Why do we need a new name?

When we were first created in 1983, the name Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf (CCEFS) was a perfect fit. We started as an emergency food cupboard in the basement of Woodbury Lutheran Church, serving about five families a week at a time when Woodbury’s population was around 6,000 people.

Nearly 40 years later, we have grown to meet the needs of an ever expanding and diverse community. We’ve focused our efforts on providing fresh and healthy food and on making the food available to anyone who needs it. While our programs have always been open to people of all faiths, we’ve consistently heard from community members, donors, and partners that there are some who need our help but fear they won’t be welcome.

Our mission is to feed our community in a respectful manner. To fully embody our mission, it’s imperative that every customer feels welcome and that our organization is one that any charitable donor can support.

Two years ago, we started the renaming process with a survey to learn what was most meaningful to our volunteers. Resoundingly, we heard that the word “Cupboard” resonated with volunteers. We’re happy to announce that after many thoughtful hours of exploration and work with a dedicated committee and our board, we’ve arrived at a solution that honors and builds upon our history, as well as our tradition of selfless service to people of all faiths.

We are Open Cupboard

Why Open Cupboard?

Over the years, what we do and how we do it has evolved. The faith filled spirit behind it remains true as ever. The name “Open Cupboard” and tagline “Feeding our Community” better reflect our open invitation to everyone who needs the abundance of fresh, healthy food we provide. The new logo and font align it strategically with Today’s Harvest, creating a recognizable and memorable family of programs. This will help our community better find us and understand what we offer.

As we approach our 40th anniversary next year, we feel it is a perfect time to both honor our legacy and pave the way to the future. We hope you are as excited as we are about this new chapter! We believe this new name and logo will prepare us to nourish our community for decades to come.