Extending the Spirit of Care Beyond City Limits: Medicine Lake Cares! Virtual Fundraiser

Medicine Lake is a small but remarkably connected community of just 337 residents in the western suburbs of the Twin Cities. Despite its size, the city is powered by an impressive volunteer spirit and a lot of heart. Read about how residents in this tight-knit community care for their neighbors through giving to Second Harvest Heartland virtual fundraisers in this interview with community organizer Paul Samson.

Interview has been edited for length.

Tell me a little about your community club.

Our Medicine Lake Community Club is an active city-wide community club that brings people together throughout the year. Between those organized events and the many spontaneous neighborhood gatherings, residents truly get to know one another. That closeness shows up in the way we support each other, pitch in when needed, and celebrate our shared sense of place. Medicine Lake takes great pride in its strong community identity and the way neighbors consistently step up for one another.

How many years have you been raising money for Second Harvest Heartland with a virtual fundraiser?

Medicine Lake began fundraising for Second Harvest Heartland in 2020, launching two virtual fundraisers that first year. With our 2025 campaign now complete, we’ve successfully carried out seven fundraisers. Over time, it has become a tradition residents look forward to. People now recognize it as an annual event and even plan ahead for how they want to participate.

Where did the idea to support hunger relief come from?

The idea grew organically from conversations among neighbors during the very early days of COVID-19, when Minnesota’s Stay at Home and Shelter in Place orders had just gone into effect. Restaurants and businesses were shutting down, daily routines were disrupted, and uncertainty was everywhere. In the middle of all that isolation, there was a shared feeling among residents that we needed to do something meaningful to help others who were struggling even more. Supporting hunger relief felt like a direct, impactful way for our small community to make a difference.

What is the response from your community?

The response has always been overwhelmingly positive. Residents feel a mix of pride, gratitude, and even a bit of awe at what such a small community can accomplish together.

Each year, we set a community fundraising goal, and people take real pride in meeting it. Some years we’ve needed a late push to get over the finish line, but generous neighbors always step up. Now that the fundraiser has become an annual tradition, residents anticipate it, talk about it, and come ready to contribute. There’s a strong sense of shared ownership in the impact we’re able to make.

Are there any activities that you do as part of the fundraiser?

In the first couple of years, we paired the virtual fundraiser with a food drive. Over time, we shifted to raising money exclusively online.

Through 2023, Medicine Lake Cares! consistently raised around $18,000 annually. Then in 2024, we introduced a new community challenge called “Match the Match,” where several residents offered to match the total amount raised by the community.

The impact was immediate:

• 2024: Community raised $30,650
• 2025: Community raised $38,720

Both years, those totals were then matched again by anonymous corporate donors, doubling the impact.

Do you have a running total of how much money you’ve raised over the years you’ve been doing this virtual fundraiser?

Yes, since launching Medicine Lake Cares! in 2020, our community has raised a total of $140,815. Every dollar of that has been matched by generous anonymous corporate donors, doubling the impact and allowing our small community to make an even greater difference.

Why does food security matter to your community?

Food security matters deeply to our community because we believe everyone deserves reliable access to nutritious food. As a small community that looks out for one another, we understand the importance of stepping up when people are struggling. Supporting hunger relief allows us to extend that same spirit of care beyond our city limits. It’s a way for Medicine Lake to make a meaningful, tangible difference for neighbors across the region who need it most.