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If you or someone you love is facing hunger, homelessness, or hardship in Minneapolis, Sharing and Caring Hands is one of the city’s most trusted lifelines. Open to anyone in need, this nonprofit has been serving the Twin Cities community for decades — offering everything from hot meals and emergency shelter to dental care and clothing. Here’s everything you need to know about their services, hours, and how to get help.
What Is Sharing and Caring Hands?
Sharing and Caring Hands is a Minneapolis nonprofit drop-in center dedicated to providing food, shelter, and clothing to the unhoused population of the Twin Cities. They are set up to be a safety-net organization to help with whatever needs are not being met — including meals, clothing, and showers. 91% of all money donated goes directly to the needs of the poor; only 9% goes to management and fundraising.
📍 Address: 525 N. 7th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55405
📞 Phone: (612) 338-4640
✉️ Email: info@sharingandcaringhands.org
🌐 Website: sharingandcaringhands.org
General Drop-In Hours
The main office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, and is closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. However, several programs — including meals and shelter intakes — run on different schedules. Always check program-specific hours below before you go.
Services Offered and How to Access Them
🍽️ Hot Meals — Free for Everyone
Hot meals are served in their cafeteria Monday through Thursday at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM, and on Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 AM. No meals are served on Fridays. All are welcome — no paperwork, no ID required to eat. Sharing and Caring Hands serves over 157,000 meals each year — about 3,000 per week — to people in need.
🛍️ Free Food Bags
Bags of food with boxed and canned pantry items are available Monday through Thursday at 10:00 AM or 12:00 noon. The food program provides free bags of food to those in need in the community — given to families with children and individuals alike. No referral is needed. Simply show up during service hours.
Need more food support in the area? Hues Hope has a full list of Food Resources across Minneapolis.
🏠 Emergency Shelter — Mary’s Place
Homeless families with two or more children of minor age are eligible to request shelter acceptance for Mary’s Place, their homeless shelter, which has 100 fully-furnished apartments. Mary’s Place Transitional Shelter houses over 600 people each night, of which over 400 are children.
How to apply for shelter:
- Families need to come for an in-person intake interview at Sharing and Caring Hands with all family members needing shelter — children and adults must be present.
- Shelter intakes are done Monday through Thursday at 10:00 AM. Early arrival is encouraged, as there is often a line.
- Shelter requests are considered on an individual basis, depend on whether there are vacancies, and are not automatically granted.
Mary’s Place residents also have access to a free laundry facility, two large classrooms where tutoring is offered Monday through Wednesday, a computer room, activity rooms, a playroom, meeting spaces, a chapel, and a medical clinic.
Looking for more housing options? Visit Hues Hope’s Housing page for additional resources throughout the Twin Cities.
🦷 Free Dental Care
Dental services are available on a first-come, first-serve basis whenever a volunteer dentist is available, and currently only extractions are provided. Services are completely free and are for those who are uninsured or under-insured and unable to pay for dental care. The free Dental Clinic has provided around $300,000 worth of free services to low- or no-income children and adults.
For additional Health Care options in Minneapolis, check out Hues Hope’s resources directory.
🩺 Mary’s Place Minute Clinic
Mary’s Place Minute Clinic provides medical care for families in the transitional apartments. The clinic is located at 401 N. 7th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55405, and is open Mondays from 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM and Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 AM – 12:00 noon.
🛏️ Free Beds for People Moving Into Housing
Sharing and Caring Hands pays for and delivers beds for those who have recently moved into an apartment or home within the last 30 days. Beds are full or twin size and brand new — one bed per individual or two beds for families. Bed orders are done every Monday promptly at 10:00 AM. You must bring your lease and picture ID. Orders are done on a first-come, first-serve basis. They deliver to locations in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and many surrounding suburbs.
If you’re setting up a new home, also browse Hues Hope’s Household Items page for additional furniture and supply resources.
👕 Clothing Closet, Hygiene & More
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