Meals From The Heart Brings Neighbors Helping Neighbors Full Circle.

At Meals From The Heart, we are grateful for the many individuals, businesses, and organizations that continue to step up to help their neighbors in need. As stress on family food budgets and neighborhood food shelves increases, so does the desire to help!

Food shelves in Minneapolis and across the Twin Cities are seeing more people than ever walk through their doors right now. At the moment, about 1 in 5 families need help putting food on the table because their budgets just aren’t stretching far enough. In 2024, Minnesotans made more than 9 million visits to food shelves – nearly triple the visits of just a few years ago, and 84% of our food shelf partners reported that demand continued to increase through 2025.

A lot of different factors are coming together to create this situation. The overall cost of living has gone up, groceries are more expensive than they used to be, and changes and disruptions in federal assistance programs have made it harder for some families to rely on the support they once had.

All of this means more neighbors are turning to food shelves for a little extra help during a really challenging time, and that definitely keeps our incredible team of volunteers on their toes!

At every meal-packing event, Meals From The Heart volunteers bring more than just the tables, funnels, boxes, and equipment. They show up with unbeatable energy and an amazing ability to turn each event into a fantastic experience for everyone – always with a smile.

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis is one of those incredible groups that truly brings the spirit of giving to the meal-packing table. There’s something pretty special about seeing so many people roll up their sleeves for a shared purpose.

In the last few weeks, they’ve been gathering twice to pack pasta and rice as well as our Veggies & Rice meals for the shelves at Community Emergency Service, their neighborhood food shelf. That kind of teamwork makes a real difference!

Pastor Rebecca Wold Freeman couldn’t have described the day better. “Your upbeat, missional spirit along with your capable, organized volunteer team allowed Mount Olivet to host 400 volunteers over 4 shifts, assembling a total of 94,400 meals in less than one work day!. That is incredible! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to connect with the community and address food insecurity in such a tangible way. It was a remarkable day, so filled with joy and love!”

Founded in 1971, Community Emergency Service (CES) transforms lives by serving neighbors, sharing resources, and becoming a community – a place where people come hungry and leave hopeful.

Based in the most ethnically diverse neighborhood in Minneapolis, CES offers assistance without barriers, and always with dignity, respect, and understanding. The staff and volunteers are on the front lines every day, providing nutritious food, compassionate support, and a welcoming presence to multigenerational, multicultural, and low-income neighbors.

From our dedicated volunteers and meal-packing teams to our distribution partners, to kitchen tables, a Meals From The Heart packing event brings our tried-and-true process of neighbors helping neighbors full circle.