WOODBURY, Minn. — A Twin Cities nonprofit can’t fire up its grill and serve 8,000 meals to unsheltered people around the metro this week because it says the grill has been stolen.
The nonprofit Involve MN believes a thief took its large cooking grill overnight on April 4. The equipment is valued at $15,000, according to the GoFundMe page raising money to replace the cooktop.
“There’s not another piece of equipment out there like this particular grill,” said Involve MN Executive Director Melanie Snyder. “We serve just 8,000 meals out of our kitchen weekly. Rain, snow or shine, we’re out there making sure people are fed. We are now able to only feed about a quarter of the people we did.”
Involve MN was given nonprofit status in 2019. Its Woodbury-based chefs have traveled around the metro to feed unsheltered residents using the flat-top grill.
“We’re stuck renting equipment right now or asking other groups if there’s something we can borrow so we can continue these important community events,” said Snyder.
Fundraising for a new grill has been a tall order for Involve MN because Snyder says the nonprofit doesn’t get many grants and the allegedly stolen grill was donated to them. The non-profit has raised just over $2,000 as of Thursday evening–well shy of its $15,000 goal.
Snyder believes the grill is important not only for its role in fulfilling Involve MN’s community action goals or even its monetary value.
“It does bridge our unsheltered community with other community members. It’s a pretty amazing sight to see: people in business suits and unsheltered people standing in line all to get food.”
Involve MN understands raising money to replace the grill is a tall order. Snyder remains hopeful her group can meet its goal or that a donor is kind enough to offer their grill to Involve MN.
She’d even accept the original being returned.
“There wouldn’t be any questions asked,” Snyder said of any apparent thief bringing the grill back. “It is such an impact on the community and it's meant to serve this community. We would move forward with that. This grill is a cornerstone of our community and means so much to people who we go out and serve in encampments. We want to continue bridging our communities together.”
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