PROP is more than just a food shelf

When someone faces food insecurity, it’s often not their only challenge.

Though its most-used service is the Food Mart food shelf, PROP (People Reaching Out to People) also provides employment coaching and financial assistance to help people get through difficult times and back on their feet. Programs include rent assistance, employment counseling and mental health counseling, among others.

“We understand that when somebody comes to the Food Mart and they’re experiencing food insecurity, that normally signals that there is some instability happening elsewhere or about to happen elsewhere in their lives, whether that is being underemployed, being unemployed, if there is a health crisis, if there is a mental health crisis, or some other form of instability,” said Tangee Cassidy, PROP’s employment counselor. 

Cassidy’s employment counseling program provides assistance that ranges from getting started with resume writing to educating job seekers about changing technology, such as the advent of artificial intelligence (AI).

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“I meet people where they are,” Cassidy said. “I think my program is different because it is individually tailored to each job seeker.”

While some programs might help with revisions to a résumé, Cassidy said her program differs in that she will help clients write a résumé from square one. 

“A lot of people just need somebody to get them started,” Cassidy said. “If I write the first draft, everybody seems to be really good at editing, but just getting started can be overwhelming.”

In addition to résumé writing, Cassidy said she also provides support to immigrant applicants who might not be used to American work culture. This includes discussing time management and what documents to bring when starting a new job. 

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A lot of her job comes down to encouraging clients when the job search gets difficult, Cassidy said. 

“There’s also a lot of just encouraging people to keep trying and keep reminding them that these are the skills that you’re bringing,” Cassidy said. “This is what makes you unique and valuable to an employer. We just have to find the right fit for you.”

Cassidy said in her first year at PROP, from September 2023 to September 2024, the program received more than 200 inquiries. She holds monthly workshops at the Eden Prairie Library to cover AI and technology in the workplace to help applicants who have not searched for a job recently. 

The workshop on Aug. 12, for instance, was about creating and optimizing a LinkedIn profile. 

“Anybody that was born before 2005 is not an internet native, so they’ve had to learn and adapt to that technology happening around them, usually with no formal training,” Cassidy said.

She generally provides support with the job search and adjusting to a new workplace until the client is about a month into the new position. But if someone still feels in need of support, Cassidy said she will provide it. 

Jessica Kuenzli, director of client services and community partnerships at PROP, said one of PROP’s largest services is its rental assistance program. The program is accessible to Eden Prairie and Chanhassen residents. 

PROP also provides mortgage assistance to those living in that area, though the service is less frequently requested, Kuenzli said. 

“The goal of that is to keep residents in their homes, so if they’re behind on rent (and) facing eviction, they can apply, and we can look at if we can help avoid that eviction,” Kuenzli said. “Because we know, once it gets to the point of somebody becoming homeless, it’s such an uphill battle of trying to get housed again.”

Kuenzli said that in the last fiscal year PROP helped 91 families avoid eviction or foreclosure. 

PROP also has programs to help pay utilities if they are disconnected or are on the verge of being disconnected, in addition to a car repair program, Kuenzli said. Both programs aim to help stabilize households. 

Kuenzli said each service at PROP is aimed at ensuring clients will not need to keep seeking support.

“The whole process of that is putting a stability plan in place as well,” Kuenzli said. “So, for example, if you know we’re helping a family avoid eviction and paying off the rental balance, we’re also talking with them about what other sorts of services and resources are there that you might be able to access so that the emergency for today might be resolved, but we don’t want this to be an emergency again in a month or two or three months.” 

PROP helps families apply for food stamps, and to find support from county programs and Social Security, Kuenzli said. 

Youth services provided by PROP also help stabilize a home, Kuenzli said. Youth scholarships help fund summer camps and after-school programs for children under 18. 

PROP also provides scholarships specifically for driver’s education programs, as they can cost $150 to $500, which some families cannot cover, Kuenzli said. 

“For a family that’s struggling, that is a huge and often unrealistic cost, and not being able to get that then further impacts that student’s ability to work and earn an income or to engage in getting to school reliably or being involved in activities,” Kuenzli said. 

A mental health counselor from Relate Counseling also comes to PROP twice a week, Kuenzli said. There is also a dietitian on site to help clients make healthy decisions at the Food Mart or to navigate a new diagnosis of a medical condition affecting their diet. 

“It’s really nice, because if somebody wants to access that service, we don’t have to send them to another organization, somewhere that they’re not comfortable with or they’ve never been to,” Kuenzli said. “They can come here, where they’re already comfortable, and get those services from someone that can be a short term, kind of one or two sessions, or that could be a longer term.”

Kuenzli said while Eden Prairie is seen as an affluent area, it is important to remember that there is need in every community. It can be difficult for those in need to ask for help. 

“I think people don’t necessarily always see or understand that there is also a high level of need in Eden Prairie,” Kuenzli said. “A lot of what I’ve heard from our clients is just that they appreciate that it’s one place that they can come and get the help that they need.”