Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Mathias.
Hi Jessica , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My nearly 20-year career in the non-profit sector was actually quite unintentional. I earned a bachelors degree in international relations with big dreams of moving to New York and working for the United Nations. A college trip to the city during Model UN taught me something important; the ‘Big Apple’ was not for me. I need green space and a quieter rhythm – I am a Midwest gal through and through.
An internship at the Basilica of St. Mary changed everything. I helped with the Basilica Block Party and its fundraising efforts, and I found myself surrounded by people who loved their work and understood the real impact those funds could have. My first mentor and the other women on the team modeled a kind of purpose-driven leadership that resonated with me. For the first time I began to look beyond my own ambitions and lean into serving others.
From there I stayed in fundraising and development, drawn to organizations that serve people on the margins — those society often overlooks. I’ve worked with groups supporting people with brain injuries, communities affected by natural disasters, and, for the past nine years, Minnesotans facing food and housing insecurity through the Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless Foundation. Each role taught me new ways to listen, to build relationships, and to translate compassion into sustainable support.
Looking back, my path wasn’t planned, but it feels right. I followed opportunities that aligned with my values, learned from mentors and colleagues, and let the people I serve shape my priorities.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t call it a smooth road necessarily. I think in any person’s career, especially over the span of 15-20 years there are going to be struggles, but I also believe those struggles are what help us grow.
A struggle I soon recognized at the beginning of my career was balancing home and work life. As a young woman I always imagined a successful career; being a wife and mother never really crossed my mind. After my first son was born, I stayed focused on professional growth. By the time he was four I was expecting my second son, working full time, and completing a master’s degree in organizational leadership at St. Kate’s. Now he’s 15 and it feels like the years flew by. Looking back, I wish I’d been more present in those everyday moments. A close colleague’s loss of a child put everything into sharp perspective for me. Since then, I’ve made a conscious effort to slow down, be mindful, and show up fully in my personal life above all else.
Another struggle has been feeling worthy in rooms full of brilliant leaders. I’m somewhere between an extrovert and an introvert; it depends on the setting. I’m drawn to underdogs, artists, and people who’ve been knocked down—that’s where I feel most at home. I do my best work by listening, reflecting, and then acting. I’ve long admired leaders who can command a room; sometimes I’m that person, and sometimes I’m not. The challenge has been accepting that inconsistency without equating it to failure. When I first became executive director at Open Your Heart to the Hungry, a friend joked, “Are you going to start wearing pant suits now?” That comment captured the pressure to fit a mold while trying not to lose my authentic self.
Lastly, I’d be remiss not to mention just the overall struggle that non-profits, including my own, continue to face. In Minnesota, nonprofits are fighting to remain valued while the people they serve are increasingly dehumanized and the donors they depend on are carrying heavier personal and financial burdens. It can be defeating to pour your heart into work you believe in and still struggle to secure the resources to keep it going.
Despite these challenges, I’m intentional about growth. I’m learning to be present, to honor my style of leadership, and to keep fighting for the work that matters.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Minnesota’s hunger and homelessness landscape remains urgent and complex. Families, youth, and individuals throughout the state rely on food shelves, shelters, and outreach programs every day. Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless supports organizations in every corner of the state, from large metro programs to small community-led efforts in Greater Minnesota.
Community Impact Program
Through our Community Impact Program, Open Your Heart enhances facilities, ensuring safe and dignified environments for dozens of homeless shelters, supportive living centers, outreach service providers, feeding programs, and food shelves across Minnesota. We provide funding toward:
• Rental assistance
• Transportation to health and educational services
• Infrastructure improvements to increase capacity and service quality
• Security systems to ensure safety
• Roof repairs and other vital projects
By focusing on tangible needs and facility improvements, we ensure safe and dignified environments for families, youth, and adults experiencing food and housing insecurity. From this foundation of safety and support, agencies can stabilize individuals experiencing homelessness and focus on critical next steps.
Support for Children and Youth
Open Your Heart also supports children and youth experiencing homelessness by ensuring they can fully participate in school and have the same necessities as other students. We provide funding for:
• School supplies
• Toiletries and personal hygiene products
• Clothing and footwear
• Transportation to and from school
• GED expenses
Summer Challenge
The Open Your Heart Summer Challenge aims to boost Minnesota food shelves when they need it most. During the summer months, food shelf donations typically drop. For thousands of Minnesota families relying on free breakfast and lunch programs during the school year, summer poses significant challenges in securing food. Our Summer Challenge enables Minnesota food shelves to restock and distribute fresh and frozen foods during this critical time by offering a matching grant incentive.
Responding to Emerging Needs and At Risk Partners
Open Your Heart monitors trends affecting people experiencing hunger and homelessness and responds quickly with targeted projects and emergency support when agencies face crises. In early February of 2026, OYH launched the Emergency Rent Relief Fund (ERRF) to provide rapid rental assistance to Minnesota households who lost income due to immigration enforcement, paying landlords directly to preserve housing. With global support, we’ve helped 249 households (888 people) stay housed.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people are surprised to learn that the Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless Foundation is run by a staff of just two. Our size allows us to easily resonate with our grant partners as time and again the community-led organizations we support do extraordinary work with very little. With the support of an amazing board of directors, our responsiveness and statewide relationships allow us to direct support where the need is greatest and to move funding quickly when emergencies arise. Over our 40-year history we’ve supported nearly every emergency shelter and food shelf in Minnesota at one time or another, and that reach often surprises people who assume impact requires a large team.
What makes us different is how we show up: responsive, relational, and humble. We don’t treat grants as transactions; we listen to service providers, fund what they say they need, and follow up consistently. Beyond dollars, we amplify their stories and connect them to other resources and networks so that small, boots on the ground organizations without professional fundraisers can keep doing what they do best.
At a time when many larger foundations aren’t accepting unsolicited requests, we keep our door open. Learning about the work happening across Minnesota and sharing it with others is a privilege — and it’s what makes the Open Your Heart team proud to do this work every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://oyh.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openyourheartmn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/openyourheartmn
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-your-heart-to-the-hungry-and-homeless/about/
