Accomplish With Kylie: Open Arms Of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – With the help of 2,200 volunteers, Open Arms of Minnesota makes and delivers free meals to people fighting life-threatening illnesses in the Twin Cities.

You can't go wrong with any volunteer assignment.

WCCO's Kylie Bearse loved working in the kitchen at Open Arms of Minnesota.

She met incredible people who had been volunteering there for years. Some of her favorite were the couples who volunteer together every week!

While volunteering, they turned an assembly line into a little friendly competition and time flew by.

But perhaps the best part is seeing the stacks of meals the volunteers had just put together because you could see how much work was being done. And that feels great!

It should also be mentioned, the food is incredible.

They have chefs who design healthy, gourmet-style meals that accommodate everyone's dietary needs. They keep a couple extra cookies around for the volunteers and they might as well have come from one of the top bakeries around town.

Kylie also went on a delivery with Open Arms, an experience she'll never forget.

She said the person her group was with was so incredibly grateful and had truly come to rely on those meals every week. Hearing him explain the impact that Open Arms made on his life is something that left a lasting impression.

He was a person who had done everything right – planned ahead, saved money – and had never imagined he'd end up food insecure. But he said Open Arms has saved him from deciding whether he'll pay for medicine or meals that week.

That's a decision no one should ever has to make.

For those interested in helping, Open Arms of Minnesota has individual and group volunteer opportunities in the kitchen, delivering meals, at the farm or at their office.

Shifts are available every day of the week and are two hours long. Volunteers must be at least 18-years-old or 16-years-old with an adult.