The
History of Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless
Open Your Heart to the
Hungry and Homeless (Open Your Heart) was founded in 1986 by employees of the
Minnesota Department of Jobs and Training (Now called the Department of
Economic Security).
The impetus for creating Open Your Heart was a
statewide drive by the Department to raise money and food for Minnesota's Food
Shelves during November 1985. Led by its Commissioner, Joe Samargia, the
Department organized a statewide drive to raise the public's awareness of the
needs of the local food shelves. Commissioner Samargia enlisted the services of
Giovanna D'agostino ("Mama D"), a Minneapolis restaurateur known for feeding U
of M students in her restaurants. As part of this public awareness campaign, a
steering committee of Department employees developed the food drive into a
competition among the Department's offices around the state.
With the
success of this Department-wide drive, the committee proposed the possibility
of year 'round fund raising. They thought that payroll deduction with one
campaign a year would be a more effective method than many smaller campaigns
for food and money at various times throughout the year.
Department employee Michael Fratto recruited the presidents of
the four largest State Employee bargaining units to serve as the incorporating
board. These bargaining units and their statewide Presidents were: American
Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 6; H. Glenn
Littler, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), Mike Haney;
Middle Management Association (MMA), Gene Aune. This incorporating board, with
the help of Department staff, created the necessary documents to incorporate as
a not-for-profit organization and receive the proper Internal Revenue Service
classification.
Open Your Heart was incorporated on April 21, 1986 as a
non-profit corporation under Minnesota Statutes §§ 309 and 317
(Chapter 317 was later repealed and replaced by chapter 317A). The organization
has an Internal Revenue Classification of 501(c)(3) and is registered with the
Minnesota Attorney General as a Registered Combined Charitable Organization
(RCCO).
After the proper documents were received, the Department of Jobs
and Training filed campaign pledge forms that it had already solicited to the
Department of Finance for the first payroll deduction. In July many other state
agencies sent their employees pledge forms for the first Open Your Heart
campaign. Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless raised approximately
$30,000 that first year, and made its first grant to the Emergency Fund Service
in the amount of $26,000. The Emergency Fund Service eventually became the
Minnesota Food Bank Network.
That fall, Open Your Heart was allowed to
hand out pledge cards in all state agencies and the University of Minnesota.
This first full campaign raised $221,489. This allowed the Board of Directors
to make 19 Grants totaling $150,000.
Until 1989, the entire operation of Open Your Heart was conducted by its Board of Directors from their desks at work. In 1989, Open Your Heart began renting office space in the Metro Square Building in downtown St. Paul. In 1991, the first Open Your Heart employees were hired. They were seniors from the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas, who worked as part-time Campaign Coordinators. Today, a part-time Executive Director and a Development Manager work with an office staff to carry out Open Your Heart’s mission. Open Your Heart now participates in a large number of workplace giving campaigns, and solicits donations directly through the OYH website. Open Your Heart E-newsletters also promote education about the issues of hunger and homelessness to the community. In 2006, Open Your Heart marked its 20th year of service to Minnesotans in need with a public fund-raiser.
The growth of Open Your Heart since its founding in 1986 has
allowed Open Your Heart to support a large number of food
and shelter providers throughout the state of Minnesota.
These funds provide for critical infrastructure needs, such
as sleeping mats and other critical items or fixing a leaky
roof or replacing freezers and refrigerators. Open Your
Heart has an ability to respond quickly to these needs,
which are often not funded by other organizations. Open Your
Heart also provides funds directly to Hunger Solutions
Minnesota for statewide food distribution. Education grants
are also provided to shelters and housing programs by Open
Your Heart prior to the beginning of each school year. These
grants support students who are homeless who need school
supplies, fees and clothes – things that help them succeed in school.
