Make No Little Plans

President Barack Obama recently urged Americans to “Make no little plans.” Looking at the construction site at 25^th and Bloomington, it’s obvious that Open Arms agrees with him. Of course, we started our big plan to construct a larger facility long before Mr. Obama became president, but our plan has proved more prescient that we even realized.

Health care reform is back on the agenda in the United States. The critical role that nutrition plays in maintaining and improving health must be considered as part of this national debate. Open Arms’ new facility will allow us to more than double the number of clients we can serve in the Twin Cities. Anecdotally, we know that our service shortens hospital stays, sometimes prevents admission into nursing homes and subsequently contributes to our clients’ ability to live independently.

Open Arms is part of a continuum of care that helps to improve the health of some of our community’s most vulnerable citizens. By the time the health care system is reformed in this country, our new building will be open and Open Arms will be able to plan an even greater role in addressing hunger and nutrition for people living with chronic and progressive diseases in the Twin Cities.