hope

11You + open arms =innovationI have contributed to your outstanding organization in the past and willcontinue to do so. My sister was a client of yours. I’ve written before to tellyou of the nourishment she received, in every sense of the word. She wasa very good cook, but it became difficult for her. The family helped, butstill she wanted to stay in her little home as long as possible. The OpenArms meals allowed her more independence and an adventure in foods.Thank you again for all you do.— A DonorOUR DONORSOur community of donors has been anextraordinary catalyst for innovation andgrowth at Open Arms. From an organicturkey to the largest foundation grants andeverything in between, your contributionsensure that we not only continue to thrivein our daily operations, but also have thesupport to set the best of our bold newideas aloft.In 2011, there were many, many instancesof this kind of phenomenal partnership,and UPS is one of the standouts. Thecompany not only sent teams of cheerfulvolunteers to work with us in the kitchenand out on the road delivering meals,but also supported the growth of ourprograms. When we determined to pilot asatellite delivery initiative, UPS volunteersparticipated by taking blue bags out to ourfirst hub site in Woodbury — via a browntruck! Going a step further, the companysupported expansion of the initiative bypurchasing a refrigerated truck, which hasalso been used to deliver fresh vegetablesfrom Open Farms to our kitchen.In our international programs, we receiveda generous challenge grant from theFrey Foundation. With the support of ourdonors and friends, we met the challenge,which enabled us to partner with theSocial Justice Coalition to advocate forclean water in South African townships(see page 5) and expand our internationalprogram to serve a total of 206,231nutritious meals to people affected by HIV/AIDS.Last year, the estate of Hazel Perkinsalso made a lovely contribution to OpenArms. Hazel was passionate about goodfood and nutrition, and stipulated thatshe wanted to support our work bringingdelicious meals to people who are ill. Hertrustees thought she would have beendelighted to know that a healthy portion ofthe ingredients in those meals were grownin our very own garden, so they directedthe funds to Open Farms.At Moveable Feast, our largest fundraiserof the year, more than 400 guests jumped,jived and wailed the night away to arockabilly theme. It was number seven