A Minneapolis Christmas Tradition Serves the Homeless

Experiencing holiday joy can be challenging for those without a place to call home. However, a Christmas tradition from Minneapolis is spreading happiness by filling stomachs and spreading the love of Christmas. Our Kitchen is a popular restaurant in East Harriet and South Uptown, Minneapolis. Open since 1941, it’s known for its tasty meals and welcoming atmosphere. It’s a favorite spot for locals, serving home-cooked food for over 80 years.

Winter is a harsh season, particularly for the homeless. This year in Minnesota, approximately 8,400 people are without a home, with 3,300 of these based in Hennepin County alone. Around 60 of these individuals wake up each morning at the temporary Simpson House shelter, including on Christmas Day. But this holiday, their morning started off a bit differently.

The small East Harriet diner decided to exclusively serve shelter residents on Christmas morning. This charming act of kindness is carried out by the diner’s owner, Danny Ziegler, and his wife Oksana, who prepare and serve breakfast just as they do every other day.

A volunteer from Our Kitchen and Simpson House, Brian Bozeman, recalls how this tradition began. When Ziegler asked what the shelter residents usually had for breakfast, and discovered it was typically cereal, he extended an invitation for them to have breakfast at the diner instead. From there, the tradition has continued every Christmas for the past 11 years.

“We’re closed to the public and only feeding folks in Simpson shelter on Christmas morning.”

Brian Bozeman, Our Kitchen and Simpson House volunteer, via FOX 9

Ziegler and his team transform into holiday helpers, serving a delicious array of breakfast options, while volunteers ferry the shelter residents to the diner in a minivan — their own version of a magical sleigh.