Saturday, Chaska’s second food shelf will open to provide food and items for those in need in the community.

The food shelf, dubbed Chaska Food Shelf, will be open two Saturdays a month. It is the brainchild of Oasis Church, which offices in a building next door to the food shelf, located on the northwest corner of Chaska Boulevard (old Highway 212) and Audubon Road.

“The leaders of the church saw a growing need within the community,” said Jacob Deems, food shelf communications director.

Deems said they visited other food shelves in the surrounding area and realized they were serving a lot of people from Chaska. “We knew the need was great and was only going to increase,” said Deems.

The CAP Agency, on Village Road, already operates a Chaska food shelf during the week, but Deems doesn’t see any competition between the two. “They’re a great organization,” he said. “They’ve been an asset to us to get this thing off the ground.”

Deems sees a benefit to being in a community that already houses many non-profit organizations. “If there’s something we can’t provide, we’ll refer them to that organization,” said Deems.

After Jan. 1, they will be seeking volunteers at the food shelf on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. They are also accepting food donations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Deems recommends protein items like beans, stews and peanut butter. They are also looking for diapers, size two and up.