Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has given $5,000 to Ruth's House of Hope. The grant will help pay for transportation and daycare vouchers for families in the organization's new permanent supportive housing program.

Ruth's House, in partnership with Catholic Charities and a number of local organizations and volunters, has made nine units of transitional housing available for homeless women and their children in Rice County. Families can find relief and renewal in a supportive environment for up to two years. Each resident shares in household tasks, has her own family bedroom, has access to 24-hour support, meets weekly with case management, and is encouraged to make healthy choices and establish healthy boundaries.

OYH is happy to assist Ruth's House in providing shelter and support to Rice County women in need.

Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has given a $4,170 grant to Second Harvest Heartland for the purchase of three replacement dock shelters.

Second Harvest Heartland is the Upper Midwest's largest hunger-relief organization, whose mission is to end hunger through community partnerships. SHH will deliver more than 34 million pounds of food to more than 1,000 nonprofit member agencies and programs in its 59-county service area this year.

For each $1 donated, SHH distributes more than $9 worth of grocery products. The organization's volunteers donate about 33,765 hours each year, its Minneapolis and St. Paul Distribution Centers have more than 86,300 square feet of dry, refrigerator and freezer space, and its fleet of trucks drove 415,000 miles last year. It collects food from more than 250 Twin Cities area retailers and lobbies on hunger issues at the state and national level.

On Monday, April 28, 2008, Minneapolis/Hennepin County Project Homeless Connect will hold an event in Minneapolis where homeless Minnesotans can get needed services. OYH has contributed $10,000 to this event to provide resources for homeless people to access adequate dental coverage.

At the organization's last event in October 2007, 800 volunteers and over 100 service providers served more than 1,800 men, women and children in one day. Over 500 people received housing consulting and two were placed in homes that day. About 475 people received employment referrals and more than 300 received haircuts. Sixty people received dental care, 430 medical care and 200 eyeglasses. Over 2,000 meals were provided and 1,800 people received transportation assistance.

Several successful PHC events have been held since December 2005 at the Basilica of St. Mary and the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless is now accepting applications for Education Grants. We also are seeking donations for our OYH Education Fund.

"Open Your Heart's Education Grants are important in establishing the self-esteem of students who become homeless due to circumstances beyond their control. It is essential that they can establish a normal routine in their education. Our education grants give them the opportunity not to be singled out as being different from other students," says Dave Kircher, a long-time Open Your Heart volunteer.

Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has helped more than 35,000 students in K-12, providing school supplies, athletic shoes, school activity fees, and other school essentials for the past 12 years. For the next school year, Open Your Heart will make $120,000 available for education grants to help Minnesota's homeless youth. To help provide ongoing support for this program, click on the link below and designate the Education Fund. Helping a child stay involved in school is priceless!

Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless volunteers contributed a total of 1,300 hours to carry out the work of the organization in 2007. Our fantastic volunteers serve on the board of directors, plan events, speak on homelessness and hunger issues, review grant applications, provide technical and clerical support, to name just a few of the tasks they accomplish.

"The skills and enthusiasm provided by our crew of volunteers is outstanding!" says Arna Yetter, OYH Executive Director. "They enable our organization to carry out our mission of helping the people who need it most while helping us keep our administrative cost to a minimum. Their commitment working behind the scenes is really inspiring."

Currently Open Your Heart is seeking people to volunteer in the following areas: Technical support working with databases; clerical support; photography; and video production. In addition, the Nominating Committee of Open Your Heart is currently taking applications for vacancies on the board of directors. For more information, contact Arna Yetter at 651-224-8011 or by email, ayetter@oyh.org.

Fact of the Month:
Between 2000 and 2007, food shelf visits in Minnesota increased 60%, from 1.2 million to 1.9 million. Last year, 1 in 17 Minnesotans used a food shelf. The state has seen the 11th largest increase in food support caseload in the U.S. and the state ranks as the second worst in overall economic distress due to the deficit. (Source: Hunger Solutions Minnesota's March 2008 newsletter)

Quote of the Month:
"This year, the holiday donations were nearly gone in February, something that hasn't happened before." -Sue Kainz, March campaign coordinator for Minnesota FoodShare, in the Star Tribune, March 20, 2008.