Open Arms Receives Largest Grant in our History

Open Arms has received an $800,000 Challenge Grant from The Kresge Foundation to be used towards our capital campaign to construct a new building and expand our program to serve more people living with chronic and progressive diseases. This represents the largest donation Open Arms has received from a foundation in our 23-year history.

“This contribution is a significant endorsement of the work that Open Arms does to ensure that no one who is living with a potentially life-threatening illness will have to go hungry in our community” said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. “Open Arms’ capital campaign is one of the most positive projects underway in Minneapolis today.”

Open Arms launched an $8.1 million capital campaign in May of 2007. The campaign will allow us to construct a 21,000 square foot facility in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis and expand programming to more than double the number of clients served.

The Kresge gift brings the total amount of funds secured in the capital campaign to $6.9 million. The remaining $1.2 million must be raised by December 31, 2009 if we are to receive this Challenge Grant from The Kresge Foundation. Although raising over one million dollars won’t be easy in this economic climate, we are convinced that this community will continue to support the work of Open Arms, and that we will successfully complete this campaign by year-end.

Construction on Open Arms’ new facility is scheduled to begin this spring. The new building will be operational in early 2010.

About The Kresge Foundation

The Kresge Foundation, based in Troy, Michigan, is a national, private foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations by creating access and opportunity in underserved communities, improving the health of low-income people, supporting artistic expression, assisting in the revitalization of Detroit, and advancing methods for dealing with global climate change.

The foundation’s work is focused in six fields of interest: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services and community development. The Health Program seeks to influence and assist in the creation of healthy living environments for disadvantaged populations by working to improve the natural, built and social aspects of their communities.

In 2008, it awarded 342 grants totaling $181 million.