His Hands, Our Feet: The Story of How Minnesota Good Works Began

In September of 2019, Donna witnessed something that had a lasting impact on her.  She watched as a young man in his early twenties being taken away by ambulance—shaken, unable to speak his own name in English, and clearly in distress. In the days that followed, she realized something she had never fully seen before: exploitation and violence were not distant problems happening somewhere else. They were happening right in her own Minnesota neighborhood.

That morning planted a seed she couldn’t ignore, but she had no idea just how deeply it would grow.

Nearly a year and a half later, in February 2021, Donna suffered a traumatic fall that left her with a mild traumatic brain injury. The next month was spent in a dark, silent room, unable to handle light or noise. Yet God often speaks most clearly in the still places. Throughout those long, quiet weeks, one phrase echoed over and over in her spirit: “His Hands, Our Feet.”

As she prayed and wrestled with what the phrase meant, God began to show her a visual—a clear mission made up of five pillars of service. The very first pillar He highlighted was the one she had encountered on her doorstep back in 2019: supporting those touched by exploitation and sex trafficking. Slowly, a picture began to form of what God was calling her to build.

While she kept praying for clarity, another moment of revelation came through Scripture. Titus 3:14 stood out: “And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” This verse brought everything into focus. It was a blueprint for a ministry that would mobilize everyday believers to meet urgent needs in their communities. It was also the inspiration behind the name Minnesota Good Works.

On April 29, 2021, MGW officially became incorporated, but in truth the mission had been forming long before the paperwork was filed. It was birthed through prayer, pain, revelation, and a deep conviction that the Church—the ekklesia, the “called-out ones”—was meant to be the hands and feet of Jesus in practical, relational, transformative ways.

From the beginning, the mission was never about building programs; it was about building people. MGW’s calling took shape around three movements: Engage, Cultivate, and Restore. Engage meant stepping into real service gaps and meeting urgent needs. Cultivate meant building relationships—slowly, intentionally, with trust at the center. Restore meant walking with individuals long-term toward whole-person healing and a flourishing life. These weren’t buzzwords. They were the structure God had given Donna during the darkest season of her life, and they became the backbone of everything MGW would do.

To make this vision actionable, MGW created what is now known as the Personal Growth Track, a holistic, faith-filled tool that helps individuals heal across every part of life—mental health, emotional health, physical health, all-encompassing wellbeing, nutrition, rest, addiction, medical care. Each area is explored through self-reflection, honest ratings, goal setting, step-by-step plans, and supportive accountability from mentors, sponsors, or friends. Spiritual practices weave through the entire process: morning devotionals, learning one’s identity in Scripture, turning to the Word in moments of anxiety or sleeplessness. It is not a clinical checklist. It is a discipleship pathway for real transformation.

MGW also made a defining decision early on: they would not rely on government funding. They would stay free to be Jesus-centered, relationally flexible, and responsive to real needs without bureaucratic restrictions. Instead, they would trust God to sustain the mission through donors, grants, corporate partners, and retail initiatives like MGW Outlet and the flooring program. This model has allowed MGW to move quickly when needs arise and to maintain a deeply faith-rooted identity.

As MGW grew, God began to expand its reach. One of the most beautiful developments was the addition of Community Table, a Minnesota nonprofit known for its monthly meals that “feed the hungry physically and relationally.” It was a perfect match. Community Table’s heart—to gather neighbors around food, friendship, and neighborly love—fit seamlessly into MGW’s Engage pillar. Under the MGW umbrella, these meals now serve as a front door into deeper relationships, a safe place for vulnerable neighbors to be seen, and an opportunity for the community and church partners to serve together. It’s where many first encounter the hope that MGW carries.

Today, Minnesota Good Works stands as a movement built on Jesus, shaped by prayer, strengthened through Scripture, and fueled by a commitment to meet urgent needs with love and intentionality. Its core values—being Jesus centric, supportive, trustworthy, intentional, and transformational—are not ideals written on a wall. They are the lived culture of the organization.

What began with a bloody doorstep and a confused young man has become a statewide mission of hope, healing, and restoration. It has grown into a holistic pathway that helps individuals move from crisis to stability to flourishing. It has united volunteers, churches, community partners, and donors around one simple and powerful call: to be His hands and our feet in Minnesota.

And this is only the beginning.