40 YEARS OF OPEN ARMS: LET’S CELEBRATE!
Forty years. Millions of meals. Thousands of volunteers. Countless stories of nourishment, hope and community. And now, it’s time to celebrate!
Join us on September 19 as we celebrate 40 years of Open Arms of Minnesota and the incredible community of clients, volunteers, donors, staff, partners and friends who have made this milestone possible. Whether you’ve been part of Open Arms for decades or are just getting to know us, we’re thrilled to have you with us for this special celebration.
📅 DATE AND TIME
Saturday, September 19
1 – 4 p.m. | Special Program at 2:30 p.m.
📍 LOCATION
Open Arms of Minnesota – St. Paul Kitchen & Campus
380 East Lafayette Frontage Rd.
St. Paul, MN 55107
🚗 PARKING & ARRIVAL
More than 600 guests are expected to attend! Because the event will be held in the south parking lot, parking will not be available there. Guests are encouraged to park along Chester Street (IGNORE THE NO PARKING SIGNS – we have permission from the city to park there) or in open parking lots north and northeast of Open Arms. Please allow extra time for parking.
Bike parking will be available at the bike racks located on the Southwest side of the facility.
Please look out for and follow the directions of Open Arms staff and volunteers when arriving. They are there to help you find parking!
♿ ACCESSIBILITY
Open Arms is committed to making this celebration accessible to everyone. Handicap parking will be available in the parking lot located nearest to the Open Arms facility on the east side of the building. Handicapped accessible restrooms will also be available on-site.
If you have an accessibility request or need accommodation before the event, please contact Emily Osnes at [email protected].
🤝THANK YOU SPONSORS!
Big shoutout to our Blaze Credit Union, Cub Foods, Health Partners, Performance Foodservice, Lunds & Byerly’s, and yum! for making this event special for all our guests!
🐾 PETS
Pets and Service Animals are allowed throughout the grounds except for inside the Open Arms facility. Remember to keep your pets leashed at all times. Please note that we are expecting over 600 people in a relatively small space, and we need our furry friends to be comfortable in crowds and with other dogs.
🍽️ FOOD
What would an Open Arms birthday party be without some fantastic party food crafted by our wonderful chefs? Guests will enjoy BBQ pulled chicken and tofu sandwiches, grilled corn salad, broccoli salad, baked beans, pasta salad, and chips.
What better way to celebrate a birthday than with cupcakes? We’re grateful to our friends at yum! for providing their signature cupcakes for the celebration!
🍾 DRINKS
Drinks are on us! Enjoy bottled water and a variety of pop, with complimentary beer, hard seltzer and house-made sangria available for guests 21+ with valid ID.
🎶 WHAT TO EXPECT
- A celebration worthy of 40 years of Open Arms! Come ready to eat, play, dance, reminisce and celebrate together.
- Live music from School of Rock, Eden Prairie House Bands — so put on your dancing shoes!
- Fun for kids with face painting, seed art, sidewalk chalk, and coloring
- Games for all ages including cornhole, connect four, and plinko
- Special tours of our St. Paul Kitchen and Campus
- A walk down memory lane with a special display celebrating 40 years of Open Arms
- A short, inspiring program at 2:30 pm featuring stories from our history and the introduction of another group of 40 North Stars
- Plenty of opportunities for 40th anniversary photos
- Limited-edition 40th anniversary merchandise available for purchase
- New friends! Old friends! And plenty of time to celebrate with the Open Arms community!
👕 WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
It’s our 40th birthday! Break out your Open Arms gear, if you have it, and dress for the weather.
🌦️ WHAT IF IT RAINS?
The celebration is rain or shine! We’ll have plenty of tents set up to help keep guests dry. In the event of dangerous weather, the Open Arms facility will be available for shelter. Any weather-related changes will be shared via email, our website, and social media.
🎟️ CHECK-IN
When you arrive, please check in at the welcome area located in front of the Open Arms entrance.
📸 PHOTOS & VIDEO
We’re excited to celebrate together! Photos and video will be captured throughout the event to help us remember and share this special day.
If you’d prefer not to be photographed or recorded, we completely understand! Please do your best to avoid areas where cameras are present, and our team will do our best to honor your preference. With photography and filming happening throughout the event, we can’t guarantee that you won’t appear in a photo or video.
🎁 GIFTS
Your presence is the best birthday gift! However, if you would like to support meals for our clients, there will be opportunities at the event to make donations, or you can do so HERE.
📱 STAY CONNECTED
Share your 40th anniversary memories and celebration photos with us! Follow Open Arms on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
40 YEARS OF NOURISHING OUR NEIGHBORS
For 40 years, Open Arms has been bolstered by the generosity, compassion and commitment of an extraordinary community. This celebration is about looking back at where we’ve been, celebrating the people who brought us here, and looking ahead to the next 40 years.
Thank you for being part of our story. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY, OPEN ARMS! 🎂
