Support Spotlight - Open Your Heart Produce Grant

 

For several years, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank has been the recipient of fresh produce through Hunger Solutions thanks to the Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless grant. We, along with five other Feeding America partner food banks in Minnesota were again awarded a $100,000 grant to help fund a statewide acquisition of fresh produce for hungry our neighbors.

 

Every month, Second Harvest receives thousands of pounds of produce through this grant. Last month we received potatoes, onions, oranges, and carrots. We are so fortunate and thankful to be able to distribute fresh, healthy food to the elderly, children, and families in need.

 

 

The Minnesota partner food banks acquire nearly 1 million pounds of fresh produce - the equivalent of 800,000 meals - through the grant each year. This is hugely significant since fresh produce is one of the most costly and difficult food items to obtain for those in need.

Thank you, Open Your Heart!

How does the Fiscal Cliff agreement affect hungry Americans...

How does the Fiscal Cliff agreement affect hungry Americans & the food banks that serve them?

On January 1, Congress passed an agreement to avert the “Fiscal Cliff” and prevent tax rates from rising on 98% of Americans. As part of the deal, the automatic spending cuts (sequestration) that were scheduled to go into effect on January 1 have been postponed for two months. The measure also included an extension of the Farm Bill until September 30 and renewed the Food Donation Tax Deduction through 2013. Below is a breakdown of how the Fiscal Cliff agreement impacts the network and the clients we serve.
Farm Bill

• Extends the Farm Bill until September 30.
• No cuts to SNAP benefits, but $110 million was cut from SNAP Nutrition Education
• TEFAP remains unchanged from previous Farm Bill.
• Some expired (non nutrition) programs were not funded in the extension.

Tax

• Reinstates and renews the food donation tax deduction for 2012 and 2013.
• Leaves deductions including the charitable tax deduction uncapped.
• Allows the Pease Limitation to be reinstated for incomes above $250,000 single/$300,000 married when taking itemized deductions (The Pease limitation reduces itemized deductions by 3 percent of the amount by which adjusted gross income exceeds a specified threshold, up to a maximum reduction of 80 percent of itemized deductions. Could have an impact on very large strategic gifts, but not nearly as much as capping deductions would have).

What’s Next?

Cuts to anti-hunger programs, as well as limits to the charitable tax deduction, were averted in this agreement, in large measure due to the tremendous advocacy efforts of anti-hunger advocates like you. However, deficit reduction politics will continue to dominate Washington. We can expect significant pressure to cut SNAP and other programs our clients rely on will continue through 2013 as Congress makes decisions on the Farm Bill, federal spending, and deficit reduction. We will need to be ready for several important events over the next few months and advocacy will continue to be critical.

• Debt Ceiling vote: Mid-February. The Debt Ceiling will need to be increased in mid-February. This vote may be used as leverage to make sweeping spending cuts.
• Farm Bill Markup: End of February. Because there is a new Congress, both the House and Senate will need to rewrite the Farm Bill. The House has indicated they will markup the Farm Bill on February 27. The Senate is also expected to act quickly.
• Sequestration: March. The automatic spending cuts scheduled to go into effect January 1 were postponed until March. The threat of sequestration remains another leverage point to make additional spending cuts.
• Expiring Continuing Resolution: March. The Continuing Resolution will expire in March, meaning Congress will need to pass legislation to keep the government in operation.

Advocacy

Right now, our focus should be on meeting with new Members of Congress and preparing for the upcoming Farm Bill and broader deficit deals. One thing you can do is join online campaign to get every Member of Congress to visit their food bank.

Story from www.feedingamerica.org.
 

The Calm before the...Controlled Chaos

This is 18th year Second Harvest has facilitated the Itasca Holiday Program. By now, we are, as they say, a well-oiled machine. We feel confident that everything is ready to go and should go off without a hitch. Of course we have planned for any possible hiccups we may encounter along the way.

The food boxes are prepped and ready to be delivered to seven distribution sites, other than Second Harvest. Toys are being dropped off and sorted, lists are being compiled, gift bags are labeled, inserts and grocery store vouchers are printed. Tomorrow the fruit will be bagged and all remaining toys will be sorted. Saturday we will have all of the gifts sorted and selected for each individual child. Because we ordered pre-packed food boxes this year, we will all get a day of rest on Sunday! Yay!

The controlled chaos (distribution of the food boxes and gifts) will begin on Monday in Squaw Lake, Taconite, and Keewatin. It will continue Tuesday in Bigfork, Hill City, and Inger and wrap up with distribution in Deer River and Grand Rapids on Wednesday.

We call it, controlled chaos, because we have a very efficient system in place for distribution in Grand Rapids. We have a drive-thru option for those just picking up a food box, fruit bag, and grocery store voucher which takes place in our parking lot. We direct those who are receiving gifts for children into the warehouse to pick up their gift bags along with their food box, fruit bag and voucher. Our fingers are crossed in hopes that Mother Nature will be good to us during distribution.

Many plates would be bare, and stockings empty, if it wasn't for all of the hard work by so many individuals. It is a huge collaborative effort by our staff, volunteers, donors, local businesses, schools, civic groups, churches, and social workers.

And in the end it is all very worth it. I can assure you there will be tears of joy and appreciation, smiles of delight, and happy hearts - mine included.

A Tale of Two Men

This is the season of sharing and kindness. We hear about it everywhere. We read about it everywhere. But, to see it first hand is a very inspiring thing. We are so fortunate to live in such a kind and caring community, but like other things, it is easy to take it for granted. Today, two men reminded me what kindness and compassion are all about.

Man # 1 - This morning we were paid a visit by a local elementary school principal. He came to the Food Shelf seeking food for the family of one of his students. It only came to his attention that this family was in need because the child fainted at school this morning. The child was so hungry that he/she was physically ill. Being a mother of an elementary age child myself, I cannot begin to imagine my child going so hungry.

We sent the principal back to school with food for the family and signed the child up for the Kids Pack to Go BackPack Program, ensuring he/she would get a little extra over the weekends. Before he left the principal insisted on making a personal donation to "cover the cost" of the food provided to this family in need. Now if you ask me, that is going above and beyond.

Man # 2 - As the workday was winding down we were paid a visit by a gentleman carrying a box of toys. As we are in the middle of collecting toys for the Itasca Holiday Program, this is not an uncommon sight to see. However, it did not stop with one box of toys, nor two, nor three. This gentleman and his wife purchased SIX boxes full of toys! We were overjoyed and touched by their generosity.

Now, if you have shopped for a toy for a child recently you know, or have found out the hard way, that just about every toy made these days needs batteries which are almost always "not included". Not only did this couple purchase several hundreds of dollars worth of toys, they took the time to attache the required about and size battery to every single toy they donated. He did not leave his name, and did not want any special recognition for his kind act.

My heart is still smiling from the selflessness and kindness of these two men.

Itasca Holiday Program Seeks to Fill Empty Plates

Grand Rapids, MN – Second Harvest’s annual Itasca Holiday Program enables the community to reach out to their neighbors during this season of sharing.

In conjunction with hundreds of donors and volunteers, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank will help fill empty plates this holiday season. Second Harvest works all year to provide hunger relief to low income people in the region. During the holidays, families already struggling to put food on the table experience extra pressure to make ends meet. The Itasca Holiday Program has been helping these families for the past 18 years. This comprehensive program eliminates duplication of effort by multiple human service providers and engages the entire community to provide a brighter holiday season for friends and neighbors living with limited resources. 

The special holiday food boxes are the primary focus of the Itasca Holiday Program. The boxes contain enough food for around five meals. Almost 1,800 food boxes, which include a bag of seasonal fruit and a grocery voucher, will be distributed to referred families, seniors and disabled adults at eight locations throughout Itasca County and Hill City during the week of December 17-21. In addition, children ages 1-12 in the households receiving a food box will be given a gift provided by toy donations through the Gingerbread Giving Trees and Toys for Tots in Itasca County. 

The Itasca Holiday Program is in full effect. The program appeal is out, the Gingerbread Giving Trees are up, and referred families are currently signing up for the program by returning their completed form. The gratitude of the families is evident as they drop off their forms or send in messages and even holiday cards thanking Second Harvest for the food and expressing how little they would have for their children if it wasn’t for this program. 

Many people, including children, are missing meals because their resources cannot stretch enough to cover their basic needs. More than 12% of the population in Itasca County lives in poverty and one in five children live in food insecure households. These are the people that our community wants to help, especially during the holidays.

For more information on Second Harvest, and how to help, contact us at 218.326.4420.