Programs of The Open Door

The Open Door’s core mission is “a healthy food approach to ending local hunger through access to healthy food”. At our Pantry in Eagan and on our Mobile Pantry, milk, eggs, dairy, meat, chicken, fish, bakery, fruits and vegetables are offered to food insecure families at every visit. At least 70% of the food offered is fresh and perishable. Families select their own food, as no food is pre-bagged for the client.

The Mobile Pantry is an innovative approach to providing food support to those who lack reliable transportation. The Mobile Pantry provides individuals and families in need of food support with healthy, wholesome food from our freshly- stocked bus lined with pantry shelves. The bus travels to designated sites on a pre- arranged schedule, one neighborhood at a time. Clients check in at The Mobile Pantry and then walk through the bus to ‘shop’, selecting the foods they need. Like our Pantry food shelves, 70% of the food offered is fresh and perishable.

The Mobile Lunch Box is a new one-of-a-kind approach to addressing children’s hunger in the summertime when parents are at work and children are not in school accessing free and reduced meal programs. The Mobile Lunch Box is a retrofitted short bus, lined inside on both sides with café counter-style seating. The Open Door’s Mobile Lunch Box distributes healthy brown-bagged lunches at low-income housing complexes to food insecure children. Children eat on the bus and participate in literacy, physical, gardening, and art enrichment activities led by volunteer groups.

With 8 sites and 200 plots, Garden To Table® is a sustainable approach to eliminating hunger and promotes improved access to fresh garden produce for families in need of food support through 1) adoptable plots—garden plots, seeds, plants, and tools are available for food shelf clients at no cost and 2) giving gardens—churches, schools and businesses provide fresh garden produce for the Pantry.

Family Advocates are trained volunteers who link families to various social service agencies, dependent upon the family’s need. The Open Door moves families from crisis to stability and works to reduce the impact of poverty at the family and community level.