Open Arms is launching the next phase of our capital campaign with a groundbreaking celebration in September on the site of our future home at 25th Street and Bloomington Avenue in Minneapolis. Through lead gifts from foundations, corporations, and individuals, our Kitchen Campaign: Building the Future of Open Arms has secured $5.6 million toward our $8.1 million goal.

As critical as a larger facility is to the success of Open Arms, this campaign will result in much more than just the construction of a building. Our Kitchen Campaign will position Open Arms to enhance the services we offer our current clients, while expanding our operations to provide food and nutrition to many more people who are facing illness and hunger.

Following the groundbreaking, the site will undergo an environmental clean-up, with construction of the new facility expected to be completed by the end of 2009. The construction coincides with Open Arms’ capital campaign, which must raise the remaining $2.5 million of the campaign by December 31, 2009.

But we’re not waiting until we are operating in the new building to break new ground on our programs. Despite escalating food and gasoline costs, both of which affect Open Arms directly because of our mission and because volunteers use their vehicles to deliver for us, we anticipate serving a record 250,000 meals in 2008. That’s a 29% increase in service from last year, and the service we provide our clients is also improving.

Through the generosity of the Minnesota Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Foundation, Open Arms has piloted a program to incorporate organic foods into our menus. Our foray into the world of organics began at Thanksgiving last year when all of the turkeys for our holiday meal were organic. Once again this year, we will serve organic turkey for our Thanksgiving meal.

As Open Arms continues to serve more clients affected by chronic diseases, we also serve more of their caregivers and children. Conscious of the increasing rates of childhood obesity in the U.S., our staff has created a kid-friendly menu that provides children with meals they like to eat, which are more nutritious and lower in fat and calories. The positive comments we hear from the kids – some of our most finicky eaters – suggest this enhancement has been well received.

While concentrating on these immediate programmatic enhancements, Open Arms also keeps an eye on the future. New studies indicate that rates of HIV infection in the U.S. have been underreported for years – and in 2008 we have seen an increase in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS whom we serve. The baby boom generation is just beginning to retire and many of these people may become Open Arms’ clients in the future. These trends require us to become involved with advocacy at both state and federal levels – advocating for public support of HIV/AIDS legislation, as well as advocating more generally for hunger and nutrition issues. 

Open Arms is breaking new ground, and the literal ground we break on our new building and the figurative ground we break with our innovative programming, will help ensure our vision of a world of abundance where people won’t go hungry.