Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless

New Richland, MN - Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless is excited to announce the launch of the 17th annual Open Your Heart Summer Challenge grant. This grant opportunity provides participating food shelves in Minnesota with a matched grant proportional to the food shelves' fundraising activities throughout the month of July. 

 

Last year Minnesota food shelves reported more than 9 million visits, setting a new record. The persistent economic difficulties brought on by rising food costs and the impact of immigration enforcement have driven record high demand at food shelves. OYH’s Summer Challenge aims to raise the critical funds needed to feed our neighbors. 

 

When school is out, food shelf demand peaks, and at the same time, food shelf donations dip to their lowest. OYH’s Summer Challenge bridges this gap by increasing awareness of local food shelves and harnessing the power of collective giving by providing matching grant opportunities, so that households have the support they need during the hungriest months of the year. 

 

By leveraging the Open Your Heart Summer Challenge grant, food shelves across Minnesota typically raise over $2 million in local fundraising in the month of July. In 2025, 83 food shelves across the state of Minnesota participated in OYH’s Summer Challenge. Together, raising $2.4 million dollars to keep shelves stocked and Minnesotan’s fed. 

 

The Challenge grant presents a matching fund opportunity for food shelves, including Area Food Shelf of New Richland, allowing them to maximize their local fundraising efforts in July. The distribution of funds from this grant is based on the total funds raised by each participating food shelf in July and the number of food shelves involved, with grants ranging from a minimum of $150 to a maximum of $4,000. This year the Summer Challenge and the World Cup overlap, so the theme for this year’s campaign is “Kicking Hunger Together.” 

 

Jessica Mathias, Executive Director at Open Your Heart for the Hungry and Homeless, said, "Across Minnesota, some of the most meaningful efforts to combat food insecurity are led by small, volunteer-driven organizations. These groups often operate without the resources of a dedicated fundraising team or a wide donor base, yet their work is vital to our communities. Through the Open Your Heart Summer Challenge, our goal is to bring the community together to strengthen and support local food pantries. This initiative empowers them to restock their shelves with fresh and frozen food, ensuring they can meet the needs of their neighbors during this demanding season." 

 

Since 1986, Open Your Heart has targeted millions of dollars to strategically fight hunger in Minnesota. For more information visit www.oyh.org.