Community Emergency Service

What Community Emergency Service does

Community Emergency Service (CES) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered at 1900 11th Avenue South in Minneapolis, Minnesota, operating continuously since its 1971 founding by Pastor William Berg as an outreach ministry of Augustana Lutheran Church. The organization delivers food and nutrition assistance to roughly 150,000 neighbors per year through four interconnected programs: the Food Market (an appointment-based, client-choice food pantry open Tuesday–Friday), 24/7 contact-free Food Lockers (online-ordered, code-accessed pickup), Meals on Wheels (home-delivered hot and frozen meals Monday–Friday with wellness checks for homebound seniors and adults with physical limitations), and Ani-Meals (monthly pet food delivery plus basic veterinary services for Meals on Wheels clients with pets, launched in 2015). Service is delivered without eligibility barriers, with explicit attention to culturally relevant foods for Minneapolis's most ethnically diverse neighborhood.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally minimal: scheduling runs on TimeTap, food locker reservations run on OrderAhead, and client communication runs through standard email, newsletter, and social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn). There is no proprietary platform; differentiation rests on operational execution, volunteer labor, and a curated partner network rather than software. Program staff and delivery are supported by a 19-person paid team and a documented volunteer base.

CES's revenue mechanics are donation-driven rather than commercial. Funding flows from three streams: (1) unrestricted and restricted monetary donations from individuals, corporations, congregations, and foundations — accepted online, by mail, as stock gifts, IRA distributions, Donor-Advised Funds, and legacy gifts; (2) voluntary client contributions toward Meals on Wheels meal costs, subsidized for those unable to pay; and (3) institutional grants from corporate, foundation, and government funders including Otto Bremer Trust, United Way, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, and Hennepin County. The organization holds a Candid/GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency and reports financials on its website, but does not publicly disclose revenue totals. Customer relationships are with individual beneficiaries rather than paying enterprises — go-to-market is community-led and direct, relying on congregation, corporate, and foundation partnerships to source supply and capital rather than on sales motion.

Name

Community Emergency Service

Legal name

Community Emergency Service, Inc.

Website

https://cesmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Emergency Service (CES) is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides food assistance to roughly 150,000 low-income neighbors annually through its Food Market, 24/7 Food Lockers, Meals on Wheels, and Ani-Meals pet food programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Assistance Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Food assistance services
• Emergency food relief
• Meals on wheels
• Food pantry services
• Community food bank

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis, MN

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, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Monetary donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations support all operational costs. Donors can give online, by mail, via stock gifts, IRA distributions, Donor Advised Funds, and legacy gifts.
2. Meals on Wheels Client Contributions: Participants are asked to contribute toward the cost per meal, with subsidy funds available for those with financial need. No one is turned away due to inability to pay.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporate partners, foundation partners, and congregation partners provides operational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Community Emergency Service provides free and donation-supported food assistance to low-income seniors, families with children, and adults with physical limitations in Minneapolis through four core programs: the Food Market (client-choice food pantry by appointment), Food Lockers (24/7 contact-free pickup), Meals on Wheels (home-delivered meals with wellness checks), and Ani-Meals (pet food support for Meals on Wheels clients). The organization reaches nearly 150,000 neighbors annually without barriers to access.

Product overview

Community Emergency Service operates as a single unified program portfolio of four interconnected food assistance services. The core offerings include the Food Market (a client-choice food pantry by appointment), Food Lockers (24/7 contact-free locker pickup for those with scheduling constraints), Meals on Wheels (home-delivered hot and frozen meals with wellness checks for seniors and disabled adults), and Ani-Meals (pet food and care support for Meals on Wheels clients). Together, these services address food insecurity across multiple demographics and barriers to access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ani-Meals: A program that delivers free pet food and pet care assistance to Meals on Wheels clients to help them care for their pets without going without themselves.
• Meals on Wheels
• Food Market
• Food Lockers

Products and services

• Food Market A neighborhood food market offering fresh produce, proteins, dairy, shelf-stable items, and culturally familiar foods by appointment. Clients choose foods like a grocery store and may visit twice a month. Operates Tuesday-Thursday 1-6pm and Friday 1-3pm.
• Food Lockers Secure, contact-free, 24/7 accessible food lockers located outside the building for flexible pickup on the client's schedule. Orders are placed online via OrderAhead and packed based on household size and dietary needs.
• Meals on Wheels Home-delivered meal program offering hot nutritious meals Monday through Friday and frozen meals, along with wellness checks for homebound seniors and adults with physical disabilities. Participants are asked to contribute toward the cost per meal, with subsidy funds available for those with financial need.
• Ani-Meals Pet food delivery program supporting Meals on Wheels clients with monthly deliveries of free pet food, vaccines, basic exams, and spay/neuter services for their pets. Serves more than 80 households monthly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 150,000 neighbors reached annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Second Harvest HeartlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional food bank partner providing food supplies for CES food distribution programs. Second Harvest Heartland is part of the Feeding America network.
• Meals on Wheels AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network membership providing support, resources, and advocacy for local Meals on Wheels programs like CES.
• Metro Meals on WheelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal metro area coalition supporting coordination and collaboration among Meals on Wheels programs in the Twin Cities region.
• The Food GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescue and distribution organization partner providing food supplies for CES programs.
• Hunger Solutions MinnesotamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide organization providing advocacy, education, and coordination for food assistance programs including SNAP enrollment support.
• Augustana Lutheran ChurchcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFounding congregation partner from 1971, one of 50+ churches in the congregation partner network supporting CES.
• Lund's & Byerly'smajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal grocery retailer providing food donations and in-kind support.
• TEGNA KARE11minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal TV station sponsor supporting events and community awareness.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Open Arms of Minnesota: Minneapolis/Twin Cities nonprofit delivering medically tailored home meals to people living with serious illness; directly comparable to CES's Meals on Wheels home-delivery model and similar client base of low-income, homebound individuals.
• Second Harvest Heartland: Largest hunger-relief organization in Minnesota and Feeding America affiliate; both a CES supply partner and direct peer in food distribution, fundraising, and donor competition for the same institutional funders.
• God's Love We Deliver: New York-based nonprofit providing home-delivered medically tailored meals and nutrition services to people living with serious illness; highly comparable operating model to CES's Meals on Wheels with similar homebound client focus and donor-funded model.
• Hunger Solutions Minnesota: Statewide advocacy and coordination organization for hunger relief including SNAP outreach; comparable Twin Cities ecosystem player working with food shelves and meal programs on overlapping beneficiary populations.
• Loaves & Fishes Minnesota: Twin Cities nonprofit serving free, healthy meals to Minnesotans in need through community meal programs and food shelves; comparable mission and geographic market to CES, with overlap in food-market distribution and culturally responsive service.
• Moveable Feast: Mid-Atlantic nonprofit delivering medically tailored and home-delivered meals to neighbors facing hunger due to illness; comparable service model to CES's MOW program with similar volunteer- and donation-driven operations.
• The Food Group: Minnesota-based food rescue and distribution nonprofit supplying partner agencies and serving culturally diverse communities; directly comparable model as a Twin Cities hunger-relief intermediary with overlapping donor base.

Regional players

• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Major regional food bank serving the Chicago area with a partner-agency network similar to CES's neighborhood food-shelf model; comparable operating model and donor ecosystem but in a different metropolitan market.

Broad incumbents

• Meals on Wheels America: National network and advocacy organization supporting thousands of local Meals on Wheels programs; comparable in mission and operational model but at vastly greater scale and as a network umbrella that CES belongs to.
• Feeding America: National network of 200+ food banks including CES's partner Second Harvest Heartland; comparable in mission and food-distribution model but at vastly greater scale as a national aggregator and advocacy organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cesmn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-emergency-service
• Instagraminstagram.com/ces_mn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Community Emergency Service