On March 6th, the Huntington® Bank Rotunda at Mall of America® buzzed with excitement as more than a hundred enthusiastic participants gathered for MATTERbox Madness 2025, now in its 11th year. Sixteen teams from leading companies across Minnesota came together for a high-energy food-packing competition, all with the shared goal of assembling 10,000 snack packs for kids and families this summer. We’re so grateful for all the companies that participated!
This year’s championship trophy went to Scott Equipment Company. Sarah Lucas of Scott Equipment commented, “We are grateful for the opportunity to be part of this awesome event — so much energy, so much fun — and the great opportunity to help out kids in our local community. We are also grateful for the opportunity to partner with a great organization like MATTER!”
April is National Volunteer Month! Launch your volunteer event today!
MATTER Chaya has made big strides in the past month increasing our impact in schools, farming co-ops, and commercial developments for Chaya products. We have registered a Chaya company called “Leaves for Life” to produce Chaya products that will provide financial support for rural African women. We have also signed three new partnership MOUs with organizations working with rural Zimbabwe communities to grow Chaya’s impact in schools and farms.
MATTER Education is excited to announce it expanded from 8 to 10 MATTER Innovation Hubs in Zimbabwe. Last month, MATTER welcomed two new schools as partners with the MATTER Innovation Hub program. Dominican Convent is an all-girls high-school with 450 student enrollment, and Gateway is a primary-high school with 375 enrollment. Both schools have one-to-one iPad use with their students.
We currently have 28 post-secondary students enrolled in the MATTER Career Readiness program, and we’re excited to take our first six girls from Dominican Convent to join the MCRI program to prepare for remote software jobs. In the 17 months since the opening of MCRI, we have placed 19 Zimbabwean graduates with three Minneapolis employers in the fields of software development and support!
The development of Samkele Park has officially begun! Progress is currently being made on the paved pathways throughout the park and the palisade fencing to ensure the safety of park visitors. Next month we are planning on installing the first public playground in Victoria Falls and an outdoor exercise gym to cater to the new craze of fitness here! Stay tuned as we continue to bring communities together, spread positivity, and bring beauty into the world through playfulness!
In 2024, MATTER 360 diverted 7.1 million pounds of medical surplus from landfills — up from 6.5 million pounds in 2023! That’s over 25 million pounds processed since 2019, helping to reduce waste and improve healthcare access worldwide.
Learn more in the press release we shared on Global Recycling Day.
