On March 4, WeCanEndThis.com was launched: a yearlong initiative to spark innovation and a broader engagement in the movement to end hunger in America. The project is a result of the partnership of Share Our Strength, Feeding America, Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, Mashable, PepsiCo, ConAgra Food Foundation, and Tyson Foods.

The first project is the Digital Can Drive, rewarding people for committing to take action. If you pledge to Give, Share or Volunteer on WeCanEndThis.com before March 18, you can help ensure Minnesota (or your state) gets a truckload of protein from Tyson Foods!

As I write this, Minnesota is in 10th place with 54 “Cans” pledged. Will you help spread the word, and help bring a truckload of protein to Minnesota for our hungry neighbors? The top 10 states will receive the product–so we need your help to stay above the “red line”!

Please help us spread the word!

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With your help, we can bring an entire truckload of food to Minnesota to help fill the tables at the homes of our hungry neighbors!

Thanks to everyone who came out in support of the Pound for Pound Challenge to The Biggest Loser Season Premiere Party in Minneapolis! Attendees enjoyed mini-manicures, brow waxes, chair massages, lessons from personal trainers, Wii Fit demos and exciting giveaways such as a Wii gaming system and Wii fit and a $500 spa getaway package.

Best of all, attendees pledged the Pound for Pound Challenge in an effort to “Lose Nationally, Feed Locally.” For every pound pledged, the Pound for Pound Challenge will donate 14 cents to Feeding America–enough to deliver one pound of groceries to a local food bank.

Check out the photos and videos from the event–and don’t forget to pledge your pounds now at pfpchallenge.com!

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Join us one week from today, Tuesday, January 5 for The Biggest Loser Season Premiere Party at Solera in Downtown Minneapolis!

Beginning at 6:00pm, you’ll enjoy hors d’oeurves, a cash bar, exciting enter-to-win opportunities and other Biggest Loser-related freebies. Two lucky guests will win a Nintendo Wii gaming system and Wii Fit!

Grab a seat at 7:00 for the show, and enjoy even more entertainment, fitness tips and other activities with KS95′ s Staci Matthews during commercial breaks. Register now and be entered to win a VIP package, including preferred seating at the event.

Space is limited, so click here to register now!

Why are we throwing a party for The Biggest Loser?

Because it’s the kickoff of the second annual Pound for Pound Challenge, of course! This exciting fundraising program was formed by a partnership of NBC’s The Biggest Loser, General Mills and Feeding America to encourage Americans to “Lose Nationally, Feed Locally.”

Sign up and pledge your weight loss goals at www.pfpchallenge.com. For every pound you pledge, the Pound for Pound Challenge will donate 14 cents to Feeding America – enough to deliver one pound of groceries to a local food bank. The more signups and pledges in our area, the more donations will come to Second Harvest Heartland to help feed those in need right here in our community.

Coming to the event? That’s great. You can pledge your pounds online at pfpchallenge.com, or just sign up at the party.

But remember, space is limited–so register for the party now!

Swing into the holiday season and support Second Harvest Heartland by picking up your copies of Home for the Holidays: A Minnesota Christmas and Christmas Jam: The Best of the Midwest.  These CD’s provide festive holiday entertainment to be shared with family and friends while making the holidays just a bit brighter for our hungry neighbors.  

Home for the Holidays: A Minnesota Christmas

15 local musicians team up to celebrate the holidays and to raise money for IBEW Holiday Lights in the Park, benefiting Second Harvest Heartland and other local charities.  This collection of holiday favorites can be purchased for $9.99 at all metro-area Target stores and includes a free ticket to the IBEW Holiday Lights in the Park at Phalen Park in St. Paul.  The CD can also be purchased while visiting the Holiday Lights tour.

Christmas Jam: Best of the Midwest

Ramblin Ranch & Tree House Productions present Christmas Jam: The Best of the Midwest, a collaborative project made possible by countless hours of volunteer effort.  This homegrown compilation of holiday classics benefits Second Harvest Heartland and other local food shelves, Christmas Jam can be purchased at Best Buy, the Electric Fetus, and Cheapo.

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

Tuesday, November 17 is “Give to the Max Day” on GiveMN, and that means your donations will be matched when made through our fundraising page on the GiveMN website.

The Saint Paul Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation and Bush Foundation have committed $500,000 in matching contributions to support community needs in Minnesota and to cover transaction fees so that 100% of all donations go to participating nonprofit organizations!

All you need to do is click here to visit the Second Harvest Heartland fundraising page on GiveMN. Donations made between 8:00 AM on Tuesday, November 17 and 8:00 AM Wednesday, November 18 will be matched!

Important: Donations made through our website will not be matched. You must make your donation via GiveMN to be eligible. Make your gift now!

Click the “ShareThis” link below to forward this info to your friends & family. Help us take advantage of this one-day match opportunity!

The Minnesota Vikings Children’s Fund, KS95 and Second Harvest Heartland thank all who participated in our Decorate a Plate/Share a Meal activity August 30th at the Minnesota State Fair!

Five lucky winners–Madison, Sally, Savannah, Briana and Kelsey–had their plates selected and  turned into actual dinner plates. Signed by Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and more Minnesota Vikings, the plates will be offered for silent auction during the Taste of the NFL event tonight. Proceeds from Taste of the NFL will help expand the Vikings Children’s Fund Summer Lunch program in 2010.

Congratulations to our lucky winners–and thanks for “stepping up to the plate” and helping ensure other kids in the community have enough to eat next summer.

To learn more about the Decorate a Plate/Share a Meal Contest Winners, click here.
     

Yesterday, we received an email from Andrew Blake, volunteer coordinator at Totino-Grace High School, who came to Irish Mountain Orchard this past weekend and volunteered with his wife and some students. “We found out about the opportunity in an e-newsletter from Second Harvest, and our school is always looking for new service opportunities,” Andrew said. “This was a homecoming service project for us, so my students were up the night before until probably 1:00 am coming home from the school dance or somebody’s house after the football game. We came from Fridley, MN so I had them come to school at 6:45 in the morning. Needless to say, they didn’t get a lot of rest the night before!”

Every year in Minnesota alone, an estimated 224 million pounds of unused food goes to waste. It’s the goal of Second Harvest Heartland and participating Minnesota Orchards to glean as many nutritious apples as possible before the winter freeze, and deliver them to the hungry families, children and seniors who need them most. With the dedication of volunteers like Andrew and his students, we hope to collect even more fresh apples from Minnesota orchards than we did last year–more than 200,000 pounds.

“As we were making the collection boxes, we couldn’t believe we would need that many. Of course once we started collecting apples, the group working boxes could hardly keep them coming fast enough,” Andrew continued. “I think one of my favorite parts of the whole thing was knowing that each apple would get to a family. For awhile, with each apple I picked I tried to imagine a kid who would get that apple at home or at school in their lunch. I even tried to say a small blessing over each one until I realized it was slowing me down as so I stopped praying and started picking faster!”

All of us at Second Harvest Heartland extend a hearfelt “thanks” to the students at Totino-Grace and all other volunteers who have helped with the apple gleaning initiative this fall. Your efforts are incredibly important, and we couldn’t do this work without your help.

Know that families, children and seniors in our community are enjoying the “fruits of your labor”–literally–and giving thanks for your generosity and hard work.

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If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved with the volunteer program at Second Harvest Heartland, please click here. Simply fill out the short form, and someone will get back to you!
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2007-2008 was a pivotal time in establishing and growing programs and essential practice areas that support our mission of ending hunger through community partnerships. We recently released our Annual Report, and we wanted to take a moment to share with you some of our key discoveries, as well as provide you with online-access to the full report.

Already the 5th largest food distributor in the Feeding America national network of food banks, our innovative programming positioned us for rapid growth to respond to the needs of 960 agency partners in late 2008. Second Harvest Heartland is the second fastest-growing food bank in the nation, by pounds distributed year over year.

We are strengthened by our partners whose individual, corporate, community and foundational support bring relief to thousands of hungry families, children and seniors.

For access to the full report, which includes information about our Field Services expansion and new Food Sourcing initiatives, click here.

Play Golf America Day is a fun, free, festival featuring PGA Professional instruction, clinics, equipment demos from leading manufacturers, special events and more. The Town of Chaska Golf Course will be hosting the PGA Championship Play Golf America Day on Monday, August, 10, from 4- 7 p.m. to help kick off the PGA Championship, and to collect food donations for Second Harvest Heartland.

Minnesota PGA Professionals will be on hand to provide free intructions to attendees and 2008 PGA Distinguished Service Award Winner Dennis Walters will be performing one of his world reknowned golf shows.

Pre-register today at playgolfamerica.com and the first 250 people (limit 1 per household) that pre-register online and attend the event will receive two tickets for a PGA Championship practice round

All attendees are encouraged to bring at least one canned food item to donate to those in need.