In recognition of Ramadan, our friends in the Children's Minnesota Muslim Employee Resource Group, in partnership with the Children's Minnesota Foundation, will be promoting a ‘donate your lunch’ fundraiser to raise support for MATTERboxes, through the Family Resource Center.

How to pledge a lunch

During Ramadan, happening May 6 - June 4, 2019, 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 donation makes a difference

Located in the Family Resource Centers at Children’s 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 Food Pantries provided 3,991 meals and distributed 544 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. An unexpected or long hospital stay can push a family to the economic brink. In 2017, nearly 46% of Children’s patients qualified for Medicaid. Used as a proxy for family income, this data indicates that almost half our patient families are in economic need.

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.

For Children's Minnesota employees: If you’d like to make a gift using PTO (must use a minimum of 4 hours of PTO) or enroll in recurring payroll deductions, please contact the Foundation directly at 952-992-5500 or email Bieta Azmoudeh at bieta.azmoudeh@childrensmn.org