Hallie Q. Brown Center in dire need of grocery bags
For nearly a century, the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center has served as a cornerstone of St. Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood, guiding local families through changing times and winter hardships.
For CEO Benny Roberts, that mission is personal. "My family came from Oklahoma in the 1940’s," Roberts said. "Since then, the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center has been serving and supporting my family, including my daughter, the 5th generation.”
As one of Minnesota’s oldest African American social service agencies, the Hallie Q Brown Community Center provides a centralized hub where residents can access food assistance, healthcare screenings, and educational guidance without stigma or financial barriers.
With winter approaching and food insecurity on the rise, the center relies heavily on brown paper grocery bags to distribute meals through its choice-model food shelf. Unlike traditional emergency distribution, the choice model allows families to select food that aligns with their dietary restrictions and cultural background.
“An emergency shelf gives you what you need, but dignity can be lost if someone can’t eat gluten or the food is not kosher,” Roberts said.
While community members can drop off paper grocery bags directly at the center, staff members emphasize that financial support is equally crucial to keep those bags filled. The request comes as the center works to bridge a budget shortfall from its 97th Annual Fundraising Dinner on Oct. 3, where it raised $70,000 toward a $125,000 goal.
“These days it costs us more to get the food we provide,” Roberts said. “Even people with jobs are supplementing through our food shelf. Last year we gave $1.5 million in food, circulating it back into the community”.
Beyond food assistance, the center offers comprehensive wraparound services. It houses a free prevention health clinic designed to deliver medical screenings, health assessments, and prenatal care without the typical financial barriers of insurance requirements or copays. The center also offers specialized veteran’s services and connection opportunities to help former service members navigate available benefits.
“We understand community is not something we do ourselves,” Roberts said.
The center also collaborates with Prepare + Prosper to provide free tax preparation and financial services, works alongside the NAACP, and partners with Saint Paul Promise to serve as an educational hub that helps residents make informed decisions.
Sustaining these programs requires ongoing community investment.
“The money would help us continue supporting people navigating resources in the neighborhood,” Roberts said. “People’s needs spike when the weather gets cold. We want to get resources into our neighborhood.”
Community members looking to support the center can drop off paper grocery bags or make financial donations at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, located at 270 N. Kent St. in St. Paul. Learn more and donate at: hallieqbrown.org
