COMMUNITY GARDEN
BACKPACKS FOR SUCCESS
HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Hope for the Holidays 2026

Sign up to give holiday gifts to local families and seniors.

Choose a donor program below. Gifts and support benefit eligible CAP Agency clients in Scott, Carver, and Dakota counties, Minnesota. Donor sign-ups are open to people who want to support these local communities.

Looking for holiday assistance instead? These forms are for donors, not recipients. Families seeking gifts must contact their CAP Agency program staff about eligibility and enrollment.

Donor sign-up forms open in a new tab.

Adopt-a-Family

Be matched with a family and provide gifts from their wish list.

Sign Up as a Donor

Read program details

Adopt-a-Senior

Prepare a gift bag of comfort and care items for a local senior.

Sign Up as a Donor

Read program details

Toy Drive

Donate new, unwrapped toys for children in the local community.

Sign Up as a Donor

Read program details

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Seasonal Programs

Seasonal support across Scott, Carver, and Dakota counties.

CAP Agency provides seasonal support for eligible local families and community members in Minnesota. Programs include community gardens, school supplies, backpacks, holiday gifts, household essentials, volunteer opportunities, and ways to give back. Eligibility varies by program.

Community Garden

Garden plots help strengthen community, grow produce, and support local food donations.

Backpacks for Success

Students receive brand new backpacks filled with supplies and books for classroom success.

Hope for the Holidays

Holiday support matches donations with children, parents, seniors, and families in need.

A large green bell pepper growing on a vine in a mulched garden bed.

Community Garden

Grow food, build community, and support the CAP Food Shelf.

Community Gardens strengthen the community through shared gardening experiences, provide learning opportunities for students, and grow produce for food donations while maintaining community growing spaces. Extra produce grown in garden plots is donated to the CAP Food Shelf and given to local community members.

Garden Plot Details

Spaces are available for a group of gardeners to collectively oversee garden plots near 10th and Main Street in Shakopee. This effort is in collaboration with Scott County Public Health, CAP Agency, and Shakopee Public Utilities Commission, on land owned by the City of Shakopee.

Garden plots are open to all Scott County residents 18 years of age and older and/or employees or clients of organizations within Scott County on a first-come, first-served basis.

Interested applicants who do not live or work in Scott County may apply, but will receive garden plots only if vacant plots are available.

CAP Family Garden Plots

Complimentary garden plots are available to CAP families on a first-come, first-served basis. Plots are limited and available at no cost to qualifying families.

Garden season: May 16 through October 17, opening the week after Mother’s Day and closing in early fall.

To reserve a plot or learn more, contact the Community Programs Manager.

Call 952-402-9862

Garden Plot Costs

  • $15 for a 4’x4′ plot
  • $30 for a 4’x8′ plot
  • Scholarships for a percentage of the plot fee are available by request
  • Late sign-up may be available if plots remain open
  • Eligible CAP families can get a plot at no cost

Scott County Garden Contact

For information about the Scott County garden partnership, contact Scott County.

Call 952-496-8276
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Young Volunteers handing out free backpacks through a car window.

Backpacks for Success

Helping students start the school year prepared.

CAP Agency provides students of the families we serve with the tools they need for success in the classroom. Children are given a brand new backpack filled with supplies and books, packed by community volunteers.

Eligibility

You must live in Scott, Carver, or Dakota County and have children in school up to 12th grade.

The program is open to current CAP clients.

How to Apply

Families sign up with CAP program staff. Please contact your CAP Agency program to enroll.

If you do not use CAP Agency services or programs, CAP may only be able to assist if extra backpacks remain after distribution.

Distribution

Backpack distribution takes place every year in August or September. Pickups can be scheduled with the staff member who signed you up for the program.

Location:
CAP Agency Shakopee – Parking Lot
738 1st Ave E
Shakopee, MN

Support Backpacks for Success

Donate supplies, give financially, or volunteer.

Backpacks and school supplies are collected June through August. You can support students by hosting a school supply drive, shopping the Amazon Wish List, making a financial contribution, or volunteering.

Host a School Supply Drive

Each backpack should contain helpful school supplies. Bright colors or character backpacks are always appreciated.

  • 3 notebooks
  • 1 pack of No. 2 pencils
  • 1 pack of crayons and/or markers
  • 1 bottle of glue and/or glue sticks
  • 1 pack of black and/or blue pens
  • 1 pack of red pens
  • 2 erasers
  • 1 pair of scissors
  • 1 ruler
  • 1 box of tissues
  • 2 packs of index cards

Additional Helpful Supplies

  • Calculators
  • Sharpies
  • Highlighters
  • 5-subject notebooks
  • Dry erase markers
  • Post-it notes

Donations are accepted during business hours at CAP Agency locations, with the Shakopee Food Shelf location preferred.

Contact the Development Coordinator to schedule pickup of donated items with the CAP Agency van.

Call 952-402-9853

Amazon Supply Wish List

Shop the Amazon Supply List and choose items to donate. Please email CAP after ordering so we can thank you and send a donation receipt.

Amazon Wish List

Financial Contribution

Support Backpacks for Success by making a monetary donation.

Donate

Volunteer

Volunteer opportunities may include sorting, packing, and distributing backpacks. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator for current opportunities.

Email US
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Table full of Toys and Gifts for Hope for the Holiday

Hope for the Holidays

Bringing holiday gifts to local families and seniors.

Hope for the Holidays helps eligible CAP Agency clients in Scott, Carver, and Dakota counties, Minnesota. The program connects donors with children, parents, families, and seniors to provide gifts, comfort items, and essential household supplies during the holiday season.

Families requesting assistance: Please contact your CAP Agency program staff. The donor forms above are not applications to receive holiday gifts.

Adopt-a-Family

Client families create wish lists and are matched with donors who donate gifts specific to those families.

Adopt-a-Senior

Donors fill reusable bags with comfort and care items that are delivered to seniors during the holiday season.

Toy Drive

New toys are collected and distributed to children from birth to age 18 who are not receiving Adopt-a-Family gifts.

A pile of winter clothing items including colorful gloves, mittens, and knit hats on a table.

Adopt-a-Family

Spread holiday joy to children and families.

Adopt-a-Family spreads the joy of the holidays by providing children and families with gifts. Client families create wish lists and are matched with donors who donate gifts specific to those families.

Donor Information

Donor registration is separate from family enrollment. Families who would like to receive gifts must contact their CAP Agency program staff to register.

The suggested donor contribution is $50 for each child adopted, plus one $50 gift card for the parent or adults in the home.

Sign Up as a Donor

Important Adopt-a-Family Dates

  • November 14th: Wish lists and drop off instruction emailed to donors
  • December 1st from 12-1pm: Group A donor drop off
  • December 3rd from 11am-12pm: Group B donor drop off
  • December 7th from 12-1pm: Group C & D donor drop off
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Volunteer delivering a care package to an elderly resident at their doorway during the holiday program.

Adopt-a-Senior

Provide comfort and care items to seniors.

Brighten a senior’s day by providing comfort and care items this holiday season. Donors fill reusable bags with items seniors often need. Gift bags are hand delivered, creating a personal connection during a holiday season that can be lonely for many older adults.

What to Include

  • Dish soap
  • Dish towels or hand towels
  • Hand soap
  • Tissues or Kleenex
  • Ground coffee, tea, hot cider, or hot chocolate
  • Snacks such as nuts, dried fruit, fruit cups, granola bars, oatmeal packets, or candy
  • $10 gift card, such as Cub, Walgreens, or Dollar Store
  • Fun items such as slippers, fuzzy socks, a blanket, puzzles, books, word searches, greeting cards, note cards, or stamps

Donor Information

Donor registration is separate from senior enrollment. All seniors in CAP programming will receive a gift bag. No senior registration is needed.

Write a special note or include a holiday card for your senior. A friendly note goes a long way in showing that someone cares.

  • December 10th: Drop off at Food Shelf or Rosemount Front Desk any time during business hours.
Sign Up as a Donor
Volunteer at Hope for the Holidays with shelf of toys

Toy Drive & Amazon Wish List

Additional ways to support Hope for the Holidays.

Support children and families by donating new toys, shopping from the Amazon Wish List, or making a financial contribution.

Volunteers sorting Gift cards for Hope for the Holidays

Amazon Wish List

The Amazon Wish List makes it easy to donate gifts to the Toy Distribution program. Packages are sent directly to the food shelf for distribution.

Amazon Wish List

Toy Drive

Toy Distribution differs from Adopt-a-Family and Adopt-a-Senior because donors gather new toys to be distributed to the greater community instead of being paired directly with a family. This is a great opportunity for companies, churches, or community clubs looking for a year-end donation opportunity.

Toys are distributed to children from birth to age 18 who are not receiving gifts from Adopt-a-Family. Collected toys should not be gift wrapped.

Donor registration is separate from family enrollment. Families who would like to receive gifts must contact CAP Agency program staff to register.

  • December 10th: Drop off at Food Shelf or Rosemount Front Desk any time during business hours.
Sign Up as a Donor
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Holiday Drop-Off & Questions

Where to drop off holiday donations.

Please refer to your specific program for drop-off times. Donors registered for more than one Hope for the Holidays program are welcome to bring all gift donations at the same time.

Shakopee Drop-Off Location

All gift donations should be dropped off at the Shakopee location.

CAP Agency Food Shelf Shakopee
738 1st Ave East
Shakopee, MN 55379

Please go to the service door.

Questions?

For Hope for the Holidays questions or alternate drop-off arrangements, contact the Community Programs Manager.

Call 952-402-9862

Program Privacy

Respectful and confidential support.

Hope for the Holidays is available to those currently participating in one of CAP Agency’s programs. CAP Agency takes great care to ensure all personal information is kept confidential, so families can receive help without fear of their personal information being shared with organizations or individuals who donate to the program.

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Support Hope for the Holidays

Give financially or volunteer.

Financial contributions and volunteer support help CAP Agency provide gifts and essentials for local families and seniors.

Looking for another CAP Agency program?

Return to the main Get Help page to explore all programs and services.

View All Programs & Services

Scott Carver Dakota CAP Agency receives Minnesota Community Action Grant and Community Services Block Grant funds through the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families – Office of Economic Opportunity. Executive Director, Jeff Hansen, and Associate Executive Director, Jackie Lara, directly manage and oversee this grant contract. To reach Jeff Hansen, please email at .