For many people, charitable giving is very important but raises a question: What can I do to have a positive impact? When Megan and Dennis Doyle started Hope for the City in 2000 they sought to create a positive impact on a global scale with the things we already had a surplus of in Minnesota.

Hope for the City, now called Matter, focuses on the same mission and touches both local and global communities by passing on the things we can find in abundance in our local economy: food and medical supplies. Being part of the “breadbasket of America,” and also the center of cutting edge medicine, Minnesota has an incredible amount of food and top-notch medical care available. But, as with any surplus, it sometimes leads to waste. That’s where the Doyle’s saw their opportunity to make a difference.

On a local scale, Matter seeks to not only provide food to people in need in our local communities, but to make sure the food they have access to is healthy. Many times the small amount of food that some families can afford is quick, empty calorie food, which leads to bad health and increased levels of diabetes. Through the abundance we see in our local markets, Matter can address the scarcity of healthy options and not only make sure families have food and supplies, but to make sure everything those families are getting is of a healthier quality.

On the global scale, Matter uses our fantastic medical industry to pass on medical devices and surplus medical supplies to governments, NGO’s and charity organizations. Rather than trying to both source and distribute this equipment, Matter focuses on getting the best possible equipment to carefully vetted partner agencies working in developing countries and lets those agencies, who have intimate knowledge of what is needed and where, distribute the equipment to where it needs to be.

Matter doesn’t just distribute food and medical equipment either. Matter seeks to make sure families both locally and globally can have access to a full and healthy life and are able to educate and feed their children. This impact all started with things the Doyle’s found they had in their own two hands. This is a principle Matter passes on through their work every day. If you aren’t sure where to start when giving back, look to the talents and assets you already have; they are more useful than you may know.