Second Harvest Heartland

About me:

Who We Are

Second Harvest Heartland is the Upper Midwest’s largest hunger-relief organization, striving to end hunger through community partnerships. We form the backbone of organizations working together to efficiently alleviate hunger in 59 counties throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. Second Harvest Heartland operates the fifth largest food bank in the United States, helping feed 77% of the hungry in our service area.

What We Do

We strive to end hunger effectively and efficiently. This means working with a wide array of organizations—from corporations to church groups—on an ongoing basis, carefully guiding all donated food and funds to local food shelves, soup kitchens, and shelters.

Efficiency is key to all we do, because in the world of hunger, waste is unacceptable. To that end, the hard work of our network of partners, volunteers and donors allows our food bank to be as efficient as possible, meaning that for every $1 donated, Second Harvest Heartland will distribute more than $9 worth of food to those in need. Our streamlined process turns every $50 donation into 200 meals. Think about that. Every single quarter donated becomes an entire meal for a child, adult or senior in need.

Second Harvest Heartland goes beyond simply collecting food and donations. Through our many programs, we empower others to help the hungry. These programs give you the opportunity to get involved in any number of ways, from creating your own Food & Fund drive to donating food via your mailbox.

In the fight against hunger, it’s important to make our voices heard. Second Harvest Heartland is on the steps of the Minnesota and U.S. Capitols, educating elected officials about the importance of issues such as continued support for federal aid programs such as Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP); Women, Infants and Children (WIC); the need for constant access to fresh milk for nutritionally challenged kids, and virtually any other topic that can have an impact on our nation’s hungry.

How We Do It

Second Harvest Heartland is a member of Feeding America, a national network of more than 200 food banks serving every state in the United States. Membership means access to millions of pounds of surplus food and grocery donations from manufacturers and producers throughout the country.

Working with our network of partners, volunteers and donors as well as people like you, our 86,300 square feet of dry, refrigerator and freezer space is constantly accepting and distributing donations. Our fleet of trucks travels nearly half a million miles a year, picking up food donations and delivering them to local food shelves, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, senior community centers and children's after school programs.

Second Harvest Heartland makes great strides every day in the fight against hunger, but we can’t do it alone. Join us, won’t you? Ending hunger is the right thing to do, the smart thing to do, and it is possible.