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As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to scare families around Minneapolis to stay at home, it has gotten harder and scarier for many to be outside in public. Many people have sacrificed getting food and working for their families as a result of this intrusive occupation. While it can be hard to leave your home and get groceries now, the community has come together and found ways to help those in need! 

The pervasive fear of potential run-ins with ICE agents isn’t limited to parents having to stay home from work, though; this has also been affecting their families, as several have started taking different approaches to attending school for their young children. As Vox reported last month, “50% of families chose virtual learning when the district began offering.”  

Taking long-term shelter inside has meant not stepping foot outside for anything, including trips to the grocery store. This concern has spread into the heart of Columbia Heights, where our community has come together to help those unable to get food for themselves. Countless donors and local businesses have stepped up to help, but perhaps most notably has been financial services storefront EZ Exchange, which has started delivering groceries to people in the safety of their homes.

Located in the same strip mall as Ecuadorian restaurant Doña Mary on Central Ave NE, EZ Exchange typically offers services like money transfers to different countries, cashing payroll checks, as well as a small grocery store with products primarily from Ecuador and Mexico. Recently, with the presence of ICE in our neighborhood, they have started offering delivery services to customers who are at home and require checks cashed, money transferred and groceries all-in-one. They opened their doors in September of 2023 and have been a vital staple in the community since, but never did employees think they’d become a mobile resource in times of terror.

“It’s a tragedy people are having to suffer in acquiring their basic needs, like food,” EZ Exchange employee Maria Robles said. “We are human beings and deserve to be treated equally — no one should have to go through challenges for something as basic like grocery shopping.”

By setting up a business account on WhatsApp to stay in contact with customers and give them the option to select food from their catalog remotely, the local business has found itself leveling up in unexpected but necessary ways. Before, the store’s phone number was just used to answer any questions about their business. Now, it has also become a way for clients to get their services from the comfort of their homes, especially older residents who may be uncomfortable using an app.

EZ Exchange has also started to have a wider variety of food to choose from for those in need. There is a large Ecuadorian influence on the brands as a result of the owners being from Ecuador. In their catalog, they feature:

• Many types of noodles and pasta shapes
• A variety of grains like corn, rice, barley, lentils, etc.
• A collection of beverages ranging from soda to yogurts and juices
• Snacks that include chips, cookies, gelatin cups and many fruits

The store isn’t limited to just Ecuadorian food, though; they have a bunch of different flavors of household goodies and a wide array of cooking ingredients to pick from! You can have endless options for groceries when looking at what they have to offer.

“We are more than happy to do [deliveries], but sometimes we just don’t have the time to go to everyone’s house directly,” employee Johanna Robles said, alluding to the mutual aid networks who have been helping fill in the gaps brick-and-mortar workers may be unable to fill. “It’s also been heartwarming to see that a lot of people have been volunteering to go to [people’s houses], pick up their checks, bring [them] to the store and be able to help. So we’ve also [seen a] unity of [our] community. It’s been bittersweet to see the community together, but also very sad to see that a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to leave the house because of ICE.”

In addition to tight-knit community groups and small businesses like EZ Exchange, groups such as StandWithMinnesota.com are also helping families with rent money if they have not been able to leave their homes to work because of the large, imposing presence of federal agents. Food and agricultural news source Civil Eats has even made a list of grocery stores and organizations in the Minneapolis area that are actively helping with deliveries, such as Casa Maria, Community Network MN and ICA, just to name a few.

So many organizations, individual concerned citizens and local shops like EZ Exchange have made a very positive impact during this fearful time, as people are still able to get what they need done without worrying about their safety. Instead of having to pick between being low on groceries or being safe, several businesses are going above and beyond to care for their clients and ensure they still access their necessities, even at a presumed cost to their profit margins. Minnesotans of all backgrounds can feel the support and have a sense of belonging with how engaged others in the metro area have been.

Being there for one another in these times is very important and helpful. Even if you’re not an immigrant yourself, you never know how some people are being affected by the current issues plaguing the community, so the outpouring of kindness and support, while it hasn’t been “EZ,” it’s certainly been appreciated.