Collage of people volunteering at a community event, packing and organizing supplies, smiling, and socializing indoors and outdoors in an urban setting.

Unity Meals & The Human Collective

A diverse group of people standing outside a red brick building with a sign reading 'Portage Service' above the window, participating in a communal activity with their hands stacked together.

Unity Meals & The Human Collective

Every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Unity Meals brings together approximately 150 neighbors (often ranging from 100–400) around a shared meal, practical support, and genuine community. Beyond a hot meal, guests have access to clothing, hygiene supplies, overdose prevention resources, and other services.

Two women serving food at a community event, with trays of green beans and rice on the table. One woman, in a beanie hat and glasses, smiling and holding tongs, while the other woman, in a green beanie, is focused on packaging food.

Something extraordinary happens as people serve together. Volunteers don't just build friendships with our vulnerable neighbors, they build relationships with one another. Christian and Muslim volunteers serve side by side. People in recovery become mentors themselves. Barriers begin to fall as people discover common ground across different backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences.
In a deeply divided world, The Human Collective is helping restore the relational fabric of our community. The meal is simply the invitation. Building relationships that transform lives is the mission. One meal, one conversation, and one relationship at a time, Unity Meals and The Human Collective are reminding people of their inherent dignity while strengthening the communities we all share.

Have you ever walked alongside someone who is unhoused, living with mental illness, struggling with addiction, or caught in prostitution? If so, you've likely noticed a common thread. One of the deepest wounds beneath these challenges is the breakdown of healthy relationships. While food, clothing, and other resources are essential, lasting transformation happens when people experience authentic friendship.
Unity Meals is a weekly community gathering in South Minneapolis built on a simple belief: lasting transformation happens through healthy relationships.

Group photo of diverse people indoors, smiling, with some wearing casual clothing and others in uniforms, in a room with potted plants and a brown partition.

We believe relationships begin by meeting people where they are. That's why we use a "GO-to and INVITE-to" approach. We bring meals directly to neighbors on the streets, in alleys, and in encampments while also inviting them to The Colportage (2101 Chicago Ave.), where they can share a meal, access additional resources, and become part of a growing community.
Good in the 'Hood coordinates Unity Meals, while The Human Collective is the growing network of partners and volunteers that makes it possible. If lasting transformation happens through healthy relationships, then no single organization can do this work alone. Rebuilding the fabric of a community requires a community.
The Human Collective is not simply a network of organizations, but a growing network of relationships. Faith communities, nonprofits, recovery communities, outreach teams, businesses, volunteers, and neighbors each bring what they have to offer, united by a common conviction that relationships change lives. Together, we are creating something no single organization could accomplish on its own.

A group of five diverse people taking a selfie on a city sidewalk, with colorful murals on a building behind them and parked cars on the street.

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