Feeding Hope: How YouthLink Fights Food Insecurity

This month, we’re excited to do something a little different on the YouthLink blog. For the first time, we’re featuring a guest writer from our own team — Chef Michael, the Food Services Manager who leads YouthLink’s kitchen and food program. Every day, Chef Mike sees firsthand how access to nutritious meals can change a young person’s outlook and sense of stability. In his post, “Feeding Hope: How YouthLink Fights Food Insecurity,” he shares his perspective on the growing challenge of hunger in our community and how YouthLink is working to ensure no young person faces it alone. 

“Feeding Hope: How YouthLink Fights Food Insecurity”

By Michael Weiler

The first time a young person tells you they have not eaten in days; it stays with you. The second time, it hits harder. By the tenth, you stop counting and start asking why this keeps happening. At YouthLink, hunger is not a statistic — it is something we face together with the youth who come through our doors every day. 

Hunger is rising, and resources are harder to find. In 2024, Minnesotans made nearly nine million visits to food shelves — the highest number ever recorded (Hunger Solutions, 2024). One in five households experiences food insecurity, and one in four families with children reports struggling to afford consistent meals (Second Harvest Heartland, 2024). 

Food insecurity is more than hunger — it is the uncertainty of not knowing where your next meal will come from. In Hennepin County, that uncertainty is especially high among Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities. That is where YouthLink becomes a lifeline. Many of the 16- to 24-year-olds we serve face the same reality, often balancing their need to eat with the instability of housing. At YouthLink, we act as a first step toward stability, safety, and connection. 

Our kitchen serves hundreds of meals every day, and no one is ever turned away. If youth are still hungry, we are there for seconds, thirds, and even fourths. The kitchen is the heart of YouthLink — a place of consistency, care, and nourishment. Without partners like Levy Group, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Target, Second Harvest Heartland, and The Food Group, none of this would be possible. Still, the gap between the need and the resources continues to grow. That is why we stay focused on serving food that matters — both in what we offer and how we offer it. The kitchen is only one part of how YouthLink fights hunger and food insecurity. 

Beyond the kitchen, we reach youth wherever they are. When they cannot make it to YouthLink, we bring food to them. When they do not have time to sit for a meal, they can grab what they need from our food pantry to take wherever they might be staying. The pantry is stocked with meat, dairy, canned goods, and dry staples — all free and without judgment. Thousands of pounds of food move through those shelves each month, feeding hundreds of young people who rely on it. We also deliver hundreds of weekly meals across Minneapolis through our partnership with the Minnesota Vikings. Every meal, whether served inside our walls or out in the community, reminds youth: you matter. 

As the holidays approach, we are reminded how powerful something as simple as a hot meal can be. Food at YouthLink brings people together — it is about community, connection, and hope. We want to thank all those who have supported us and invite more of you to get involved. We need your help now more than ever. If you believe in what we do and want to help us continue feeding hope, please consider becoming a partner or donating to YouthLink’s food program. Every donation, no matter how big or small, helps ensure that youth are seen, supported, and all in this fight together.  Thank you! 

Visit YouthLink’s website to donate directly to our food program and help ensure no young person goes hungry.