Replace Stolen Grill Used for Feeding Homeless

Involve MN is a Minnesota based non-profit organization that engages community, business and government to help the unsheltered on the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul. We provide organized outreach, targeted resource allocation, and supportive mentoring to those in greatest need. We are here because everyone matters. We are on a mission to support and serve those struggling with food insecurity as a result of poverty and homelessness. Our current meal production exceeds 8000 meals weekly delivered by our professional outreach team, 3 times daily, 365 days per year. These meals go to those on the street, in encampments, at drop centers and shelters, and wherever those struggling with homelessness and hunger can be found.

On April 4th, in the early morning hours, someone stole our large, towed grill from our kitchen location. This was a significant injury to our ability to serve the metro area communities, as the

grill has seen more than 100 community events since 2020, and fed thousands of people. The grill was custom designed and built by Holstein manufacturing in Iowa, and had two cooking chambers fed by 4 40 gallon propane tanks. Each cooking chamber had a surface cooking area of 6 feet by 3 feet, and also it’s own rotisserie capable of roasting 24 chickens per side.

The grill was our first and only piece of commercial grilling equipment and was the cornerstone of our ability to cook street side for crowds numbering in the hundreds. The grill was a regular in North and South Minneapolis events, but also in St. Paul, Coon Rapids, Crystal and Bloomington.

The loss of the grill is a loss not only to Involve, but more so to our community and partners. We are looking ahead to a spring and summer calendar that is already filling up with invites for events and cookouts at shelters, camps, community centers and several large scale events. We are not sure how we will meet these requests now that our grill is gone. A replacement costs about $15,000 and we are urgently hoping to raise enough money to purchase another grill to continue our mission.

All donations are tax-deductible, will go directly to the organization and you will receive a receipt for your donation.