First-time shoppers are given a short registration form to complete.

Home delivery is available for people who are homebound and have no other options for receiving food, such as having a friend or relative shop for them. A volunteer will call to help you “shop by phone” and your food will be delivered. Call (218) 235-8527 to register for this program.

Emergency assistance is available during the month by calling (218) 235-8527.

Eligibility is based on either your participation in any of the programs listed below or your income which must be below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.(see table below)

11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The food shelf is located at 15 W Conan St and is open the third Wednesday of the month from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. for in-person shopping.

We are also open the Saturday following Foodshelf Day from 8-11 a.m. for in-person shopping.

Starting at 11:00am, shopping numbers are distributed which designate a 15-minute period of time when shoppers can return to shop. Shoppers may request a specific time (if still available) to fit their schedule. This system eliminates long lines and waiting, so shoppers are urged to honor that timeframe to prevent congestion.

If unable to pick up a shopping time at 11 a.m., shoppers may stop by at any time to pick up a number or wait to shop. If you have limited time we recommend shopping on Saturday morning when there are fewer shoppers.

Volunteers are available to help with shopping or carrying groceries.

Food donation bins are conveniently located at Zup's Market inside the front entrance, The Ely Public Library, and St. Anthony's Catholic Church

If you want to give a larger quantity of food to the food shelf, please call or e-mail us, and a food shelf volunteer will contact you to make arrangements for dropping off your food donation.

You can bring food to the food shelf at 15 West Conan Street without an appointment on the third Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a food shelf volunteer will be there to assist you.

If you want to give the gift of your time to the food shelf, please call or e-mail us, and the appropriate person will respond to your inquiry.

Volunteering does not need to be limited to stocking shelves; there are many ways you can assist us with your donation of time. We've listed a few possibilities, but let us know if you have another idea. Be creative!

As a volunteer, you could

If you want to give a gift of money to the food shelf, please donate now online or mail a check to:

Ely Area Food Shelf
PO Box 786
Ely, MN 55731.

The Ely Area Food Shelf is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and any donation is tax deductible.

Food and nonfood items are donated by local clubs, organizations and individuals. Food is purchased from Second harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank in Duluth and purchased locally from Zup's Market.

The Ely Area Food Shelf has very low overhead; most of the monetary donations are used to purchase food.