In recognition of Ramadan April 24 - May 24, 2020, our friends in the Children's Minnesota Muslim Employee Resource Group, in partnership with the Children's Minnesota Foundation, are hosting a ‘donate your lunch’ fundraiser in the last 10 days of this holy month to raise support for MATTERboxes. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Children's Minnesota employees, this campaign raised over $3,200 in 2019 to support those who need us most.

How to pledge a lunch

Starting on Wednesday, May 13 and leading up to Eid al-Fitr on Sunday, May 24, donate $5 for a lunch or give the gift of multiple lunches to a Children's Minnesota family who is food insecure. All families who find themselves at our hospitals and are in need of nutritional support are eligible to receive MATTERboxes. Your support matters, now more than ever.

Your donation makes a difference

Located in the Family Resource Centers at Children’s Minnesota Minneapolis and St. Paul hospitals, Children’s Food Pantry program supports the nutritional needs of all families who find themselves at our hospitals. Families are able to have microwaveable or just-add-hot-water entrées and snacks at no cost, while staying near their child. Families referred to the Food Pantry by care providers as “food insecure” also receive take-home groceries in the form of MATTERboxes which include healthy meal ingredients, nutritious snacks, shopping lists and recipes.

Last year, Children’s Minnesota Food Pantries provided 1,077 meals and distributed 459 take-home MATTERboxes across both hospital campuses.

Providing exceptional care to children and families means Children’s Minnesota supports patients and their families in many ways, including the Food Pantry. Now more than ever, food continues to be the number one social need identified by Children's Minensota families who use our resources. In 2019, 49% of families served by our Community Connect program identified food access as the greatest need for their family.

The Food Pantry program at Children’s Minnesota is made possible by generous philanthropic support of the community; it is not a reimbursed service and never appears on a patient’s bill.

About Ramadan

Muslims believe that experiencing hunger and thirst on a temporary basis allows them to put themselves in the shoes of the less fortunate. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast by refraining from food and drink from dawn to sunset. In Ramadan, Muslims strive to maintain a hightened level of self-control through acts such as avoiding disagreements, anger and greed. Abstaining from these acts is a test of willpower, patience, and resilience. Through fasting and increased acts of worship, Ramadan is a time for purification.