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After Delivering 4 Million Meals, Open Arms Minnesota Isn't Slowing Down

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- On Wednesday, Open Arms Minnesota celebrated the delivery of their four-millionth meal.

Open Arms has been delivering meals for free to people suffering from life-threatening illnesses in the Twin Cities for 29 years.

Christopher Morris has been receiving the meals for about two.

"I started two years ago when I had to go on disability," Morris said. "It's really been a godsend for me. You've done your best your whole life to work and put yourself in a place where you think you'll be OK if something happens. And it didn't work out that way."

The deliveries provide reliable and nutritious meals each week. One of Morris' favorites is roasted sweet potato with goat cheese and pecans.

"Food is love and that's one of the things that we found out," said Leah Hebert, the executive director of Open Arms Minnesota. "And that's one of my favorite parts is that we get to deliver love to people in their home."

Open Arms runs completely on donations, grants and 2,200 volunteers who have spent nearly 500,000 hours volunteering.

"You really feel good because you're helping so many people who may not be able to get a nutritious meal," said Barbara Kelly, who's volunteered for five years with Open Arms.

It took Open Arms 20 years to deliver their first million meals, and only the last nine years to add another three million.

"We're onto four million, so we're making a huge impact," Hebert said.

Open Arms has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

"We're seeing a rise in the people with cancer that we're serving," Hebert said. "And we can see that we're making a big impact."

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