First Nations Kitchen

By Indigenous People for Indigenous People

First Nations crew
Man woman volunteering

Overview - St. Mark's Involvement

First Nations Kitchen is an outreach program of All Saints Indian Mission which hosts a Produce and To-Go Meal Giveaway every Sunday of the year from 4-5pm. In 2026, St. Mark’s Cathedral has a scheduled opportunity to serve on these dates:

  • Sunday, April 19th
  • Sunday, June 21st
  • Sunday, November 15th
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Faith Community

The Faith community at All Saints Episcopal Mission gathers each Sunday at 11a.m. The liturgy is enculturated which means that the Episcopal Christian tradition and rituals are contextualized and incarnated through practices sacred within local Indigenous cultures. The community worships and prays while sitting in a circle, a form as sacred to All Saints as it has been throughout all of creation. Services are led by members and the Rev. Robert TwoBulls.  All Saints Episcopal Mission is located at 3044 Longfellow Ave. In addition to housing FNK, it is also an arts hub and live music venue.

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Guiding Principles

FNK is barrier free and is open to all people, in an environment of radical hospitality and cultural empowerment.  Each week, bags of organic fresh produce are distributed.  The diet of the Dakota people is the foundational for  the meals because FNK believes that food is medicine and wants to center the ancestral foods of the People indigenous to this Land. Since 2008, this ministry has hosted neighborhood folk, using the help of volunteers from congregations of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota and along with people from other faith traditions.  In addition, there are partnerships with secular organizations which help to provide volunteers.  The community of those who serve is always expanding.

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Woman and man volunteering

Meals

FNK initially hosted family style meals with a salad and entrée inside the building. The model for serving folk has changed, but each week cooks prepare meat and vegan entrees from scratch.  Bison stew, vegetable soup or turkey chili are a few examples.  All of the fresh produce and donated food items come to FNK through a variety of sources: Twin Cities Coop Partners Warehouse, local farms and gardens, and unsold items from area Farmers Markets which are collected and delivered.

Woman working

Shifts

Each Sunday there are 3 shifts:

  • Cooking 8:30-11:30a – 2-3 Volunteers needed.  There is always a Lead Cook from the FNK community who provides guidance. Both a vegan and meat dish are cooked up. Veggies are washed and chopped, ingredients are blended and stirred. Then there’s clean-up of pots, pans and utensils.
  • Preparation Shift 12:30-3p – 10 Volunteers are needed. The meat and vegan entrees are dished out into take-out containers.  Fresh produce donations are sorted, organized and then bagged up.  Tables for the produce and meals are set up in the basement. Clean up is done and all is made ready for  This shift is suitable for elementary-aged children to participate.
  • Give-Away 3:30-5:30p – 10 volunteers are needed. Guests are invited to enter the building’s entrance on 31st St. and go down the steps. Then they are led through the donation pick-up areas. There is also a beverage station. Guests exit the building at the doors facing Longfellow Ave.
Women volunteering
Bags of groceries

Involvement

FNK believes that there are countless opportunities to more deeply involve partners and guests beyond tasks associated with making a meal. For over 15 years, many new relationships have been built, fundraisers have occurred and ties have been strengthened with other Indigenous organizations. The leadership of FNK values the bringing together of an even more diverse collection of gifts and talents and sees this work as nothing less than transformational to all.

For questions about First Nation Kitchen contact Betsy Lee. 

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