Dates

November 2022 - June 2023

SERVICES

Public Relations, Marketing, Creative Services, Event Planning

Established Nonprofit Doubles Down on Delivering Meals to the Chronically Ill


Open Arms of Minnesota has cooked medically-tailored meals and delivered them to Minnesotans living with chronic illness since 1986. In January 2023, the organization launched a new Saint Paul Kitchen and Campus, which nearly doubled the weekly number of meals it provides statewide from 16,000 to 30,000. This volunteer-driven organization needed to get the word out in various ways to engage the community, build new relationships, and dramatically increase the number of volunteers to continue to grow and thrive with this exciting new addition.

provided create and tangible solutions to engage the community

Field Guide provided creative services, guidance, event planning grassroots outreach, and media strategy on events highlighting the organization's new kitchen and campus. We began by envisioning a unique take on a launch party, turning it into a fun “bread cutting” (rather than ribbon cutting) ceremony, helping curate an invite list, and began media outreach. We then took the creative lead on plans for hosting a community-focused, interactive Open House with a kitchen and campus “passport” and snacks along the way. We also provided creative and tangible solutions for connecting to St. Paul individuals and organizations with a goal of engaging the community, like having OAM team members dress up as vegetables in Saint Paul’s Winter Carnival parade. We worked collaboratively with Open Arms’ internal volunteer recruitment team to ideate and implement strategies to increase volunteer recruitment through grassroots relationship building, digital marketing, and targeted outreach to past individual and corporate volunteers while creating a holistic plan to attract new ones.


The Outcome

trusting us to tell their story

Our customized media pitching secured coverage from multiple local news organizations. Our strategic outreach ensured that elected officials and community stakeholders were present and involved in the Saint Paul Kitchen and Campus opening. Hundreds attended the Open House, and many attendees signed up to volunteer. We are grateful to have collaborative partners who are open to creative approaches and trust us to help tell their story. In this case, we have a wonderful working partnership with an organization that values food's important role in the lives of those with chronic illnesses. By providing healthful meals to the community members they serve (and their caregivers and families), Open Arms offers their clients the gift of nutrition and time together.
We couldn't have done any of this without you and your amazing team!
Lisa Lane, Director of Public Policy