Keystone Community Services

Food & Goods

Donating in-kind gifts support Keystone's mission. We welcome donations of food, personal care items, used bikes and so much more.
Photo of young girl sitting by backpacks

Your Support is Vital

Donations of food and personal care items are greatly appreciated and vital for our food shelves! Your contributions and support help provide nourishing support to your neighbors in need.

Give the gift of Food and SUpport

Your support will help fill our food shelf and ensure your neighbor has access to quality and healthy food options. One of the ways that you can make a big impact this spring is by hosting a food drive. Hosting a food drive is simple and it’s a great way to help bring food to community members who may need it the most.

If you are hosting a food drive for Keystone, here is a brief guide for getting started:

  • Choose the dates of your drive
  • Reach out to Keystone to let us know about your drive
  • Request donation barrels or promotional signage from Keystone if needed
  • Collect your donations
  • Coordinate a time to drop off your collected donations

 Get Hours and Details to Drop Off of In-kind Donations

Most Needed Food and Hygiene Items

We welcome shelf-stable grocery items and encourage a variety of donations. We will only accept unexpired items in unopened containers, unless the contents are individually wrapped.

Here is a list of some of our most needed items:

  • Cereal
  • Canned fruit
  • Peanut butter
  • Pasta
  • Quick to prepare meals
  • Canned meat and proteins (i.e. tuna, hearty stews, chicken, etc.)
  • Cooking staples (i.e. flour, sugar, cooking oil, etc.)
  • Culturally specific items (i.e. soy sauce, fish sauce, masa, etc.)
  • Baby care items (baby food, formula, wipes, diapers, etc.)
  • Hygiene items (Deodorant, bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, feminine care items, etc.)

Please keep in mind that this is not a complete list of items we accept. If you have a special item in mind to donate or have questions about our donation process, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

In addition to food donations, Keystone stocks our food shelves by purchasing food in bulk from food banks. These purchasing programs help us stretch your dollars even further and support more of our neighbors.

Give a financial gift today 

Food/Good Donation FAQs

  • Will I receive a receipt for my donation of in-kind gifts?

    At the time of the donation drop-off, you will be asked to fill out an in-kind donation slip and will have the option to receive a copy for your personal records.

    Please note that Keystone does not estimate the value of tax value of in-kind gifts. This is the privilege and responsibility of the donor.

  • Will Keystone pick up the items I am donating?

    We kindly request that donations are dropped off at Keystone in order to best honor staff time capacity. If you have concerns or questions about dropping off donations, please give us a call at 651-645-0349 or email us and we will work with you to ensure your donation gets to Keystone!

  • Where do I drop off my donations?

    Donations of food or large quantities of hygiene items can be dropped off at the Keystone Community Food Center (KCFC), 1800 University Ave W, St. Paul, MN.

    We are open Monday – Friday, and prefer for donation drop-offs at KCFC occur within the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Please use the door at the back of the building, and ring the bell before entering so a staff member or volunteer knows you have arrived.

    Donations of school supplies or smaller quantities of food or hygiene items can be dropped off at the Merriam Park Community Center, 2000 St. Anthony Ave, St. Paul, MN.

    Donations can be dropped off at this location Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

    Bikes can be donated at Express Bike Shop, 1158 Selby Ave, St. Paul, MN

    Donations are accepted Tuesday – Friday from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Please call 651-644-9600 with questions about bike donations.

    Please do not drop donations off outside of Keystone’s hours. In order to ensure quality, we are unable accept donations left outside and these items will be discarded.

  • What if I want to donate something that isn't on the most-needed list?

    We encourage a variety of donations beyond those listed on the most-needed item list, so long as the items are non-perishable and unopened or individually wrapped.

    If you have questions about a specific item, please call us at 651-645-0349 or email us and we’d be happy to confirm if we will accept it!

  • What if someone would like to contribute a monetary gift to my donation drive?

    Financial support is essential to ensuring Keystone can provide food support and other critical resources to neighbors in need. Monetary gifts are always appreciated!

    Cash or check gifts can be dropped off at the same time you donate food or supplies. It would be great if you could collect these donations in an envelope and give the staff a heads up so it doesn’t get mixed in with the food items.

    All checks can be made payable to: Keystone Community Services. You can also direct the kind community member to make a donation online.