Open Arms of Minnesota

2024 Year In Review

2024 In Review, As Told On Social Media

2024 proved to be a remarkable year for Open Arms of Minnesota, defined by innovation, growth, and a steadfast commitment to community impact. Building on the foundation of our long-standing mission, we expanded programs, deepened connections, and reached new heights in providing nourishment, care, and hope for Minnnesotans facing critical illnesses.

Annual signature events like Moveable Feast, Plate it Forward (formerly Pop-Up Dinners), the Turkey Drive, TOAST!, Volunteer Appreciation Week, and Twin Cities Pride brought our supporters together to celebrate and amplify our shared mission. In a particularly sweet addition, we debuted The Great Minnesota Bake Sale, connecting with new communities across the Twin Cities metro through the enduring tradition of baked goods for a cause.

Alongside these cherished traditions, we marked significant milestones, including accreditation from the Food is Medicine Coalition (FIMC), which underscores the exceptional quality and impact of our Medically Tailored Meal (MTM) program. We also celebrated new partnerships and initiatives that expanded our reach and deepened our ability to serve Minnesotans in need.

There is a lot to celebrate from the past year. Here’s a look back at some of the hits and highlights, as they played out on social media. 

January

Meet Alejandro, a remarkable individual whose life took a turn nearly two decades ago with a diagnosis that left him devastated. Living with HIV, he found strength and support through Open Arms. In his own words, “I don’t have any family here, so Open Arms became my family.”

Follow the link below to read Alejandro’s full story and learn more about Open Arms’ mission in supporting those in need.

https://www.openarmsmn.org/our-clients-in-focus-alejandro/

We were thrilled to revive one of our most cherished annual events last Thursday with the return of our Decade Volunteer Celebration! Over 100 individuals, boasting an impressive 50,000 hours of collective volunteer experience, gathered to welcome new members to our Decade Club (friends with 10+ years of volunteering) and pay tribute to those dedicated volunteers who have been with us for 20 and 30 years.

A heartfelt congratulations and sincere thank you to our longstanding volunteers from all of us at Open Arms. You are the heart and soul of our community.

Our meals are a result of extensive research and thoughtful planning, down to the last carrot. Every bite is an ally in our clients battles against a life-threatening illness. That’s why our programming incorporates a unique blend of service, education, and compassion. Recently, our Nutrition Services team unveiled a series of Nutrition Fact Sheets designed to enhance our clients’ understanding of the nutritional content in the medically tailored meals they receive and its impact on their health journey. Feel free to check them out: www.openarmsmn.org/get-meals/nutritionatopenarms/

February

Hey Open Arms community, we have a fun announcement for you! This February, we’re spreading the love like never before! Instead of giving flowers or chocolates this month, we invite you to Give From The Heart!

Make a donation to Open Arms in honor or memory of someone special this month and your contribution will help us share nourishment and love with our community. We will then send your loving message in a Valentine card to the person you’ve chosen to honor!

We’re thrilled to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Fridley Lions Club for their extraordinary contribution of $15,000! This generous donation represents hope, nourishment, and support for our critically ill neighbors across Minnesota, translating to more than 1,500 medically tailored meals! The Fridley Lions are not only generous donors but also dedicated volunteers, lending their time and energy to ensure that our mission is fulfilled. Their active involvement in hosting a satellite meal delivery location further exemplifies their dedication. Thank you for being such a tremendous partner and for your dedication to serving our clients!

Today is National Caregivers Day and we would like to recognize the incredible caregivers who selflessly provide comfort and support to their loved ones. At Open Arms, we stand with and proudly serve these unsung heroes, applauding their unwavering commitment and compassion.

As part of this special day, we would like to introduce you to Mercedes and her husband, Hal. When Hal was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure, Mercedes found herself navigating new challenges, especially with his dietary needs. That’s when Open Arms stepped in, providing invaluable support that transformed their lives.

https://www.openarmsmn.org/mercedesandhal

No, it’s not your imagination. We have new meal delivery bags! Our volunteers have been delivering meals to our clients using new, improved, and branded bags!

https://www.openarmsmn.org/client-meal-delivery-bags/

In celebration of Black History Month, we had the honor of welcoming Gary D. Hines to Open Arms to speak with our staff yesterday! Gary is the Music Director and Producer of the 3-time, Grammy Award-Winning Sounds of Blackness.

Thank you, Gary, for such an informative and moving lecture! Please check out Gary’s work and learn more about Sounds of Blackness via the link below.

https://www.soundsofblackness.org/gary-hines

March

Our CEO Leah has been featured by VoyageMinnesota as part of its Daily Inspiration series! Check the full Q&A below.

https://voyageminnesota.com/…/daily-inspiration-meet…/

Thank you to the group of students from Kansas University who spent their spring break volunteering with us last week! Rock Chalk Open Arms!!

We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a grant from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS as part of the Broadway Cares’ 2024 National Grants Program! This grant, bestowed upon 146 food service and meal delivery programs across the nation, underscores the unwavering support of the theater community and audiences nationwide. You can check out the full press release below:

https://broadwaycares.org/2024-food-grants-deliver…/

We also encourage you to check out a video from last summer when the Wicked National Tour volunteered at Open Arms!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9YTINtOmjQ

Big and exciting news coming out of the Food is Medicine Coalition! FIMC has released the first-ever Medically Tailored Meal #MTM Intervention Standard for the field, the Accreditation Criteria and Requirements (ACR). FIMC agencies created the MTM intervention over 40 years ago and maintain the clinical standards for the intervention. This is an exciting step for the #foodismedicine movement and delivering high quality MTM intervention to clients living with severe, chronic or complex illnesses. Open Arms is proceeding through an official FIMC MTM ACR audit and is looking forward to receiving accreditation by the end of this year!

For more information about the accreditation rollout, please visit https://fimcoalition.org/programs/fimc-accreditation/

April

Breaking news out of our kitchen! Proudly showcased by Menu Development Chef, Matthew Fodge, our first batch of medically tailored East African/Somali meals rolled off the line and were presented to our taste testers today! The East African/Somali Menu is in development as a part of our Cultural Meals Program, which you can read all about via the link below!

https://www.openarmsmn.org/get-meals/culturalmealsprogram/

Our CEO, Leah Hebert Welles, dropped by KSTP yesterday to discuss Moveable Feast on Minnesota Live! Check out the full segment below:

https://kstp.com/…/open-arms-of-minnesotas-moveable-feast/

May

Quick reminder to check out this special edition of our “Our Clients, In Focus” series, written by our client, Kathleen Brogan, of Richfield.

After Multiple Sclerosis prevented her from being a delivery driver, Kathleen tapped into her passion and expertise as a writer to give back to Open Arms. With the pen as her tool, she now shares her Open Arms journey, along with writing letters to donors and features on other clients, as her way to support our mission!

Follow the link below to read Kathleen’s story: https://www.openarmsmn.org/our-clients-in-focus-kathleen/

Thank you so much to General Mills! With help from HandsOn Twin Cities, General Mills employees put together food safety kits for our clients. These kits contained items needed to prepare and store food safely, including the food from our medically tailored grocery bags. This group got into the Open Arms spirit and added a little extra joy – a note of encouragement! Kits are being distributed this week, and we know they will brighten our clients’ days.

#GStandsforGood #GlobalVolunteerWeek

Open Arms will proudly host three new students from “Step Up” as part of a youth employment program for the city of Minneapolis this summer! Pictured here is Mohamud, one of our students from last summer, helping to distribute materials about our mission at an outreach event.

Hosting a #StepUpMpls intern is a rewarding experience for both parties! Not only can you make an impact on a young person’s life, working side by side with them everyday makes an impact on yours too. The Step Up Program is transformational, not just transactional and WE ARE HERE FOR IT!! #StepUpMpls is a program of @mplsgov in partnership with @achievetwincities @Minnesota_deed and @ppltwincities

#GStandsforGood #GlobalVolunteerWeek

The dust has settled from our 20th Annual Moveable Feast – Paris Est Une Fete, held Thursday evening at the Minneapolis Event Centers and fabulous restaurants throughout the Twin Cities. Thanks to an outpouring of support, we were able to raise over $510,000, providing more than 50,000 meals for our clients living with life-threatening illnesses and critical health issues!

Thank you to everyone who supported Open Arms through this this wonderful event and thank you to our emcee Elizabeth Ries for advocating for our mission! Please enjoy a sneak peak of pictures courtesy of our friend Amy Anderson!

Photo Gallery

🌟🍰 OPEN ARMS ANNOUNCES THE GREAT MINNESOTA BAKE SALE! 🍰🌟

Join us from June 23 – 29, 2024, for our inaugural “Great Minnesota Bake Sale” happening at various locations throughout the Twin Cities Metro!

🥐 WHAT: A community-wide bake sale to support Open Arms of Minnesota

📅 WHEN: June 23 – 29, 2024

📍 WHERE: Participating “Bake Sale” locations across the Twin Cities

💌 HOW: Starting June 1, we’re launching an extensive marketing campaign alongside our partners, encouraging everyone to support our bake sale participants.

WHY: We’re raising funds to provide nourishing, medically tailored meals to our neighbors facing life-threatening and critical illnesses.

Bake Sale Website

June

June is here, ushering in Pride Month—a time of great significance for Open Arms and our entire community!

We are proud to engage in Pride Month through activities in our kitchens, at the Pride festival and parade, and in our daily acts of support and partnership. Since 1986, we have proudly provided made-from-scratch meals to those affected by HIV/AIDS. Today, we celebrate our inclusive mission, welcoming everyone who joins us in nourishing our neighbors in need. We are grateful to our community members who live their truth and stand proudly as allies to our LGBTQ+ friends, remembering and celebrating the lives of those we’ve lost.

Big news! Open Arms of Minnesota received a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services to provide meal delivery to individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who are experiencing chronic diseases or health conditions as well as food insecurity in Wilkin, Douglas, Clay, and St. Louis counties.

Follow the link below to read the full details!

https://www.openarmsmn.org/open-arms-receives-mdhs-grant/

Exciting News! Open Arms of Minnesota has been awarded $22,536 as part of City of Minneapolis Health Department Climate Legacy Initiative!

We’re honored to be one of the 16 organizations recognized for our efforts in urban agriculture and food waste prevention. This funding will boost our Open Farms program, which supplies fresh veggies and herbs for our meal programs, including our new Cultural Meals Program for East African, Hmong, and Latinx communities.

A big thank you to Mayor Jacob Frey and Homegrown Minneapolis for supporting our mission to create a sustainable future. Together, we’re making a real difference!

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/…/homegrown-minneapolis…/

We were thrilled to welcome Andi Otto from Twin Cities Pride to our Minneapolis Kitchen and Campus today! Andi shared inspiring insights with our staff, reinforcing the importance of diversity, inclusion, and community support.

A big thank you to Andi for his visit and for all the incredible work Twin Cities Pride does for our community. We can’t wait to take part in this year’s Twin Cities Pride Festival and Parade! Together, we’re building a stronger, more inclusive world!

#OpenArmsMN #TwinCitiesPride #CommunitySupport #PRIDE360

This morning, Leah joined Megan and Chris of KSTP-TV Minnesota Live to kick off the Great Minnesota Bake Sale! Leah shared all about this delicious event and how every sweet treat you buy helps provide lifesaving, medically tailored meals to critically ill Minnesotans through Open Arms of Minnesota.

Missed the segment? Don’t worry! You can catch it on KSTP’s website via the link below. And don’t forget to tune in to Twin Cities Live from June 17-21 for more features on our amazing bakery partners, including yum!, T-Rex Cookie, Rustica, The Buttered Tin, and Honey & Rye.

Media Week Recaps

Join us for Bake Sale Week from June 23-29 to support our clients! Every bite makes a difference!

Thank you to Stephanie March and Stephanie Hansen of myTalk 107.1 – Minneapolis/St. Paul for having Leah and proud Bake Sale partner Tina Rexing of T-Rex Cookie Company, LLC on the Weekly Dish this morning to talk about the Great Minnesota Bake Sale! You can listen to the full interview via the link below!

https://www.mytalk1071.com/…/6-22-24-hr-1-the-caesar…/

IT’S BAKE SALE WEEK!

All week long, Open Arms is proud to bring together some of our community’s favorite bakeries, coffee shops, and local spots to support our clients living with a life-threatening illnesses.

When you indulge in the delicious treats from our Bake Sale Partners this week, you’re not only satisfying your sweet tooth, but you’re also helping us deliver lifesaving, medically tailored meals to critically ill Minnesotans.

Check out our map of participating locations and make every bit count!

https://bakesale2024.squarespace.com/bakeries

The power of our community is really something. Please read the following story below, courtesy of our friends at Yum! Kitchen and Bakery.

Last week, we were promoting The Great Minnesota Bake Sale on Twin Cities Live. Later that day, Lauren reached out to thank us for supporting the effort – she is pregnant, battling cancer and had just applied for help from Open Arms. I thanked Lauren for her kind note and passed along the gratitude to Elizabeth at Twin Cities Live. Later that week, I was at yum! Woodbury and met Lauren – just meant to be! Lauren is wonderful – warm, kind and so inspiring.

Just another reminder, while there is easier work than restaurants – we are so lucky to do what we do – every day, we get opportunities to meet people, make connections and share life. Food is how we love people and we love what we do. So grateful to all of you who include yum! in your world.”

What an amazing weekend at the Twin Cities Pride Festival and Parade!

We had a fantastic time celebrating love, diversity, and community with everyone who stopped by our booth and cheered us on during the parade. It was wonderful to connect with so many people, share our mission, and see the joy on your faces!

A huge thank you to our incredible volunteers and staff for their hard work and dedication. Your energy and passion made this weekend unforgettable!

Marching in the parade was a highlight, and we were thrilled to be part of such a vibrant and inclusive event. Together, we continue to nourish and support our community.

Thank you for celebrating Pride with us!

July

Thank you to Tina of T-Rex Cookie Company, LLC for stopping by Open Arms to deliver some good news! We truly appreciate your support during our first Great Minnesota Bake Sale!

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Abundance Farm on Saturday for the Eat Local Co-Op Farm Tour! We had a fun time sharing information about our Open Farms program!!

www.coopfarmtour.com

Check out some of the fun images of our farm team and volunteers assembling Community Supported Agriculture Share boxes at Hope Farm in St. Paul last week!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.900181575473611…

Open Arms of Minnesota is excited to announce a new partnership with M Health Fairview to provide medically tailored meals to individuals who are pregnant and those living with diabetes. This collaboration aims to address the critical need for nutritious, medically appropriate food among populations facing chronic health conditions and barriers to accessing proper nutrition.

Through this collaboration, we’ll be able to provide 32,760 new or additional meals over the next year, supporting local health outcomes, improving quality of life, and promoting health equity.

Follow the link below to read the full release and to learn more about this exciting new partnership!

M Health Fairview Partnership – Open Arms of Minnesota

BREAKING NEWS

We are thrilled to announce that Open Arms of Minnesota is now an accredited member of the Food is Medicine Coalition! Open Arms is part of the leading group of FIMC-Accredited agencies that follow approved standards to prepare and provide a high quality medically tailored meal intervention for clients living with severe, chronic or complex illness(es).

To learn more about FIMC Accreditation, please follow the link below.

https://www.openarmsmn.org/fimc-accreditation/

It’s great to see more and more fresh veggies grown at our Open Farms making their way into our kitchens!

August

Did you know that your generous time spent with Open Arms could be even more impactful? Through the Double the Donation tool on our website, you can now easily check if your employer offers volunteer incentives!

Simply visit our volunteer page below and use the tool at the bottom of the page to see if your company provides rewards for your volunteer hours. It’s a great way to amplify your contribution and support our mission!

https://www.openarmsmn.org/volunteer/volunteer-individuals/

Thank you for your incredible dedication and support! Together, we can make an even greater difference for our clients!

Our annual volunteer appreciation event, TOAST!, was simply mint last night! Over 300 volunteers and their families gathered at the St. Paul Kitchen and Campus for an evening filled with laughter, games, prizes, and amazing food. This year’s theme, “Herb-a-licious Extravaganza: One Bite at a Thyme,” saw Open Arms staff divided into six teams, each tasked with creating the perfect one-bite treat featuring an herb grown at our five urban farms. When the votes were tallied, the Over-aCHIVErs took home Best Dish with their Chivey Patty Delight Crab Cake, and Basil Bella claimed the top spot for Best Decor!

Full Photo Gallery

We are thrilled to share that our longtime partners at Allina Health recently released a heartwarming video (check it out via the link below) showcasing the group volunteer efforts of their pharmacy team at our Minneapolis kitchen.

Group volunteering, like what we see with Allina Health, is more than just a collective effort—it’s a powerful way to foster teamwork and make an impact on the community. When groups come together to volunteer, they bring lots of energy and enthusiasm, creating a ripple effect that extends beyond the kitchen.

https://players.brightcove.net/pages/v1/index.html…

It’s an egg-celent day at Open Arms! One of our lucky clients will be getting some extra love in their salad today.

And here’s some egg-citing news: Our friends at Cargill donated 14 boxes of eggs to Open Arms this week! A big thank you to Cargill!

There are many meaningful ways to support our clients. If you’d like to donate supplies, please check out the link below for a full list of our needs.

https://www.openarmsmn.org/donate/donate-supplies/

September

Today is the final day of our sweetest annual tradition, Cupcakes for a Cause! Thank you to Lunds & Byerlys, as well as all the volunteers and Open Arms staff who supported the event this year!

If you haven’t participated yet, there’s still time. Visit your favorite store and help us reach our $10,000 goal by purchasing a gourmet cupcake or donating at checkout!

Group volunteering, like what we see with Allina Health, is more than just a collective effort—it’s a powerful way to foster teamwork and make an impact on the community. When groups come together to volunteer, they bring lots of energy and enthusiasm, creating a ripple effect that extends beyond the kitchen.

https://players.brightcove.net/pages/v1/index.html…

Open Arms of Minnesota is proud to be a member of the St Paul Area Chamber, and we were honored to receive their Celebrate Service Award at the Lunch with Leaders event on September 11. We’re grateful to the Chamber for this recognition and for the opportunity to share our work with the luncheon attendees.

We were also excited to celebrate our wonderful partners at Stonebridge Capital Advisors, who received the Celebrate Business Success award. Congratulations, friends!

A huge thank you to Humanists MN for being an AMAZING partner to Open Arms of Minnesota! For the past two years, Humanists MN has sponsored our Abundance Farm in St. Paul. On top of their sponsorship, they bring a volunteer group to the farm four times each season.

Recently, our partners at the Food is Medicine Coalition (FIMC) featured this project on their blog, showcasing our efforts to create nourishing, culturally tailored meals for Latinx clients. This new menu is a part of our ongoing mission to provide medically tailored meals that reflect the rich traditions and unique culinary heritage of the communities we serve.

Huge shoutout to our amazing Menu Specialist, Lucy LaVoy, RDN, LD, and our incredible Menu & Recipe Development Chef, Fodge, along with local Latinx cuisine expert Chef Soleil C. Ramirez of Crasqui Restaurant. Their dedication and expertise have been instrumental in bringing this vision to life!

Please follow the link below to check out the entire blog:

https://fimcoalition.org/…/latinx-menu-becomes-reality…/

October

We’re just days away from the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend, happening Oct. 4-6! Open Arms is incredibly honored and grateful to be represented by nine amazing individuals who have been training tirelessly and fundraising throughout the past year. Be sure to watch the marathon broadcast on Sunday, where you’ll catch a special feature on one of our athletes, Mande!

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHiHhBqT_xg

A big thank you to Storm Creek for generously donating our team’s running shirts again this year. If you’d like to support our team, click the link below to make a contribution. We’d also love to have you cheer them on at our cheer station on Sunday, located at Oaks Park (2102 E River Terrace, Minneapolis, MN 55414).

Today, we celebrate what would have been the 98th birthday of Open Arms founder, Bill Rowe. In 1986, during the heart of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Bill saw friends suffering and dying, isolated and too ill to cook for themselves. Driven by compassion, he began preparing and delivering meals to those in need. What started as a small act of love grew as Bill recruited volunteers to help cook and deliver meals, creating a ripple of kindness that still inspires us today.

More than three decades later, Open Arms has served over 13 million meals, continuing Bill’s legacy of care and service. The table Bill built has expanded, and our arms remain open to provide nourishing, delicious meals to those facing critical illnesses. Thank you, Bill, for inspiring the work that continues to nourish our community.

Thank you to all the Super Heroes in our community who have given to our fall giving campaign! Your donation will not only provide support for healthy meals and nourishment but will allow us to continue to help our vulnerable clients as they prepare for colder weather and isolation this fall.

We’ve got some great news for bikers! Check out the new, and very on-brand, bike rack at our St. Paul Kitchen and Campus!

In collaboration with Open Arms, Hennepin Healthcare, and UCare, Wilder Research has published the 2024 Evaluation Report on a pilot program aimed at supporting high-risk pregnancies through home-delivered, nutritious meals.

The Healthy Pregnancy Home-Delivered Meals program provides vital nutrition to patients enrolled in Medical Assistance through UCare’s PMAP, aiming to improve both maternal and baby health outcomes. With the first phase completed and a second phase underway, this initiative is evolving to make an even greater impact!

Learn more about the key findings and future opportunities via the link below:

Healthy Pregnancy Home-Delivered Meals Pilot Program – Open Arms of Minnesota

Last night, we celebrated the inaugural event of our reimagined and redesigned pop-up dinner series: Plate it Forward!

More than 50 incredible community members gathered at our St. Paul Kitchen and Campus for “The Power of Women” – a night dedicated to sharing stories and raising crucial support for programs that directly impact the lives of women, specifically our Healthy Pregnancy Home Delivered Meals Pilot Program.

Follow the link below to learn more about our Healthy Pregnancy Home Delivered Meals Program in partnership with Hennepin Healthcare and UCare.

https://www.openarmsmn.org/healthy-pregnancy-home…/

At Open Arms, we’re proud to deliver nutritious meals to over 130 clients across Greater Minnesota, averaging 150 boxes containing 2,100 meals each week. From Duluth to Rochester, Moorhead to Luverne, Willmar to Bemidji, our specially packaged, medically tailored meals are shipped directly to clients’ doors. With your support, we can continue expanding this vital program. Visit our website to discover how you can help fuel our work!

November

November is here, which means one thing at Open Arms – YESvember has officially begun! With the arrival of YESvember, we’re thrilled to kick off Turkey Drive 2024! This year, we’re aiming to raise $190,000 to provide Thanksgiving meals to over 1,500 clients and their loved ones. Your support makes all the difference! Start your own Turkey Drive fundraising page to spread the word and gather donations. Exciting prizes await our fundraisers, so join us and make YESvember a month of giving back.

Together, let’s make this Turkey Drive unforgettable! #YESvember #turkeydrive2024

We’re honored to be featured on KSTP-TV, where anchor Paul Folger highlighted our mission and the launch of our East African Menu as part of the Cultural Meals Program! Launched in 2022, this program allows us to serve our diverse community with accessible, culturally appropriate, medically tailored meals for Hmong, Latinx, and East African clients, who are disproportionately impacted by severe illness.

We launched the Hmong Menu in November 2023 and are excited to roll out the East African Menu this month! Today, we proudly serve 82 clients with our Hmong Menu and 17 clients with our East African Menu, which is also fully shippable, extending our reach to communities throughout Greater Minnesota. The Latinx Menu is in the development phase and is expected to launch in the spring of 2025.

https://www.openarmsmn.org/kstp-why-we-give/

One of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions! Thank you to Surly Brewing Company Gives A Damn for coming out to Minneapolis to deliver medically tailored meals and Thanksgiving dinners to our clients today!

More than 130 boxes containing frozen Thanksgiving dinners will be shipped to our clients living outside the Twin Cities metro in greater Minnesota today!

RUN FOR A CAUSE!

Start your Thanksgiving Day with gratitude, movement, and community! Register for the Turkey Day 5K, where you can run, walk, or strut your way into the holiday spirit while supporting Open Arms.

We’re thrilled to be the beneficiary of this incredible event, thanks to the generosity of Twin Cities In Motion. Your participation helps us continue providing medically tailored meals and hope to neighbors living with critical illnesses.

https://www.tcmevents.org/alleventsandraces/turkeyday

Thank you for your incredible support on Give to the Max Day! Yesterday we had 302 neighbors raise $72,077 with the help of two $10,000 dollar-for-dollar matches from Mortenson and the Joel and Teresa Pfister Foundation!

Peace Coffee Visits Open Arms

Our friends at Open Arms of Minnesota are a volunteer-driven organization with a mission of keeping those experiencing life altering or life threatening illness fed

They serve over 1 million meals per year, but during the build up to Thanksgiving, they ALSO offer turkey dinners in addition to those meals—all at no cost to their clients!

Not only have we been long-time fans of Open Arms, but we’ve been caffeinating their volunteers for over 5 years! The work they do is amazing, so be sure to check out their website and show them some love

Thanks to Kendall Mark and Minnesota Live for coming out to our Minneapolis campus this morning to check in our YESvember and Turkey Drive efforts! Check out the segment below.

Thanksgiving Efforts Covered On Minnesota Live – Open Arms of Minnesota

The remainder of this week’s medically tailored meals are heading out from the Minneapolis Kitchen & Campus to our clients’ homes today, as we gear up for the largest Thanksgiving in Open Arms history tomorrow morning! Thank you to the staff and volunteers for your energy this week! #YESvember #TurkeyDrive

Open Arms of Minnesota Is Such A Great Non Profit Organization To Volunteer For! Especially During The Season Of Giving They Provide And Deliver Healthy Meals Of Specific Nutritional Needs To Those With Life Threatening Illnesses. The Staff Is So Kind, Appreciative And Joyous! If You Would Like To Volunteer In The Kitchen Prepping And Packaging Meals, There Are Two Campuses To Choose From In Mpls. And St. Paul, You Can Also Deliver The Meals Or Work On Their Farm In Season! You Can Donate To The Organization Or Have A Sick Loved One Receive Free Meals In Their Time Of Need at openarmsmn.org.

Thanks to the help of 106 volunteer delivery drivers taking 114 routes (4-6 stops per route), we delivered more than 2,000 Thanksgiving dinners to our clients this morning! Thank you from all of us at Open Arms – we couldn’t have done it without our amazing community!

December

Shout out to City Lifestyle and author Sarah Knieff for the beautiful feature on Open Arms in its December issue!

Full Article

As is tradition at Open Arms, tonight we lit up our Minneapolis Kitchen & Campus in red to honor World AIDS Day and the 35+ million lives lost to HIV/AIDS. Since 1986, we stand with those impacted by the disease and remain committed to delivering meals, hope, and compassion to people living with HIV/AIDS.

A huge thank-you to St. Catherine University‘s Community Work and Learning Program and Art Department for 14 years of incredible support for Open Arms of Minnesota! On November 12, they hosted an Empty Bowls Soup Social and silent auction, raising funds for Open Arms and St. Kate’s Food Access Hub. This year’s event raised over $2,000 to fight food insecurity. Amazing work!

Have you checked out the new Open Arms Gift Catalog yet? We’re so excited to offer our community a new way to support our clients this holiday season! Inspired by the classic “Wish Books” of years past, we hope this new approach to supporting our clients rekindles the joy of giving, inspiring you to make a difference in the lives of those we serve through our meals. Browse through the catalog to find meaningful ways to give back. You can even dedicate your gift to a loved one—a simple and heartfelt way to pay it forward.

https://donate.openarmsmn.org/campaign/620772/donate

One of the highlights of our holiday season is welcoming the incredible Lunds & Byerlys team to Open Arms! This year, the Corporate Team donned their signature green beanies and jumped into action—taking over volunteer shifts in our kitchens, bakery, and out on delivery routes. From prepping meals to delivering them to our clients, their enthusiasm shined through. We’re so grateful for this partnership and for their commitment to nourishing our critically ill neighbors across Minnesota.

Thank you, Lunds & Byerlys, for making a difference!

In case you missed KARE 11 Samie Solina’s great piece on the shorter season of giving for nonprofit organizations like Open Arms of Minnesota, you can check it out here!

Shorter Season Of Giving – Open Arms of Minnesota

We’re proud to support the new partnership between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Food is Medicine Coalition! This collaboration expands access to medically tailored meals and groceries for Veterans, addressing food insecurity that is closely tied to chronic illness, depression, and overall health.

As a proud FIMC member, we are making a difference for Veterans right here at home. Through partnerships with organizations like Minnesota Veterans 4 Veterans and Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota, we provide medically tailored meals to more than 170 Veterans across Minnesota. 

https://fimcoalition.org/…/helping-veterans-combat…/

We are so grateful to Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and her incredible staff for visiting Open Arms today! Together, this team assembled over 200 calorie packs, providing a tremendous boost to our operations during this busy holiday season.

Thank you for sharing your time and energy with us — your kindness and community spirit truly make a difference!

https://www.flickr.com/…/mngov/albums/72177720322695475/

Thank you, Lunds & Byerlys, for making a difference!

As 2024 comes closer to a close, we encourage you to check out Food is Medicine Coalition‘s 2024 Impact Summary to see what Open Arms and our fellow FIMC agencies achieved together over the past year.

https://fimcoalition.org/…/FIMC-2024-IMPACT-SUMMARY-ONE…

A huge THANK YOU to all the incredible organizations that volunteered in our kitchens during this busy holiday season! Your dedication and teamwork made a meaningful difference, helping us prepare and package thousands of nourishing meals for critically ill Minnesotans.

We are so grateful for your time, energy, and heart. Together, we’re spreading hope across our community.

More from Open Arms

FIMC Parters with VA

Medically Tailored Meals for Veterans Get a Boost with New VA and FIMC Partnership Open Arms of Minnesota proudly supports the recently announced partnership between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC). This collaboration aims to improve

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OPen Arms Gift Catalog Graphic

Open Arms Gift Catalog 2024

Open Arms Introduces Its First-Ever Gift Catalog Open Arms of Minnesota is thrilled to offer a new way to support our clients this holiday season! Inspired by the classic “Wish Books” of years past, we are proud to introduce the first-ever Open Arms Gift Catalog.

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Rekindle The Joy Of Giving With The Open Arms Gift Catalog!

Just in time for the holiday season, Open Arms of Minnesota is thrilled to offer a new way to support our clients this holiday season! Inspired by the classic “Wish Books” of years past, we are proud to introduce the first-ever Open Arms Gift Catalog. We hope this new approach to supporting our clients rekindles the joy of giving, inspiring you to make a difference in the lives of those we serve through our meals.

Open Arms of Minnesota Earns Accreditation from Food Is Medicine Coalition

Open Arms of Minnesota, the Twin Cities-based non-profit dedicated to providing nourishing, medically tailored meals to individuals with critical illnesses, has earned accreditation from the Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC). This recognition places Open Arms among an elite group of organizations nationwide that have demonstrated a high standard of care in delivering medically tailored meals (MTM).

End Of Year Giving Graphic

Your Gift Will Help Us Serve More Clients!

Together we can continue to meet the increased demand for medically tailored meals with your support! We hope you think of us as you consider your year-end giving. Your donation is a gift of care, compassion, and encouragement!