TOWER – At a time when individuals and households throughout Minnesota are experiencing hardships in numbers never seen before, the Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless Foundation is working hard to ensure their funding reaches those in need in every corner of the state.
In their most recent spring funding cycle, Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has granted Tower Area Food Shelf $8,000 toward a new HVAC system in their recently purchased property which requires several updates to accommodate food operations.
Tower Area Food Shelf (TAFS) currently leases a small basement for its operations, which lacks basic amenities like a bathroom and running water. This space is insufficient to handle the high volume of traffic the food shelf receives. In August of 2023, TAFS acquired athe St. James Presbyterian Church building at a very reasonable price; however, the building required some renovations before it could be used for food shelf operations.
The food shelf has very limited monetary resources available for emergencies and does not have sufficient savings to cover the updates that needed to be completed. The property updates needed to be completed so operations can transition to the new building as soon as possible. 
Once operating in the new location, which they expect to move into by early summer, the food shelf will have capacity to expand services and increased hours of operation, allowing more individuals and families experiencing food insecurity to access emergency food services.
Further, in addition to managing food shelf operations, they intend to establish a thrift store in the basement of the new facility to assist in covering the utility expenses for the food shelf.
Since 1986, the Open Your Heart Foundation has ensured that emergency shelters, food shelves and domestic violence shelters throughout Minnesota have the tools, equipment, and infrastructure necessary to best serve those in need.
 Open Your Heart awards funds every three months and provides emergency support within days during a crisis. They support programs in communities where many traditional funders do not reach – food shelves, domestic violence shelters, and homeless programs in small communities and sparsely served remote corners of the state. Through this direct support, Open Your Heart helps these organizations provide safe and dignified environments for people experiencing food and housing insecurity across Minnesota.
For more information about Open Your Heart, grantees or the grant application process visit www.oyh.org. To learn more about Tower Area Food Shelf visit https://secondharvestnorthland.org/agencylocator/tower-food-shelf-aeoa.