Open Arms: Open Arms of MN

Open Arms of Minnesota offers a unique model of care for people in our community who are sick, need nutritious food, and have no where else to turn for assistance. We are the only nonprofit organization in the state that prepares and delivers free meals specifically tailored to meet the nutrition needs of individuals living with serious and life-threatening diseases.

Our service began in 1986 when our founder, Bill Rowe, prepared dinner in the kitchen of his apartment and delivered it to a small group of men with AIDS who had become too ill to shop for groceries and cook for themselves. Soon, a growing pool of dedicated volunteers began preparing and delivering free meals to these first clients on a regular basis. From the very start, we made a commitment to feed anyone living in a household affected by disease, so we also provided meals to caregivers, spouses, partners, and dependent children.

In 2004, Open Arms became one of the first nutrition organizations in the U.S. to add women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and individuals with ALS (better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), and multiple sclerosis to a home delivery meal program for people with HIV/AIDS. More recently, we have made additional spaces available for individuals with other forms of cancer and end-stage diseases. Opening our arms wider to serve more people is the right thing to do. It’s a way for us to build on the promises we made to individuals with HIV/AIDS — to provide nutritious food so they can live dignified and independent lives for as long as possible — and ensure that something good comes from a terrible disease.

Today, Open Arms continues to embrace the same core values and singular vision that have guided our work from the beginning. Over the past two decades, we have moved from church basements and store fronts to our current building on Franklin Avenue in south Minneapolis. But no matter where we operate, the kitchen remains the heart of who we are.

Who We Are

Mission. Vision & Values

History of Open Arms

Did you know?

In 2009, Open Arms prepared and delivered 313,000 meals to more than 1100 clients living with HIV/AIDS, ALS, breast cancer, and MS, and to their dependents — a 21% increase over the 259,000 meals we provided in 2008.