Welcome to the Table

Celebrating a Milestone in the Fight Against Child Hunger

The completion of our Setting the Table campaign marks an incredible milestone in Every Meal’s history of fighting child hunger in Minnesota. To celebrate, we gathered with our community of supporters who made this moment possible at our Welcome to the Table event on October 7th. From heartfelt stories from community leaders to ribbon-cutting to the tours of our expanded warehouse, we enjoyed spending time together in community to mark this moment.

This celebration holds even deeper meaning as it overlays with another major milestone  – Every Meal’s 15th anniversary. Over the past 15 years, we’ve set out to build a program that serves children facing food insecurity in a way that is dignified and sustainable.It started as a small effort to fill the weekend food gap for 27 kindergarteners. And it has grown to what it is today: providing nutritious, delicious, and relevant food to approximately 12,000 children across nearly 400 Minnesota schools every week.

Setting the Table – our first major comprehensive campaign – was born out of a bold vision: to expand our capacity to fight child hunger across Minnesota. With an estimated 300,000 children experiencing food insecurity, we knew there was more to do… and that it would take all of us.

It was our biggest ask yet, and as has happened over and over again, the community has shown up. Now, we are proud to officially announce that we successfully raised our full $13.4 million goal. This completes the campaign!

Expanding Our Capacity to Serve

Because of this campaign, we have:

• purchased our full building, debt-free
• nearly doubled our food storage capacity
• started renovations
• made improvements in efficiency and accessibility

This expansion ensures Every Meal can sustainably continue to grow our mission and fill the weekend food gap for the many more Minnesota kids who worry about their next meal.

Powered by Community

From the very beginning, growth at Every Meal has been powered by community. And this campaign was no different.

We are deeply grateful to the State of Minnesota, which helped launch the campaign with a $4 million grant through the Department of Employment and Economic Development. Special thanks to State Senator Erin Maye Quade for co-authoring the bill. Plus, to the 41 school districts and partners who wrote letters of support.

We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Peter J. King Family Foundation, whose $2 million gift made it possible to purchase and renovate our facility. Their name will soon be proudly displayed on the building.

We are also honored to recognize several dedicated partners and spaces that reflect their investment in our vision:

• The Curt Glaser Welcome Center
• The Jay Soule Volunteer Center
• The Royal Credit Union Foundation Volunteer Training Room
• The Apple Autos Food Delivery Center

For those who believed early and gave big, we also thank WEM Foundation, the Joyful Noise Foundation, Link Logistics, the John W. Mooty Foundation, Bruce and Tracy Mooty, our Board of Directors, our Campaign Committee, and the many generous families and foundations, including those who choose to remain anonymous.

Leaders at the Table

At our Welcome to the Table celebration, an inspiring group of community leaders shared special messages that affirmed the importance of this collective work. Their support highlights the vital role we all play in supporting children across the state.

	Roseville Mayor Dan Roe: A dedicated public servant and long-time supporter of Every Meal’s mission.
	Minnesota State Senator Erin Maye Quade: A passionate advocate in changing the story of child hunger in Minnesota and a key champion of Every Meal’s work. Her leadership was instrumental in co-authoring the $4 million bonding bill through the Department of Employment and Economic Development.
	Senator Amy Klobuchar’s letter delivered by staff representative, Kali Courtney: A longtime advocate for federal nutrition programs through her work on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. She’s also played a key role in securing permanent summer meal funding for children and supporting local partners to provide families across Minnesota with access to food.
	Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan’s video message: A champion of food insecurity initiatives – informed by her own childhood experience – related to universal school meals, funding for food banks, and specific assistance for tribal and Indigenous communities.

These leaders remind us that fighting child hunger requires every level of engagement, from policymakers changing and shaping systems to neighbors helping neighbors, to ensure that all kids have access to the food they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

Cutting the Ribbon for a New Chapter

Together, we’ve not only set the table, we’ve filled the table, and we are honored to welcome you to the table.

As we celebrate the completion of this campaign and 15 years of impact, we’re reminded that our story has always been one of people coming together, united by a simple belief and shared purpose: Every child deserves every meal.

This isn’t just the end of a campaign – it’s the beginning of a stronger, broader movement to further our mission in fighting child hunger.

This new chapter means more meals delivered, more families supported, and more children nourished.

Thank you for believing in the possibilities. We’re grateful to have you at the table with us!