ST. PAUL, Minn.– As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting local food security, the Affinity Plus Foundation, in partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines), has awarded a $45,000 grant to Kitchen Coalition, a Minnesota-based prepared meal program of Second Harvest Heartland.
This grant will help Kitchen Coalition provide “heat and eat” meals to neighbors experiencing food insecurity across Minnesota.
“Everyone deserves to know where their next meal is coming from,” said Jacquie Twedt, board chair of the Affinity Plus Foundation. “We’re proud to continue our partnership with Kitchen Coalition to help advance their work to not only get fresh meals to those in need, but to ensure those meals are familiar and nourishing.”
The foundation said the donation comes as Kitchen Coalition announces its seven-millionth meal milestone. Founded during the early days of the pandemic, Kitchen Coalition is an initiative focused on transforming food bank ingredients into fresh, culturally connected meals for those in need.
Meals are distributed through a generous network of community-based partners like Neighbors, Inc., which operates The Nook in South St. Paul, a program that provides access to prepared meals for local families. These distribution partners help address barriers like access to the home, health or ability to prepare meals.
“After seven million meals, we’ve seen firsthand how much a prepared meal can mean to someone who isn’t sure where their next meal will come from,” said Sarah Peterson, director of Kitchen Coalition. “With federal funding cuts expected to mean billions of meals lost each year, and hundreds of millions right here in Minnesota, the support of partners like the Affinity Plus Foundation is more important than ever. This grant allows us to provide nearly 10,000 culturally connected meals to the people and families who need them most.”
This grant is part of a $1 million statewide initiative supporting 41 nonprofit organizations. Through a 3-to-1 match on member institution contributions from the FHLB Des Moines, the Affinity Plus Foundation is significantly boosting the ability of local nonprofits to serve Minnesotans in need while reinforcing its commitment to building stronger communities through financial support and long-standing partnerships.
