Western Communities Action Network Inc

Because Together, WeCAN!

Every day our team is connecting with people in your community, offering kindness, compassion, and dignity to those we serve. The impact your giving has on these efforts cannot be overstated. I don’t know of a more compelling way to help you grasp the importance of the work WeCAN does than to share a couple of stories of our clients' journeys to stability and self-sufficiency.

Meet Suzanne and Micah

For 10-year-old Micah, being invited to a birthday party meant hiding the invitation from his mom because he knew that she didn’t have money to buy a gift.  Suzanne had been a community donor for most of her life. But starting over with nothing following a divorce, she found herself on the receiving end of WeCAN’s services. Feeling shame and fearing judgement, Suzanne came to WeCAN looking for help. “There was no judgement, just kindness and support from caring people,” she said. “I felt safe here.” Suzanne works, but after paying rent, there’s not much money left. She appreciates the walk-in food shelf which provides healthy food choices for her family. The family support programs provide school supplies, winter coats, and other extras that her budget doesn’t allow. And that birthday party? Micah was able to pick out a gift from our birthday shelf and attend the party. “WeCAN is the best!” Micah said with a proud grin.

Meet Shane

Shane was homeless when he first came to WeCAN. Health issues caused him to lose his job and eventually his home. He had been living in his van for a year when we met him. We were able to connect Shane to Hennepin County services right at our office and provided emergency gas cards for Shane to get to his dialysis appointments. After receiving our guidance on how to apply for Social Security benefits, Shane was able to qualify for affordable income-based housing in the area. We were able to help Shane with a damage deposit and first month’s rent to get him settled. He now receives healthy food via our Mobile Market as well. “WeCAN means a lot to me,” said Shane. “I wake up grateful every day.”

WeCAN offers hope and help to people living in the cities of Greenfield, Loretto, Independence, Maple Plain, Minnetonka Beach, Minnetrista, Mound, Rockford, Spring Park, St. Bonifacius, Tonka Bay and western Orono.

Our services include:

• Emergency Assistance to prevent homelessness and to help families in crisis, including assistance with rent, mortgage, car repair, utilities, gas cards and bus passes.
• Meals on Wheels hot lunch delivered to seniors and home bound individuals along with a personal visit. Our Mobile Market provides home delivered groceries to low-income individuals and families who face barriers to visiting a traditional food shelf.
• Family Support Programs of Adopt-a-Family for the holidays, Ready to Learn school supplies, Birthday Shelf, Stay Warm and Personal Hygiene.
• WeCAB transportation services, which provides rides when public transportation is not available or too complicated. The mission of WeCAB is to provide safe, affordable, and flexible supplemental transportation through a network of volunteers.
• Job Center Computer stations and office equipment for job search and skill building are available.  Our job counselor is available, by appointment, for resume assistance, skill assessment, and mock interview training.
• Referrals to many agencies for specific needs.

Thank you for helping to care for the most vulnerable in our community, now and always.

Executive Director Christopher Anderson