This year, as Thanksgiving approached, I was decidedly thankful. For me and my household, 2009 was a bountiful year by any objective measure. However, both from my own circles as well as from news story after news story about the economy, it is painfully clear that the same was not true for many in MN and beyond.

So, when I as pushing my cart through the aisles of the grocery store, filling the cart with food for that one day, I couldn’t help but think about the statistic that impressed me most about Second Harvest Heartland when I first heard about the organization: that they turn every dollar donated into $9 worth of food to distribute.

Looking at my cart full of food (somewhere in the baking aisle), I came to a snap decision. For every dollar spent for my family gathering from the good year I had, I’d donate a matching dollar to Second Harvest, which they turn into nine dollars to help those who had more difficulty this year.

Once I decided, I’m fairly certain I started adding food to my cart with nearly reckless abandon. While I was feeding a fairly large group and for most of the day (not just the big meal), I was still startled when my cashier told me my total: $305.

However, I’m fairly certain she was even more startled when I grinned as I pulled out my wallet. I explained my plan to her as well as the 9:1 ratio from Second Harvest. As the giant receipt printed, she said she’d be telling other customers about the idea.

Over the next couple of days, I shared the idea with people over Twitter and in person. A few told me that they would join me on a different ratio or just giving a fixed donation and one quietly shared that their sister was actually someone who needed the help of a food shelf this year.

Earlier this week, I rounded my grocery bill up to $350 and made my donation. Based on that amazing ratio, Second Harvest will be able to distribute $3150 in food. After reflecting on the experience, I’m going to be doing this every Thanksgiving. Will you join me next year?

–
J Wynia
Minneapolis, MN
http://wynia.org

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

For the past year I’ve been writing a personal finance blog at www.biblemoneymatters.com talking about my faith and finances, and writing daily articles about how to get out of debt, save, give and prosper.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to enter a competition for personal finance writers at FreeMoneyFinance.com. 64 bloggers submitted one of their best articles about personal finance in hopes of being voted the champion. The final four articles to remain standing in the competition would all receive a donation to the charity of their choice.

Choosing a charity was an easy task for me. Growing up my father worked for many years at a Downtown Minneapolis food shelf. Through his work there I was able to see first hand the impact that local food shelves, and food banks like Second Harvest Heartland, can have on a community. Not only are they able to feed people who are hungry and in need, but they’re able to give hope to the those in need when they’re going through tough times.

A friend of mine worked at Second Harvest Heartland, and through him I knew of the good work that they were doing. After doing some research on the Second Harvest website I found that for each $1 donated, they are able to distribute more than $9 worth of groceries to those in need. In addition, 96% of each dollar of revenue goes directly to the programs, so I knew my donation would be put to good use. Second Harvest’s mission was one I wanted to support, so I chose them as my charity.

Since I was competing with 64 other very good bloggers, I wasn’t expecting to make it very far. To my surprise, after four rounds of voting I was still standing and on my way to the final four. Because I had made it to the finals, I knew that I would at least be able to make a $100 donation to Second Harvest, which was exciting. Then after winning a hard-fought semi-final matchup, I moved on to a the championship round where the winner would receive a $500 donation to their charity. And after several days of roller coaster voting, I was able to pull out a victory by a tiniest of margins, two votes. With those two votes it was ensured that Second Harvest Heartland would receive a $500 donation to help feed families in need.

The $500 donation we were able to make through this contest may not seem like much, but with Second Harvest Heartland’s help that $500 will help distribute more than $4500 worth of groceries. Our small donation will make a huge impact!

My desire is that others will be inspired by this small victory and be moved to donate as well. You may not feel like you’re giving very much, but every little bit helps! Your $5 donation will provide 20 meals to the hungry! That’s an amazing impact from such a small donation. If you’re thinking about donating today, just do it, you’ll receive far more in return than you’ll ever give.

Peter Anderson
www.biblemoneymatters.com

On Presidents’ Day I had the opportunity to volunteer for the first time for Second Harvest Heartland, and what an opportunity it was! Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine hosted the Best of the Best event to benefit Second Harvest.  The event had everything: glitz, glamor, and amazing food from local restaurants.

I worked the front door as a greeter, directing people to the check in area and the coat check. From my location I was able to help hundreds of people find their way, and to check out their outfits.  Being Minnesota, attire ranged from jeans and tee shirts to full length dresses and suits, but everyone looked beautiful.

The first hour and a half of my shift was crazy busy.  The lobby was completely packed 15 minutes before doors opened and continued that way for 45 minutes.  Even with the logistical oversight of not having a bathroom on the floor, people remained friendly and excited for the evening.

The best part of my night came after the rush.  With a few hours left on my shift, I was given a 30 minute break to enjoy the party.  All of the volunteers were allowed to go upstairs and enjoy the food and drink.  I had some wonderful dishes including oysters on the half shell from Barbette and rack of lamb from Seven, my two favorite foods.

The Best of the Best was a super fun event to volunteer for.  I met some great people, including my fellow volunteers and got to try some great food.  I will definitely be doing this again next year!

- Kassie Church