Illustrated food distribution center with volunteers, groceries, boxes, a delivery truck, and a community vehicle

Statement from Nonprofit Hunger-Relief Organizations Serving Minnesota

JANUARY 28, 2026

Since the start of Operation Metro Surge in early December, the presence of thousands of federal ICE agents has brought chaos and violence to the communities we serve, leaving a growing number of our neighbors—including U.S. citizens—too afraid to leave their homes.

People are stranded and hungry. This cannot continue.

Minnesota is fortunate to have a strong and resilient hunger-relief network, especially in times of crisis such as this. However, with so many Minnesotans staying home for fear of being racially profiled, unlawfully detained, separated from their families or worse, we have had to scramble to find new ways to get emergency food to where it’s needed most. Minnesotans have shown up to keep one another fed. Yet at every turn, ICE has made it harder to get food to hungry neighbors, including by following volunteers doing food deliveries, standing outside food shelf entrances, staging from our parking lots or near our facilities, and, in at least one instance, detaining a volunteer. This is on top of the impact on child hunger from missed school meals.

Let us be clear: every Minnesotan—indeed, every human being—deserves to eat. That should not be a controversial statement, and it certainly isn’t a political one. As nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations, we represent a wide variety of viewpoints, beliefs, and life experiences. What we all share is a deep commitment to ending hunger in our communities, and every day that this federal operation continues moves us further from that goal.

For the above reasons, and out of deep concern for our neighbors, we stand united in calling for an immediate end to the surge in federal immigration activity in our state so that we can safely deliver food to neighbors in need and ensure that they can freely attend school and access healthcare and other lifesaving services without fear. Operation Metro Surge is hurting our neighbors, it is making us less safe, it is further dividing our communities, and it is making it harder to get food to Minnesotans in need. Our communities deserve better.

— Signatories —

360 Communities

Anoka County Brotherhood Council

Basic Needs Inc. of South Washington County

Battle Lake Emergency Food Shelf

BBE Area Food Shelf

Belgrade Avenue United Methodist Church

Bread of Life

Bricelyn Food Pantry

Buffalo Food Shelf

Building Blocks of Islam

CAER Food Shelf

Calvary Food Shelf

CAPI USA

Caring For All Inc.

Change Inc.

Shiloh Cares Food Shelf

Comet’s Cupboard

Community Emergency Assistance Programs

Community Emergency Service (CES)

Community Pathways of Steele County

Create Catering

CROSS Services

Department of Indian Work

Division of Indian Work

East African Dream Food Shelf

East Side Neighborhood Services

ECHO Food Shelf

Emma Norton Services

Every Meal

Eyota Food Pantry

Fhima’s Minneapolis

Foundation for Essential Needs

Friendship Community Services FoodHub

Groveland EmergencyFood Shelf

Hastings Family Service

Haven Pantry

Hometown Resource Center

Hope for the Community

Houston Community Food Shelf

Hunger Impact Partners

ICA Food Shelf

ICNA RELIEF

Joyce Uptown Food Shelf

KOOTASCA Community Action, Inc.

La Despensa

Le Center Food Shelf

Loaves & Fishes Food Shelf

Manna Food Pantry, Inc.

Manna Market/YouthWay Ministries

McGregor Area Food Shelf

McLeod Food Shelf

MCVC Food Shelf

Merrick Community Services

Mi C.A.S.A. MN

MinneHarvest

Mount Olivet Lab School, Inc. NOURISH

Murray County Food Shelf

Muslim American Society of Minnesota

NCBC Food Shelf

NEAR Food Shelf

Neighborhood House

Neighbors, Inc.

New Creations Ministries COGIC

Norway Community Association

Open Arms of Minnesota

Open Cupboard

Open Hands Midway

Outreach Food Shelf

Pamoja Women Organization

Pillsbury United Communities

People Reaching Out to Other People (PROP)

Ralph Reeder Food Shelf

Red Wing Area Food Shelf

Redwood Area Food Shelf Inc.

Rochester Community Church

Second Harvest Heartland

Southern Anoka Community Services (SACA)

St. Louis Park Emergency Program

St. Andrew’s Community Resource Center

St. Philip’s Food and Clothing Shelf

Strandquist Food Shelf

The Aliveness Project

The Camden Promise

The Corner Shelf

The Food Group

The Good Acre

The Kitchen at Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Peter Minnesota

The Open Door

The Salvation Army Minneapolis Central Corps

The Sanneh Foundation

Tri-Community Food Shelf

Uplift North

Urban Roots MN

Valley Outreach

VEAP, Inc.

Wright County Community Action (WCCA)

Western Communities Action Network (WeCAN)

White Bear Area Food Shelf

Statement on Second ICE Fatal Shooting in Minneapolis

January 26, 2026

Merrick Community Services mourns the tragic and avoidable death of a second ICE Fatal Shooting in Minneapolis of Alex Pretti on January 24. Federal Officials have repeatedly put forward a narrative, which caused Susan and Michael Pretti to release a statement about their son. We cannot think of any more eloquent words to convey our sentiments and hope in the wake of this senseless crime.

Alex Pretti’s Parents’ Statement:

We are heartbroken but also very angry.

Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in the world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact.

I do not throw around the “hero” term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed.

Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.

In addition to adding AMEN to the Pretti’s statement, we continue to call for a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation with local, state, and federal agencies to confirm what transpired to ensure justice for both Alex Pretti and Renee Good and their families.

Along with our local and state leaders and all people of goodwill, we implore (once again) ICE to leave Minnesota, to end further violence and cruelty, which has been predicted and is avoidable. ICE’s departure will allow us to overcome the fear and hatred and division that their presence has created.

Minnesota is better than this. America is better than this.

Statement on Recent ICE Fatal Shooting in Minneapolis

“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command…..And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth.” – 1984, George Orwell

“We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution, 1968

Merrick Community Services mourns the tragic and avoidable death of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE Agent in Minneapolis. We share with Renee and her neighbors an aﬃnity and concern for our Latino and Somali brothers and sisters (and other People of Color), who ICE has been targeting in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul and throughout Minnesota with an unprecedented 2,000 Agents (and hundreds more just announced by DHS to be deployed that will only further inflame a grieving community). This has resulted in families being ripped apart and tremendous terror and great pain and fear among some of our most vulnerable members of our community.

We believe that Dr. King’s assertion that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice is true. And, we also know that we cannot reject the evidence of our eyes and ears, as George Orwell admonished.

We hope a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation with local, state, and federal agencies will take place and conﬁrm what transpired and ensure justice for Renee and her family. In the meantime, we will continue to oﬀer (as we have for over 118 years) a variety of welcoming resources and services for immigrants, refugees, and other new arrivals to the East Side of Saint Paul and beyond. Everyone we are privileged to serve deserves to feel safe and welcomed and celebrated for the innate value they bring to our community. We are, indeed, growing stronger together.

Along with our local and state leaders and all people of goodwill, we implore ICE to leave Minnesota, to end further violence and cruelty, which has been predicted and is avoidable. ICE’s departure will allow us to overcome the fear and hatred and division that their presence has created.

Minnesota is better than this. America is better than this.

Community members attending a Merrick career event

Press Release-Learn & Earn Human Services Program (UPDATED)

August 7, 2023

Merrick Community Services
1669 Arcade Street, Suite #4
St. Paul, MN 55106

RE: Press Release-Learn & Earn Human Services Program (UPDATED)

Merrick Community Services, in cooperation with our partners at Hired and the Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM), are proud to announce our Learn & Earn Human Services Program. This program will provide Ramsey County participants, ages 18-30, the opportunity to participate in a 14-week, credentialed class in Human Services.

The first 8 weeks includes the following:

Introduction to the role of a Community Support Specialist in Human Services.
Digital Skills, MS Office, Northstar Digital Literacy Certificates.
Mental Health First Aid Certification.
Customer Service and Terminology.
Job Skills-Resume, Interviewing, Group Projects, and Presentations.
Business Professionalism and Leading in Human Services.
Coaching, Counseling, and Navigating Resources.

A 6-week internship will follow the completion of the course (120 hours).

Participants will be compensated for both the time they are learning within the program, as well as the time they spend in internships.

Next Steps:

Select an agency (Merrick Community Services, Hired or KOM). You only need to apply with 1 agency.
Complete an Agency Application and Submit it by 8/2/24 for Cohort 4.
Attend an Agency Intake Appointment which will be scheduled.
You will receive notification of class selection on or before 8/9/24.

Training Location: Hired (800 Minnehaha Ave. E., Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55106)

Important Dates: Recruiting for Cohort 4 closes 8/2/24.

Class Start Date: 8/20/24 (Tuesday)

Contact Any of the Following (You only need to contact 1 agency) for more information:

Merrick Community Services
Alison Hruby
Email: ahruby@merrickcs.org
Phone: 651-243-6725 (Please leave voicemail message)

Hired
Caitlin Osell (Senior Trainer Human Services Career Pathways)
Email: caitlin.osell@hired.org
Phone: 612-433-9328

KOM
Lisa Khang
Email: Lkhang@mnkaren.org
Phone: 651-253-3894

Program Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act

New Hours for MCS

Effective Monday, July 17,2023

Merrick will begin a 4-day work week schedule for the months of July thru September

8 AM – 5:30 PM.

Food Shelf Hours will remain in place and Meals on Wheels programming has been adjusted.

For more information regarding Meals on Wheels contact Maria Molina at 651-219-5531 or email mmolina@merrickcs.org

May 25: George Floyd Remembrance and Racial Reckoning

Today marks the tragic anniversary of George Floyd’s murder across the River in Minneapolis. As we all recall, the eyes of the nation and world became focused on this tragedy, which led to an outpouring of outrage, despair, and disbelief. Three years later, the African American community (in particular) and others of us who aspire to be good allies and change agents continue our journey toward healing and justice.

So, as we remember George Floyd, a man who literally changed the world, we wanted you to be aware of the George Floyd Global Memorial that is hosting a three-day festival in celebration of George’s life and his legacy.

The Rise & Remember festivities start today and continue through Saturday. All are welcome to “inspire people to rise to the occasion, come together in community, and build racial equity.”

A candlelight vigil, a gala fundraiser, and a free community festival open to anyone who wants to celebrate the life of George Floyd are just a few of the items occurring during the 3-day event.

For information on the festival, visit:

riseandremember.org