Dear friends, donors, and volunteers,
At The Open Door we value transparency and communication with our clients, volunteers, and donors. As you may be aware, a Twin Cities hunger relief organization recently made national news. Allegations against the Minnesota non-profit include theft, fraud, and misuse of funds awarded by the MN Department of Education to distribute meals for children in recent years.
If true, this deception and misuse of funds is a huge blow to the honest, ethical, impactful hunger relief work that is being done locally and across Minnesota. It not only casts doubt on the work of existing non-profit organizations; it puts more children at risk of missing more meals because of harbored mistrust in the hunger-relief system.
The Open Door is committed to using the funds granted to us by our state and federal lawmakers, as well as funds given freely by our community, to feed the hungry across Dakota County. We condemn any individual or organization who is proven to have accepted money fraudulently or for personal gain.
We want to underline for our volunteers, donors, and supporters:
- The Open Door is not and has never been associated with the organization in question
- The Open Door was reimbursed for $24,000 in expenses from the Minnesota Department of Education in January 2021. These were COVID-19 related expenses incurred 7/1/20-9/30/20
- The Open Door receives state and federal aid in accordance with The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for which we provide monthly reported client data
- The Open Door is committed to financial transparency. Our Audited Financial Statements and Tax form 990s are publicly available on our website.
- The Open Door’s summer meal program, Mobile Lunchbox, is conducted in collaboration with Independent School Districts 191, 194, 196, and 197. If you have questions about the operation of this program, please contact us here.
Our leadership staff and board are happy to sit down to discuss questions regarding our hunger relief efforts. Feel free to email me directly at jasonv@theopendoorpantry.org.
We are grateful for your continued support in our hunger-relief work. We will continue working as a conduit for your generosity and good will as we combat local hunger together.
Sincerely, 
Jason Viana
Executive Director
The Open Door