On January 13th, the Great Plains Institute staff participated in our first day of service, a chance to give back to our community, enjoy some time away from the office, and get to know each other a little better. We partnered with Open Arms Minnesota, an organization that prepares and delivers meals to Twin Cities residents living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and ALS. Founded in 1986, Open Arms now delivers to over 1,000 clients each week with the help of over 5,000 volunteers annually.
Half of our group worked in the Open Arms kitchen, assisting with meal preparation and packaging, while the rest delivered meals directly to clients throughout the metro area. Those that assisted in the kitchen chopped over 150 lbs. of produce and packed dozens of meals to be delivered the following day to clients. We had four teams delivering on that chilly Friday and we were able to drop-off meals for 12 clients in under two hours!
Although this was our first day of service, it definitely won’t be our last. As several members of our staff commented, seeing the work done by Open Arms and meeting the clients face to face, really makes you rethink your priorities. Your inbox can wait, these people cannot.
To learn more about Open Arms Minnesota, please visit their website at openarmsmn.org
