10/02/2026
Every Friday, a Memory. Every Year, an Impact. 40 Years of Open Arms.
It’s 2006, and Open Arms of Minnesota is celebrating 20 years since Bill Rowe and his friends first began preparing and delivering meals to people living with HIV/AIDS. Big things are on the horizon for the scrappy, modest nonprofit in South Minneapolis. Just one year earlier, Executive Director Kevin Winge and the Board of Directors made the decision to expand services to people living with breast cancer, MS, and ALS. It was a decision not taken lightly, but one that would have a profound impact on the future of Open Arms.
With its 20th anniversary as a backdrop and the expansion to new diagnoses well underway, Open Arms announces a bold new mission and vision, building on its core values of Heritage, Food, Connectedness, Innovation, Responsibility, and Hope. The mission: “With open arms, we nourish body, mind and soul.” The vision: “We see a world of abundance where people won’t go hungry.” It was also around this time that the now-beloved motto, “At Open Arms, there’s always room for one more at our table,” made its debut.
As Kevin Winge said at the time, “We’re committed to continue doing what we do best, providing nutritious meals to people who are sick. We know that there are the resources to do this.”
Anniversaries, whether the 20th or the 40th, offer an opportunity to reflect on the past, take stock of the present, and look toward the future. In 2006, much like today, Open Arms was laying the groundwork for the organization we know today through new programs, initiatives, and strategies. Forty years later, as its mission and vision continue to evolve alongside the organization’s growth and the changing needs of the community, Open Arms remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation, growth, and never settling for the status quo.
