A Look Ahead To 2026, Open Arms At 40
Leah Hebert Welles
Dear Open Arms Community,
First, I hope this message finds you safe and supported. Today, as I share the news of Open Arms’ 40th Anniversary, I do so with full awareness that this milestone comes during a deeply painful moment for our Minneapolis and Minnesota community. We are heartbroken by the recent tragedies that have shaken our city, and we recognize the fear, grief, and anger felt by our staff, volunteers, and the neighbors we serve. And yet, even in times like these, Open Arms remains steadfast. Our mission—to show up for critically ill neighbors with dignity, nourishment, and care—has carried us through four decades. This resilience, compassion, and commitment are who we are, and they are what we honor as we mark 40 years of service.
At this moment, I find myself reflecting on how Open Arms of Minnesota began as a single act of kindness in 1986, when Bill Rowe started cooking food in his apartment and delivering it to a handful of people living with AIDS. Kindness, hope and empathy are more important now than ever, and I feel very privileged to be part of an organization that still holds those values dear, living them through all of you – our Open Arms family – every day.
Throughout 2026, we’ll be marking this anniversary with moments that honor our history while looking boldly toward the future. Please mark your calendars for these special events:
- 22nd Annual Moveable Feast Gala – Thursday, May 7
- Our 40th Birthday Party – free and open to all – Saturday, September 12
- A Table Built on Love: A World AIDS Day Celebration – Thursday, December 3
Coinciding with these events, Open Arms is launching a yearlong storytelling and recognition campaign honoring the people and partners who have helped guide our mission for four decades. Titled “40 Years, 40 North Stars,” the campaign will honor 40 individuals, organizations, and entities who have helped light the way for Open Arms since 1986. Together, these stories will celebrate our shared history while illuminating the values that continue to guide us into the future.
Our 40th anniversary year is going to be a celebration of our cherished Open Arms family. From our clients, their caregivers, and families who trust us during some of their most vulnerable moments; to our amazing volunteers who chop, pack, deliver, and show up no matter what Minnesota weather has to throw their way; to the staff who bring skill, creativity, and humanity every day to their work; to our generous donors and partners who believe that food is medicine and that people living with critical illnesses deserve healthy meals coupled with hope and dignity.
It is an incredible honor to steward Open Arms into this anniversary year. We enter 2026 with gratitude for our past, pride in our present, and excitement for what’s ahead. I hope you’ll join us—at our events, in our kitchens, and in our continued belief that there is always room for one more at our table.
We look forward to seeing you soon. To stay connected, follow us on social media, sign up for our emails, and keep an eye on our website for the latest news and celebrations.
Please join us in holding our neighbors and communities in our hearts – especially at this time when we all need some kindness, hope and love.
Hugs,
Leah
P.S. Please read on for a special story about Bill Rowe, our founder.
In 1986, food as medicine was in its infancy—if it had even been named yet—and Bill began his journey using food as an act of rebellion, love, and ingenuity. Amid the AIDS epidemic, a gay man doing what he could to support his friends and neighbors, at a time when homosexuality was still deeply stigmatized in our broader society. In a 1997 interview, Bill shared the following words with John Rabe of Minnesota Public Radio as he reflected on the birth of Open Arms:
I was involved as a care-giver for a very good friend of mine in San Francisco, and I found – he was living in a hospice where everybody had to arrange for their own food, and he had a lot of money, so his food was very good. But when I was in the kitchen, some of the other people were having warmed up hot dogs, you know. So I just said to the manager that “Why don’t I just cook for everybody? It would be simpler.” And then when I came back here after my friend died, I became a volunteer at the Minnesota AIDS Project, and I did case management as a volunteer – took care of 19 people, before they all died. I started doing the food because it seemed – emotionally – an easier thing to do than taking care of people who were in the final stages of AIDS, you know. And then the home delivery stuff started, as I said, because the people got too ill to come out, and they still needed the food.
What an amazing reminder of what’s possible through passion, commitment, and kindness. Let’s continue Bill’s legacy together. xo
