Kelli Weiss is a pastor at Mount Calvary – the church in whose basement The Open Door’s pantry first began. Kelli joined the board because she felt she could contribute to the organization in conjunction with her role at Mount Calvary, and she wanted to help her congregation connect more deeply to the work of The Open Door.
“My job is connected to faith, and feeding people is related to my faith,” Kelli said. “The more involved I am, the more I help my congregation.”
One of Kelli’s favorite things about The Open Door is all the creative ways the organization brings food to people who need it. She is proud of the fact that TOD actively seeks out populations who need our programs instead of waiting for them to find TOD themselves.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelli helped the board make creative decisions to keep bringing food to people, and she hopes to carry that spirit of imagination throughout the rest of her time on the board, even after the pandemic is over.
“One of the most beautiful things about The Open Door is not having barriers to receiving food and caring for people. There is judgment offered to people who struggle, but there should not be. Any one of us could be that person needing help,” Kelli said.
Kelli is excited to start building a coalition of support through churches around Dakota County, and hopes the organization can continue supporting people in the community by seeking out places in which the organization can provide support rather than waiting for people to ask for it themselves.
“I just really appreciate the lack of barriers at The Open Door. We are focused on healthy food and caring for people in the community, and we need to remember that the people we are serving…any of us could be that person,” Kelli said.
Outside of Kelli’s dedicated work for her community, you can find her eating a big plate of nachos or taking long walks around her neighborhood and Lebanon Hills with her friends or her dog. Thank you for being part of The Open Door, Kelli!
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