Posts by DylanBoyer

Dining Out For Life restaurant partners have a history of giving back to our Twin Cities Community. Supporting neighbors, charities, staff, and mutual aid that makes Minnesota Strong. Minnesota’s local restaurants are facing unprecedented hardship due to the heightened federal immigration enforcement across the state. Fear and uncertainty have kept diners at home, and many…

At Aliveness, our community is built on connection. People finding each other, supporting each other, and walking through life together. This month, we honor Sherry, and remember Cindy.  Sherry met Cindy five years ago, in a support group for women living with HIV. At the time, Sherry was new to Minnesota and navigating stigma and…

Galen’s 18 Years of Volunteerism and Hunger Relief If you’ve ever visited Aliveness Project on a Wednesday, chances are you’ve met Galen, our food shelf volunteer. “I started in November of 2007,” he says, smiling. “I saw a flyer for the Holiday Basket Program and called on Monday. They told me to come in Wednesday…

15 Years of Care, Humor, and Sometimes Wigs When you walk into Aliveness Project on a busy afternoon, you can usually find Tom Bichanga somewhere in the kitchen serving members, joking with staff, or sitting in the dining room to make sure everyone feels at home. You may even catch him borrowing a wig from…

When Daniel Holt first connected with Aliveness, it was 2012 and he had signed up to volunteer for Dining Out for Life. What he found wasn’t just a fundraiser, it was community. “I had so much fun volunteering for DOFL,” Daniel says. “It’s like high school but without the bullies. Everyone feels safe, everyone can…

When David first walked through the doors of Aliveness Project in February of 2000, he was scared. He had just been diagnosed with HIV at 21, navigating life as a young man living with trauma, addiction, and fear. “It went from fear and terror,” he says, “to pride, activism, and acceptance.” Now 25 years later,…