappear once the temperatures rise. In fact many families need more help during the summer months now that their children are no longer provided breadfast, lunch and snacks at school.

Luckily, Tim Woodworth, manager of Potbelly, said, “We hope to make this an annual event.” We’re sure the families coming to CEAP are thankful for that.