**ANNOUNCEMENT**
The Open Door will bring ALL hunger relief programs together in our new home this winter.
Following a 2+ year search, The Open Door has found a new home!
Confidential Information – Volunteer/Staff Use Only – DO NOT DISTRIBUTE
Last Updated: 9/14/2022 – Check back soon for updates!
From being squished in the backroom of the Eagan Pantry, to relying on the parking lot at Mobile for overflow and staging, to seeing office staff 2 and 3 to a room, you have probably noticed our organization has been bursting at its seams for some time now.
Over the past 3 years The Open Door has scaled up its operations to feed double, and sometimes triple the number of people in our community and done so at a remarkable pace! Our staff and volunteers have maximized our cobbled together collection of spaces while squeezing every last drop out of their creativity and patience.
It has become clear that to feed more people, The Open Door needs two things: more space, and to bring all of our Programs together under one roof.
After 2+ years of turning over every real estate rock in Eagan, we signed a lease this week on what will become our new home.
Over the next 3-4 months all of our programs and staff will relocate to 3000 Ames Crossing Road in Eagan. The Eagan Pantry, Mobile Food Programs, Garden to Table, and our Administrative Team will be housed under the same roof for the first time in our organization’s history.
Moving into one location will undoubtedly help us become a more effective and consistent organization. Here are just a few of the benefits we expect to see:
- Improved staff & volunteer communication
- Increased efficiency: managing a single inventory
- Eliminated redundancy: no longer driving food between sites
- Expanded capacity: taking advantage of the combined scale of our space
**IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT NEWS OF THIS MOVE IS NOT COMMUNICATED TO OUR CLIENTS UNTIL THE OPEN DOOR RELEASES THIS NEWS PUBLICLY**
To avoid confusion, and to ensure security and stability for the families that rely on The Open Door for food support, we will NOT notify clients until we have a firm move date established. We anticipate this will be in late fall/early winter of 2022. We will be at the mercy of the supply chain and contractor timelines. 😊
PLEASE do your best as volunteers and friends of The Open Door to avoid discussing the move or the new location within earshot of ANY client.
We know this move will generate both excitement and questions. With that in mind, Executive Director, Jason Viana will host two listening sessions to answer questions and share additional information.
Have questions regarding the move? Please CLICK HERE to submit them using our secure form.
Where are we Going?
The Open Door will be leasing 18,800 square feet of combined office, shopping, and warehouse space at 3000 Ames Crossing Rd, Eagan MN 55121, just 8 miles from the current Eagan Pantry!
This space will be built to suit our specific needs including capacity-building improvements like:
- More than double the existing Client Shopping Space
- 1 Loading Dock and 1 Drive In Dock – (faster and safer loading of Mobile Vehicles and Second Harvest Deliveries)
- A 2,000 cubic foot Walk-In Cooler with accessible doors for the shopping area (we will be able to stock from inside the cooler!)
- 2 In-Floor Scales for weighing incoming and outgoing food (No more ramps!)
- A Volunteer & Staff lounge with kitchenette and storage for personal belongings
- A Training /Meeting Room for orientations, presentations, and other activities
- A Private Space for sensitive client conversations
- A dedicated space for Partners to offer additional services to clients (SNAP enrollment, rental assistance, Health Screenings, etc.)
- An actual desk for every staff member, AmeriCorps, and intern
When are we Going?
A brief overall timeline is outlined below. Then, click on the location where you usually volunteer to see details on how this move will impact your specific program!
- September 19: Mobile Pantry Moves to 3000 Ames Crossing Rd (Mobile operations paused 9/19-9/23 – volunteers still needed to assist in move!)
- October 1: Construction begins at 3000 Ames Crossing Rd (Mobile operations will continue during construction)
- Winter 2022/2023: Eagan Pantry & TOD Admin Staff Move to 3000 Ames Crossing Rd (actual date dependent on construction)
