Thanks to C. H. Robinson for filling plates with their “Fill Hearts Not Landfills” campaign

August 12th, 2010

Second Harvest Heartland recently received an $8,000 donation from a new program C. H. Robinson launched called “Fill Hearts Not Landfills.” Instead of spending dollars on promotional items that are handed out at career fairs and eventually end up in landfills, C.H. Robinson chose to donate those dollars to organizations that give back to communities. Six organizations were selected as potential recipients and career fair attendees voted. The most votes went to Second Harvest Heartland!

C. H. Robinson also won an award through the International Academy of the Visual Arts for this creative program and plans to run this web-based program again next year.

Eric Mesenburg, Director of Recruiting said, “At C.H. Robinson we take pride in our commitment to ensure that our communities are great places to live and work. We thought the ‘Fill Hearts, Not Landfills’ campaign would be a great way to show our support of and impact communities across the world. One of C.H. Robinson Foundation’s giving priorities is assisting with basic living needs so we felt Feeding America and their members, like Second Harvest Heartland, align nicely with our priorities. We are proud to support them.”

Many thanks to C.H. Robinson for their support.

Kids get a VIP viewing of Vikings training camp

August 5th, 2010

Thanks to the Vikings Children’s Fund Summer Lunch Program, presented by Target, 60 kids got a chance to check out Vikings Training Camp on Monday, August 2nd.  The kids, from the Salvation Army in Mankato, got on the field to view the Vikings practice, played in the Kids Zone, colored with sidewalk chalk and enjoyed a healthy lunch. But perhaps the best part of the day was when Vikings players Bernard Berrian, Ray Edwards, Chris Kluwe and Adrian Peterson stopped by to sign autographs.

The Vikings Children’s Fund Summer Lunch Program, presented by Target, has helped secure more than 500,000 additional grant supported meals to Minnesota children ages 1 to 18 this summer.

While at the event we also extended our sincere thanks to the Vikings for their work to end hunger by presenting the Hunger Hero award to Vikings team owner Mark Wilf.

Big thanks to the Minnesota Vikings’ leadership for all you do to support hungry kids in our community!

How do you choose between paying your bills and feeding your kids?

July 28th, 2010

Ann Curry of NBC news travels to Ohio, and offers a very personal look into the lives of some hungry families, impacted greatly by the recession. View the first of the videos below, or click here for the whole series.

  
And here in the Heartland, Ann Curry meets people waiting on line for the Lutheran Social Services mobile food pantry.
  

Saint Paul Saints and Noodles & Company grow fresh veggies for the hungry!

July 15th, 2010

Check out this short video of the Community Organic Garden at Midway Stadium! Big thanks to Saints Baseball staff and Noodles & Company for helping put fresh food on the table for our hungry neighbors.

Kids Eat Free this summer- new tools to find free meals for kids ages 1-18

June 15th, 2010

Kids Eat FreeDuring the school year, approximately 290,000 Minnesota children receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. However, when the school year ends for the summer, only about 20% of these kids continue to receive these low-cost or free nutritious meals. That means that for nearly three months out of every year, more than 232,000 children in Minnesota aren’t getting the nourishment they need.

To fill the nutritional gap facing these children during the summer months, Second Harvest Heartland has teamed up with the Minnesota Vikings and Target to work with the Minnesota Department of Education to help facilitate the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in Minnesota and help bring more meals to more kids this summer.

Do you know a family who could use a little extra help with food this summer?

Check out the Summer Lunch Map, an easy-to-use tool for finding free food for kids across the state this summer. Families can also call 2-1-1 from a landline or text 612-516-FOOD for locations.

Want to help?

Click here to make a gift. Together, we can ensure healthy, plentiful meals for Minnesota kids who need them to grow and thrive.

Take Action Against Hunger! Help match the $100,000 Bremer Challenge Gift.

June 14th, 2010

Bremer Bank kicked off its fifth annual “Taking Action Against Hunger” campaign this June! Bremer recognizes the growing need for food during the summer months, when more families utilize food shelves as children are home from school and have less access to subsidized meal programs.

You can help match the $100,000 Bremer Challenge Gift by making a gift today. Anytime between now and the end of the month, you can:

  • Stop by your local Bremer Bank to make a gift.
  • Click here to donate online.
  • New! Text to give. Text BREMER to 27722 to make a $10 donation to Second Harvest Heartland on behalf of Bremer Bank. Message and data rates may apply.*

*A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. You will also receive up to 1 message per day from Second Harvest Heartland Alerts. Msg&Data rates may apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of the Second Harvest Heartland by the mGive Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A. To unsubscribe text STOP to 27722, for help text HELP to 27722.

Mississippi Market donates 1,000 pounds of beef for our hungry neighbors

June 4th, 2010

Thousand HillsMississippi Market made a generous donation of 1,072 pounds of Thousand Hills beef to the Food Rescue Program in honor of the March Campaign.

Thanks to Mississippi Market’s generosity, Second Harvest was able to distribute this beef to our partner agencies. According to Thousand Hills, grass fed beef provides a memorable eating experience that has been earning growing acclaim among chefs and food writers across the country. It offers a savory, “beefier” taste, and is tender and juicy when prepared properly. Thousand Hills’ cattle are grown on family farms in the near Upper Midwest (MN, IA, WI, NE, SD)— none further away than an 8 hour drive. Raised using humane, sustainable farming practices, their cattle are free ranged on lush pastures during warmer months, and fed hay or pasture silage in winter. They are not shut in crowded, confined concrete feedlots.

Thanks to Mississippi Market and their customers for continuing to support the Food Rescue program, thereby providing more food for our neighbors in need!

Pledge your Pounds with SunShine and O’Neal from The Biggest Loser!

May 27th, 2010

Have you pledged the Pound for Pound Challenge yet? Minnesotan Biggest Loser contestants SunShine and O’Neal challenge you to pledge your pounds and join the fight to end hunger in Minnesota and across the nation. Check it out:

Download recipes from Dish: Cuisine for Change!

May 24th, 2010

Every year, restaurants from around the Twin Cities donate their time, talents and product to make Dish: Cuisine for Change possible. This year, 18 restaurants participated, and took the time to share their recipes from the samples they prepared at the event!

Download the recipe book here >>

Big thanks to this year’s restaurants:

al Vento • Bar Abilene • Chino Latino • Cosmos • Firefly Bistro & Coffeehouse • French Meadow Bakery & Cafe • Hell’s Kitchen • Ike’s Food & Cocktails • Jensen’s Supper Club • Le Cordon Bleu, Minnesota Room • Manitou Station • The Melting Pot • Muffuletta Cafe • Red Stag Supper Club • Rinata • The St. Paul Grill • The Strip Club Meat & Fish • Tryg’s

Photos posted of Senator Al Franken’s Stamp Out Hunger efforts

May 10th, 2010

Thanks to everyone who helped Stamp Out Hunger this weekend! Results are still being calculated, and will be posted soon. In the meantime, check out photos from Senator Al Franken’s appearance at one of the Cub Foods sites!