Cross Services

What Cross Services does

Cross Services is a nonprofit food shelf organization founded in 1977 and headquartered in Rogers, Minnesota. It provides essential food support, financial assistance, children's programs, and a clothing/home goods thrift shop (Sweet Repeat Boutique) to families and individuals facing food insecurity across the northwest metro Minneapolis area, including Rogers, Maple Grove, Osseo, and parts of Wright County. Its service model is built around a client-choice "dignity shopping" approach that allows families to select groceries rather than receive pre-packed boxes, supported by an on-site weekly Hennepin County SNAP representative for benefits navigation.

The organization operates with a small staff of 11-50 personnel supplemented by a substantial volunteer base that contributed over 37,000 hours in the most recent reporting year. Its core offerings include Food Programs (culturally appropriate groceries, fresh produce, holiday meals), Children's Programs (Back to School backpacks, holiday gifts, birthday bags), Financial Assistance (Peace of Mind Financial Assistance Fund), and the Sweet Repeat Boutique. The technology footprint is minimal; there is no proprietary software, app, API, or AI component — operations run on volunteer coordination tools, donation management workflows, and community partner networks. Distribution is exclusively direct and physical, with no digital product surface.

Its business model is donation-driven and fundraised rather than commercially priced. Revenue streams consist of voluntary financial contributions from individual donors and monthly sustainers, in-kind food donations (with Second Harvest Heartland as the principal regional supply partner), corporate event sponsorships (notably Wagner's Tailgate Tee-Off), and proceeds from the Sweet Repeat Boutique thrift shop. Go-to-market is community- and event-led, with no traditional sales motion: signature events (Tailgate Tee-Off, Empty Bowls), recurring campaigns (#Love4CROSS, Open Your Heart Summer Challenge), church and corporate partner referrals, and content marketing (blog, newsletter, YouTube 'Chat with Chad' series) drive awareness and donations. Service is provided at no charge to qualifying families.

Name

Cross Services

Legal name

CROSS Services

Website

https://crossservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cross Services is a nonprofit food shelf organization based in Rogers, Minnesota that provides food assistance, clothing, financial aid, and children's programs to families facing food insecurity across the northwest metro Minneapolis area, including Rogers, Maple Grove, and Osseo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rogers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Financial Donations: CROSS Services relies on financial contributions from individual donors, monthly sustaining donors, and corporate sponsors. The organization runs annual campaigns including the #Love4CROSS February campaign and Open Your Heart Summer Challenge with matching funds from partners like Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless.
2. Food Donations: Food donations from community members, local growers, churches, and partners like Second Harvest Heartland. These in-kind donations allow the organization to stretch financial resources further.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors like Wagner sponsor signature events including the Tailgate Tee-Off golf tournament. The newly launched annual sponsorship program creates mutually beneficial partnerships with businesses.
4. Sweet Repeat Boutique Thrift Shop: Clothing and home goods donations are sold or given to clients through the Sweet Repeat Boutique thrift shop, generating revenue through sale of donated items.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cross Services (CROSS) is a nonprofit food shelf organization that provides essential food support, clothing, financial assistance, and children's programs to families and individuals facing food insecurity in the Rogers, Maple Grove, and Osseo areas of Minnesota. The organization operates a client-choice (dignity) shopping model at its Rogers facility and supplements its offerings with the Sweet Repeat Boutique thrift shop, SNAP application assistance, and community-driven events such as back-to-school and holiday programs.

Product overview

Cross Services is a nonprofit food shelf organization offering a unified set of community support services rather than a technology product platform. The organization provides food assistance programs, children's support services (including holiday gifts and school supplies), financial assistance (including the Peace of Mind Financial Assistance Fund), and operates the Sweet Repeat Boutique clothing shop. Services also include SNAP application assistance through weekly on-site Hennepin County representatives. The integrated service model combines food, financial, family, and clothing programs to provide comprehensive support to families in need in the Rogers, MN area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Programs Food assistance programs providing essential food support to families and individuals facing food insecurity, including culturally appropriate groceries, fresh produce, holiday meals, and community food distributions through a client-choice shopping model.
• Children's Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Families served 20,000+ visits annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• WagnercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWagner is a paint sprayer company owned by two charitable foundations that reinvests profits into communities. The company supports CROSS Services through generous donations, food and school supply drives, and delivered nearly 1,000 backpacks for the annual Back to School program. Wagner sponsors the Tailgate Tee-Off golf tournament and employees regularly volunteer at CROSS Services. With facilities just miles from CROSS Services, Wagner employees give back to their own neighbors.
• First Class MortgagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Class Mortgage, co-founded by Casey Van Winkle, established the Peace of Mind Financial Assistance Fund with CROSS Services following the 2008 housing crisis. This 16-year partnership helps families avoid displacement and provides critical financial support during crises. The partnership has inspired other businesses to join the effort.
• Second Harvest HeartlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond Harvest Heartland is the regional food bank that supplies food to CROSS Services and provides advocacy at the Minnesota legislature. The organization conducted the 2024 Statewide Hunger Study showing 1 in 5 Minnesota households struggle with food insecurity. CROSS Services Executive Director Chad Lanners participates in 'Chat with Chad' conversations with Second Harvest Heartland staff including Public Affairs Advocacy Manager Caleigh Gumbiner.
• St. Joseph the Worker Catholic ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in Maple Grove, this church has been a partner for decades through weekly food donations, birthday bags, coat drives, school supply collections, Giving Tree holiday gifts, handmade fleece blankets, quilt donations, and fundraisers. Father Mike leads a jam-making ministry that transforms surplus fruit from CROSS Services into jam sold to parish members, with proceeds going back to CROSS Services. Barry Shay serves on the CROSS Services board.
• Open Your Heart to the Hungry and HomelessmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThis Minnesota-based organization provides matching funds during CROSS Services' Open Your Heart Summer Challenge campaign, helping the organization unlock additional donations to meet rising summer demand.
• Twin Cities Health Insurance SolutionssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerJan and Jenna Mudd of Twin Cities Health Insurance Solutions partner with CROSS Services to help families navigate unexpected challenges that can quickly become financial crises, recognizing that supporting families goes beyond food and housing.
• Northwood ChurchsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith community that connected volunteer Karen to CROSS Services. Members have participated in food drives and the church hosted a presentation by Pat Schwalbe (Chief of Operations) that inspired volunteer engagement.
• Lord of Life ChurchsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch community connected to CROSS Services through volunteers Al and Cindy. The church leads a team creating hundreds of handmade fleece blankets for local families through the Knights of Columbus Auxiliary.
• State Farm (Andy Hedlund)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerState Farm agent Andy Hedlund organized a volunteer activity and toy drive during the holiday season, honoring his mother Denise who passed away. The toy donations support CROSS Services' Birthday Program.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Food Group: Minnesota hunger-relief organization operating food distribution programs and partner food shelves; comparable nonprofit food assistance model serving the Twin Cities metro.
• Second Harvest Heartland: Regional food bank that supplies Cross Services through the hunger-relief network; both operate the same food distribution model targeting food insecurity in Minnesota and are tightly operationally linked.
• Manna Food Shelf: Single-site suburban food shelf with a comparable client-choice distribution model and similar reliance on community volunteers and partner donations.
• PRISM (People Responding in Social Ministry): Golden Valley, MN-based food shelf and social services nonprofit serving a similar Northwest Metro suburban population with food, clothing, and financial assistance — directly comparable mission and service mix.
• Community Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP): Brooklyn Park-based nonprofit offering food shelves, clothing, and financial assistance in the same Twin Cities suburban footprint as Cross Services, with an overlapping client base.

Emerging players

• Hunger Solutions Minnesota: Statewide anti-hunger advocacy and SNAP outreach organization; partial overlap with Cross Services on food access navigation and policy advocacy, but does not directly distribute food.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army Northern Division: Large established social services organization providing food, shelter, and financial assistance across the Twin Cities; overlaps in food shelf and emergency assistance but operates a much broader portfolio.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: Large established faith-based social services nonprofit providing food, housing, financial, and family support in the same region; comparable on social assistance mission but at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crossservicesmn
• Facebookfacebook.com/CROSSservicesMN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cross-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/crossservicesmn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cross Services