The Camden Promise
Building Hope, Together
In the Lind-Bohanon neighborhood of the Camden Community in Minneapolis, three congregations find themselves amidst neighbors grappling with a multitude of challenges, including housing insecurity, unemployment, financial instability, poverty, substance abuse, gang activity, and violence. Recognizing the urgent need for support and intervention, these congregations have united under the banner of The Camden Promise, a collaborative effort dedicated to addressing these complex issues with compassion and diligence. Through The Camden Promise, we are committed to tackling these challenges head-on, one step at a time, and one individual at a time. As the non-profit arm of Gethsemane, The Camden Promise serves as a vital extension of our ministries, working to amplify our impact and secure additional resources for our community initiatives. Operating as a 501C-3 nonprofit organization, The Camden Promise operates to uplift and empower our neighbors, offering hope, support, and tangible assistance to those in need.
Community, Serving with Love
The Camden Promise Food Shelf serves the community with love, dignity, and deep commitment. Through our Client Choice model, neighbors are able to select the foods that best support their families, using a simple point system where most items are just one point. Each household can shop for seven points per visit, and—because we believe that hunger has no schedule—there are no limits on how often someone can come. Whether a family needs support once a month or several times a week, our doors remain open without judgment.
Our mission is to ensure that every person in the Camden community has access to nourishing food and a welcoming place to land. Today, we serve more than 15,000 people every month, distributing over 120,000 pounds of food. As a participating agency of Second Harvest and Minnesota Food Group, we receive essential contributions and can purchase bulk discounted food to keep our selection strong and varied. In addition, our volunteers collect food daily from five food-rescue partners across the Twin Cities, ensuring that good food reaches the tables of those who need it most.
But beyond the numbers, Camden Promise is built on relationships. We know our neighbors by name, celebrate their victories, support them during hardships, and strive to make every visit feel safe, warm, and respected. For years, we’ve been a trusted anchor in this community—feeding the neighborhood, creating connection, and offering hope one visit at a time.
At Camden Promise, people aren’t just served. They are seen, supported, and welcomed with love.
*Evangelist Temple was instrumental in forming The Camden Promise. Their congregation was dissolved in September 2012. Brooklyn Center 7th Day Adventist moved to a new location in the fall 2013 and is no longer associated with The Camden Promise.
Food Distribution Schedule
Food distribution Schedule
Daily: Monday through Saturday, starting at 11:00am, and ending at 2:30pm.
Daily warm meals Monday through Sunday 11:30-1pm.
Stop by the corner of 47th & Colfax to get a box of groceries to take home for you and your family. Everyone in our community is welcome!
