Open Cupboard

Our Executive Director lent her voice in support of two bills being considered by the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee yesterday. House File 1112 would create a new Regional Food Bank Grant program,?a reliable source of funding for our state’s food banks, which supply our programs. House File 1098, a one-time capital grant program for food shelves, would allow community organizations to improve and expand operations to meet their local needs. The infrastructure grant we received last year was instrumental to the opening of our Today’s Harvest market in Maplewood last year, and this bill would support these types of transformational projects for other food shelves statewide. Both were moved on for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill, and we’ll be tracking the progress closely. At Open Cupboard, we serve more than 6,200 households each week. Still, every week we are seeing hundreds of new faces of people who are stepping through our doors for the very first time. With demand only increasing and so much uncertainty right now, together with our elected representatives, we can — and must — continue to be counted on.

??See What’s Behind the Rave Reviews?? “The help (at Today’s Harvest) is out of this world. The accommodations are wonderful. It’s clean. It’s a lot of variety of different foods. Refrigerated food and freezer foods. I try to eat healthy. There’s a real nice, quick check out system. I just love it there.” -Susan Experience the out-of-this-world service and healthy variety of foods that our shoppers can’t stop talking about. ?? Please join us for our Open House and see why Susan (and so many others) love it here! All are welcome - stop by anytime! ??? March 4th, 2025 from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM ??1740 Van Dyke St. Maplewood, MN 55109

Last Thursday we had Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan volunteer with us at our Today’s Harvest Maplewood Market. We deeply appreciate her continued efforts in fighting hunger across Minnesota. With food shelf visits at an all-time high and the need for accessible, nutritious meals growing, her leadership and our partnerships with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Department of Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families, help us ensure that no one goes hungry.

This Food Pantry Runs on Food Rescue! Thank you, Food Bank News, for sharing this incredible story of how food rescue is transforming lives! We’re beyond grateful for the incredible support we receive through food rescue. Every day, surplus food is transformed into life-changing meals for our community. Thanks to the generosity of those who donate, we’re able to provide fresh, nutritious options to families in need while reducing food waste in the process.

Today we are celebrating ONE month in at Today’s Harvest Maplewood! ?? Over the past month, we’ve seen 8,323 visits and distributed 137,655 pounds of free, fresh food into the community. Also, after opening our second market, our Today’s Harvest markets are now serving an average of 925 households each day! And yesterday we hit a milestone–serving over 1,000 households between both locations. Want to make in impact? Volunteer, donate, or learn more at todaysharvestmn.org, we hope that you are inspired by Today’s Harvest to help feed your community!

Grateful to WCCO for this coverage of today's Grand Opening of our new Today's Harvest Market in Maplewood. https://lnkd.in/dVTjJP6M

Open Cupboard was featured in an article from the Washington Post on the impact of Today's Harvest and the difference that food access can make for families and communities. One of our shoppers, Jonathan, shared how much of an impact Today's Harvest makes for his family. Our Today's Harvest markets make fresh and healthy food more accessible to those who need it, and reduce food waste. We're grateful for The Washington Post's spotlight on our work! Please note, the story link is a gift link and does not require you to subscribe to the Washington Post to read the article, but it will ask for your email address.

We’re excited to share that we’ve received a $25,000 #GoodNeighborGrant from Ascendium Education Group! Ascendium employees nominated and voted for our nonprofit to receive this grant. This grant will help us expand our work through Open Cupboard and Today’s Harvest where we are dedicated to fighting food insecurity. With these funds, we will enhance our ability to provide fresh, nutritious food to local families in need, support community outreach efforts, and ensure that more individuals have access to the resources they need to thrive. Thank you, Ascendium, for supporting our mission! ??

We are honored to have been selected as a finalist for the Bush Prize. The Bush Foundation worked with the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation to award Minnesota non-profits who have strong histories of innovation and community problem-solving. Congratulations to the winners and other finalists for their work in improving our communities. https://lnkd.in/gWDbi_k4