Local Services

The Day Center

The Salvation Army at 115 First Avenue NE in Rochester, MN, offers a drop-in day center for unsheltered and low-income persons. 

Resources accessible via the day center include showers and hygiene supplies (shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, shaving razors, and lotion), our resource room for clothing, shoes, outerwear, blankets, new socks, new underwear, and feminine hygiene supplies. We accept and greatly appreciate donations of these items during open hours. 

In this space we, have computers for clients to use to access County resources, and to speak with legal representation. This building is also where our daily meal is served from 11:30am-12:30pm, where our bread shelf can be accessed, where community members can visit our food shelf on Tuesdays and Fridays, and where community members can access other Salvation Army basic needs services like rent and utility assistance. More information about all of these programs is listed below. 

The day center is open Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm. All are welcome. 

The Good Samaritan Health Clinic

The Salvation Army Good Samaritan Health Clinic provides basic medical care, chronic disease management, tooth extractions and treatment for dental pain, and prescription pharmaceuticals and glasses for uninsured and underinsured residents of Olmsted County, MN. 

To speak to a member of our staff, or to schedule an appointment at the clinic, please call 507-529-4100. The clinic address is 120 N. Broadway Avenue (up the stairs/ramp on the North side of the building). Please note the clinic does not accept walk-ins. 

Patients and volunteers may view our October-2025-GSHC-Calendar here. 

Please note that volunteers of the medical clinic must be at least 18 years of age, and licensed to practice medicine in the State of MN (i.e. RN or MD). To volunteer for the medical clinic, dental clinic, or pharmacy, please complete our volunteer application and background check form. For questions about volunteer opportunities within the Good Sam, please call 507-288-3663 ext. 3800. 

The clinic is unable to accept donations of medications or medical equipment. We often refer donors to the Rochester Medical and Relief Mission Group at 507-282-3634 for donations of these items. 

En español- Clínica de Salud del Buen Samaritano

La Clínica de Salud del Buen Samaritano del Ejército de Salvación ofrece atención médica básica, manejo de enfermedades crónicas, extracciones dentales y tratamiento para el dolor dental, además de medicamentos recetados y anteojos para residentes sin seguro médico o con seguro insuficiente del Condado de Olmsted, Minnesota.

Para hablar con un miembro de nuestro personal o programar una cita en la clínica, llame al 507-529-4100. La dirección de la clínica es 120 N. Broadway Avenue (subiendo las escaleras/rampa del lado norte del edificio). Tenga en cuenta que la clínica no acepta pacientes sin cita previa.

Los pacientes y voluntarios pueden consultar nuestro October-2025-GSHC-Calendar aquí. Tenga en cuenta que los voluntarios de la clínica médica deben tener al menos 18 años de edad y estar autorizados para ejercer la medicina en el estado de Minnesota (es decir, Enfermero/a Registrado/a o Médico/a). Para ser voluntario/a en la clínica médica, clínica dental o farmacia, complete nuestra solicitud de voluntariado (volunteer application) y el formulario de verificación de antecedentes (background check). Si tiene preguntas sobre oportunidades de voluntariado en Good Sam, llame al 507-288-3663, ext. 3800. 

La clínica no acepta donaciones de medicamentos ni equipo médico. Para donaciones de estos artículos, solemos referir a los donantes al Grupo de Misión Médica y de Socorro de Rochester, al 507-282-3634.

Food Shelf, Bread Pantry, and Our Meal Program

The Salvation Army serves a meal Monday-Friday from 11:30am-12:30pm in our Social Services Center at 115 First Avenue NE, Rochester, MN 55906. Community members should look for the red building one block to the East of North Broadway Avenue. We serve a different meal every day, and all members of our community are welcome to partake. Over the past year and a half, an average of 120 people have received a meal from this program per day.

While we do not accept donations of perishable food for the meal program, financial donations and donations of nonperishable, not opened, and not expired food are encouraged and greatly appreciated. Items like box meals, cereal, pasta and pasta sauce, canned fruit and fruit cups, canned meats, peanut butter and jelly, condiments, and snacks can be brought to our Social Services Building Monday-Friday between 8am and 4pm when the day center is open.

We use these donations, and food from our many community partners, to stock the food shelf in our Social Services Center. The food shelf is open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10am-3:30pm. Community members may visit our food shelf once every 30 days. 

Our bread pantry is located in the front lobby of our Social Services Center. It is stocked with bread and pastries from Hy-Vee Crossroads every Monday-Friday. The goal of this shelf is to ensure that there is food accessible to visitors, even if they come on a non-food shelf day, or at a time before or after we serve our daily meal. The bread pantry is offered first come, first served, and is available Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm during open hours. 

Housing

The Salvation Army operates several housing programs in Olmsted County, MN. The first of which is our Castleview Apartments, a 32-unit studio apartment complex for low income and long term homeless single adults. We have a Salvation Army Officer and a case manager on site to support residents as they transition out of homelessness. Castleview is a permanent supportive housing complex, meaning there is no limit on the amount of time residents can live there. There is no drinking or smoking allowed in the units, and residents work with our case managers to set goals for themselves, whether they involve employment, their physical health, their mental health, and more. 

We identify prospective residents for open units using the coordinated entry system. To schedule a coordinated entry assessment at The Salvation Army, please call 507-288-3663. 

The Salvation Army also operates a transitional housing program we call Access Home in Olmsted County. This program is for both families and single adults who have become homeless. Our case manager works with them to find housing out in the community, and then The Salvation Army subsidizes their rent during their period of recovery. We work with them to set goals and meet them, including finding employment, stabilizing their personal relationships, addressing their transportation needs, financial literacy, and more. 

As households progress, we gradually decrease the amount of rental subsidy we provide. The goal is for families and individuals to graduate from the program without needing to find new housing again, and fully able to financially support themselves without Salvation Army assistance. 

We identify prospective program participants using the coordinated entry system. To schedule a coordinated entry assessment at The Salvation Army, please call 507-288-3663. 

The Salvation Army provides rent and utility assistance for households faciing eviction and shut off in Olmsted County, MN. Households must provide an eviction letter, shut off notice, or other verification that their housing or utilities are in jeopardy. Households must also confirm the reason they fell behind on their rent or utilities (a job loss, a medical emergency, a car bill, a fire, etc.), and verify that they are able to afford their housing under normal circumstances. 

To inquire about deadlines for rent and utility assistance applications, please call 507-288-3663.

Youth Programs