As you may have noticed, 2harvest.org, as well as this blog, recently got a face lift! We’re excited about this new portal into our work, and hope it will make it easier for you to manage your relationship with us, as well as your communication preferences. After you have a few minutes to poke around, please click here to tell us what you think. We value your feedback!

Some new features include:
- Updated information on our programs, such as Plant a Row and Food Rescue
- Options to “go further” and connect with us online – the blog, Twitter, Facebook and more
- Even more ways you can join the fight to end hunger in our community

You may notice the new “Create your account” section on the right-hand side of the homepage. Creating an account and logging into the site will allow you to manage your communication preferences. It will also enable us to let you know about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities, according to your history with us, and the preferences you select. (Note: if you’ve ever made an online donation or received an email newsletter, you’re already in the system. Simply click here to retrieve your login information.)

Thanks for your ongoing support! Feel free to leave a comment on this post should you have any questions about the new site.

What does 700 boxes, 21,000 pounds or 10.5 tons feel like? It feels good! That’s the amount of food that a small team of Bremer employees packed for people who use this service from Second Harvest Heartland.

It was fun to feel good while doing good! Our team members were all ‘workers’ – no one slacked off and everyone seemed to work up a bit of a sweat. Our staff coordinator told us we didn’t need to ‘kill ourselves’ and yet none of the Bremer folks turned off their ‘Taking Action’ mentality as they packed the 700 boxes in just under three hours.

Learned some interesting facts – one in 10 seniors lives in poverty in the U.S. These are people who probably worked hard their whole lives and now find themselves struggling just to feed themselves – there’s something wrong with that formula. Also found out that if you mix powdered milk with condensed milk you end up with 2% milk!

As volunteer opportunities go, this one was great. We all felt like we were making a significant contribution and that contribution would directly impact – and hopefully improve – the lives of some of our neighbors.

Teresa Morrow
SVP, Bremer Banks

Bremer Bank kicked off its fourth annual “Taking Action Against Hunger” campaign this week! Bremer recognizes the growing need for food during the summer months, when more families utilize food shelves as children are home from school and do not have access to subsidized meal programs.

“Bremer’s vision is to build healthy communities through partnerships,” said CEO and President Steve Meads. “We believe we can achieve this vision by meeting basic needs in our communities, and ending hunger seems like a great place to start. We invite everybody in the community to help us take action to end hunger. Thanks for your valued partnership and effort.”

Want to help Bremer Take Action Against Hunger this month? Anytime between now and the end of the month, you can stop by your local Bremer Bank, make a donation online or send a check to: Second Harvest Heartland, attn: Taking Action Against Hunger,1140 Gervais Ave., St. Paul, MN 55109.

With a requested minimum donation of $5, you can receive a reusable grocery tote available at all Bremer Bank locations while supplies last! If you donate online or send a check, please bring a copy of your receipt or check to the bank to receive a reusable grocery tote.