Coon Rapids Police deliver food and toys to 42 homes through long-running Santa’s Helpers tradition

COON RAPIDS, Minn. - The Coon Rapids Police Department spent part of last week delivering food and toys to 42 homes across the city, continuing a deeply rooted holiday tradition that ensures no resident is left out of the season’s giving.

The deliveries represent the final stage of Coon Rapids Santa’s Helpers, a volunteer driven community program that works in partnership with the City of Coon Rapids, the Police Department, and the Fire Department. While the police department notes that officers have carried out home deliveries for nearly 20 years, the Santa’s Helpers program itself has served Coon Rapids families for more than five decades, evolving from a modest toy drive into a citywide holiday support network.

Reaching residents who cannot travel

Most participating families collect gifts and food certificates from a central distribution site, historically the Coon Rapids Ice Center or other civic facilities. The police department’s role focuses on residents who cannot make that trip.

Officers and civilian staff deliver directly to households where residents are homebound, lack reliable transportation, or live with disabilities that prevent them from reaching the distribution center. Using patrol vehicles and city vans, officers transport large boxes of non-perishable food and wrapped gifts straight to front doors.

This year’s 42 home deliveries ensured that some of the city’s most isolated residents, including seniors and families facing mobility challenges, were not overlooked during the holidays.

Community funded and community powered

The Santa’s Helpers effort is not funded through police or city tax dollars. Instead, it relies entirely on community generosity throughout the year. Donations are collected through several channels, including:

• Giving Trees at City Hall and participating local businesses, where residents select tags and purchase specific gifts for children
• Coin and cash donation boxes placed at local gas stations and retail locations
• School based drives and community events such as the city’s annual Night of Lights, which serve as major collection points

The program provides toys, gifts, and food certificates exclusively to families and seniors within Coon Rapids city limits who are experiencing financial hardship during the holiday season.

A cornerstone of community policing

The police department frequently documents these delivery runs as part of its broader community oriented policing approach, which emphasizes building trust and positive relationships outside of emergency calls. The holiday outreach reinforces that philosophy by placing officers in direct, non enforcement contact with residents during one of the most meaningful times of the year.

This year’s deliveries took place during the week of December 15 through December 21, marking another chapter in a tradition that blends volunteerism, public service, and neighborly care.

For nearly 20 years of police led deliveries and more than 50 years of Santa’s Helpers support, the message has remained consistent. In Coon Rapids, community means showing up, especially for those who cannot come to you.

MinneapoliMedia