Every Meal
Every Meal is a Minnesota-based organization dedicated to fighting child hunger by providing weekend, winter, and summer meal programs, serving over 12,000 children across 500 locations with culturally tailored food bags and fresh produce from community gardens.
Services
Every Meal provides weekend meal programs to children facing food insecurity. To address seasonal food gaps, the organization offers both a winter meal program and a summer meal program. Additionally, Every Meal partners with the Minnesota Department of Education Migrant Education Program and operates the Grow & Give Program to distribute fresh produce from community gardens. The organization serves over 12,000 children across 450 locations in Minnesota and provides food at more than 500 locations in the state.
Programs and Initiatives
Every Meal focuses on filling food gaps that children face on weekends, extended breaks, and throughout the summer. The organization offers five food bag options tailored to various cultural dietary preferences or situational needs. Their food bags meet current nutrition standards for children and youth and recipes are provided that can be made from the ingredients included. The Grow & Give Program ensures fresh produce distribution, and they maintain a produce garden at their Roseville warehouse.
Community Partnerships
The mission of Every Meal to fight child hunger involves strong community and school partnerships. The organization collaborates with schools, churches, synagogues, businesses, hunger-relief organizations, and other community partners. They also offer a variety of volunteer opportunities, including packing and distributing food, to engage the community in their mission.
Volunteer Opportunities and Community Engagement
Every Meal hosts various volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups to pack and distribute food. They also organize open houses at their Roseville warehouse, providing tours and information about their operations. Community events are routinely hosted to support their mission and engage with the community, fostering broader support and awareness. There is also a digital food drive option for easy donation of non-perishable food items.
Financial Transparency and Accountability
Every Meal is committed to financial transparency, providing access to its financial documents for public review. This commitment ensures accountability and builds trust within the community and among donors. The organization purchases 99% of its food from reputable food banks, wholesalers, and manufacturers, ensuring high-quality food for its programs.