In a year when rising need and strained systems left many neighbors facing new barriers to consistent food access, community leaders across the Twin Cities showed how collaboration and coordination can make a real difference.

Food Connect Twin Cities launched in early 2025 in response to this growing need, joining long-standing local efforts to strengthen food access in ways that center respect, reliability, and cultural relevance.

As we close out our first year in the region, we are grateful for the partnerships that welcomed us into their work and helped demonstrate what coordinated logistics can make possible. Thank you for following and supporting Food Connect Twin Cities!

The Founding of Food Connect Twin Cities

Across the Twin Cities, organizations have been working for decades to strengthen nutrition access, support community wellness and reduce barriers rooted in inequity. Earlier this year, community leaders shared that while they have nutritious food available and community-centered programs ready to distribute it, limited transportation capacity means too much food is at risk of not reaching the families who need it most.

Food Connect Twin Cities was invited into these conversations and asked to help fill a clear gap. Our role was simple but essential: provide dependable, high-quality last-mile delivery so partners can focus on delivering healthcare, cultural programming, youth support and reliable access to fresh food.

This shared commitment laid the foundation for two powerful partnerships in our first year. We’re grateful to be celebrating the impact made in 2025 and look forward to what’s ahead.

Culturally Centered Food Access for Native American Elders

The Department of Indian Work (DIW) provides culturally grounded support for American Indian families across the Twin Cities, offering expanded food shelf services, nutrition education, youth enrichment and economic mobility programs.

In 2025, Food Connect partnered with DIW to deliver nearly 21,500 pounds of food, primarily reaching elders throughout the community. This was the equivalent of providing about 18,000 meals, delivered with consistency, care, and cultural respect. These weekly deliveries helped elders maintain reliable access to healthy foods within a program built by and for Native families.

Since partnering with Food Connect Twin Cities, the difference has been remarkable. Our elders have shared how much more confident they feel knowing that their food will arrive on time and intact. It is more than just a delivery; it is a demonstration of respect and reliability that our community truly values.” -Theresa Halvorson-Lee, Director, Department of Indian Work

Delivering Physician-Prescribed Food Boxes to Patients

Fairview Health Services, one of Minnesota’s largest nonprofit health systems, has long focused on addressing social determinants of health, including food access. Through a partnership with The Sanneh Foundation, Fairview launched a physician-prescribed food box program to help patients managing chronic health conditions bring home the fresh, nourishing foods recommended in their care plans.

Food Connect Twin Cities supported this effort by providing the reliable transportation logistics needed to deliver 400 boxes of fresh food directly to patients’ homes. In total, more than 117,000 pounds of food, the equivalent of 97,000 meals, was distributed through this program. This collaboration helps patients and families across the region manage their health with nutritious food delivered straight to their homes.

Overall, 2025 was a foundational year for Food Connect Twin Cities. By partnering with organizations rooted in community care, we delivered over 140,000 pounds of fresh food and gained deeper insight into the gaps and opportunities across the region. These early collaborations are helping shape a long-term approach to strengthening food access in the Twin Cities.

Looking Ahead and Staying Connected

Together with partners and community members across the region, Food Connect Twin Cities will continue building a food system that is more reliable, more compassionate and more accessible in the year ahead.

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Thank you for being part of the Food Connect Twin Cities community. Your support will help us build a future where every meal nourishes not just a person, but a sustainable food system.