On this week’s episode of Minnesota Military Radio, we explore how Every Third Saturday helps Veterans and their families find hope, purpose, and community after military service, then highlight Beyond the Yellow Ribbon’s Hero Meals program and the partnerships providing year-round food support to Minnesota’s service members, Veterans, and military families.
Guests:
- Tom McKenna – Co-Founder, Every Third Saturday
- Stefanie Hurt – Community Outreach Coordinator for northern Minnesota, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon (BTYR)
Tom McKenna, a Marine Corps Veteran, shares how Every Third Saturday began in 2009 with simple distributions of clothing and personal items and has grown into a permanent facility near the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. The organization focuses on dignity and respect—Veterans are treated as members, not clients. Inside the building is Rick’s Coffee Bar, which runs a paid Veteran internship program. McKenna also discusses the Walk to Stay in the Fight and the new Fire Teams initiative for proactive support. Anyone can connect by calling (952) 356-5116, visiting everythirdsaturday.org, or walking in.
Later, Stefanie Hurt explains Beyond the Yellow Ribbon’s Hero Meals initiative, which partners with Meals From the Heart and others to deliver seasonal meal kits through Operation Turkey Drop, Operation Merry Meals, Sweetheart Meals, and Food Fairy. In the 2025 holiday season and spring 2026, the program distributed 900 meal kits totaling about 81,000 individual servings and supported nearly 5,000 service members, Veterans, and family members across Minnesota. Listeners can contribute at mealsfromtheheart.org.
