DRHS K.O.P.E. Feeds the Need

The K.O.P.E. group from the Deer River High School, with help from Advocates for Family Peace organized a Penny Drive in Deer River area prior to Christmas with 100% of the proceeds going to Second Harvest Food Bank for the Itasca Holiday Program.  K.O.P.E. stands for Kids Organizing for a Peaceful Environment.

Thanks to the Deer River businesses for allowing the Penny Drive buckets on their counters: Cenex, Holiday Station Store, Ott Drug, Jurvelin Hardware, The Outpost Bar and Grill, Shelley’s and Woodland Bank.  The total collected was $232.90.

Thanks so much to K.O.P.E. and the Deer River businesses who helped Feed the Need this holiday season.

We Did Meet the Need

Thanks to a caring and generous community, Second Harvest distributed approximately 1,700 holiday food boxes this season.  Almost 2,000 kids received a gift bag.  Everyone who requested assistance was helped, thanks to overwhelming community support.  Thanks so much from Second Harvest North Central Food Bank.  Happy Holidays!

Baich Clinic Supports Second Harvest

Dr. Michael Baich’s Clinic in Coleraine supports the work of Second Harvest.  Dr. Baich understands and appreciates that Second Harvest can stretch resources and feed many people.  Thanks to Dr. Baich and his help in feeding the need this holiday season.

Eagles Auxiliary Supports Grand Rapids Food Shelf

Once again, the Grand Rapids Eagles Auxiliary has come through in support of the Grand Rapids Food Shelf.  Bingo night has been very successful and the club has designated the proceeds to the Food Shelf.  This support is crucial as the food shelf strives to meet the increase in need we are experiencing right now.  We sincerely appreciate this support.

Itasca Vintage Car Club Supports the Grand Rapids Food Shelf

Members of the Itasca Vintage Car Club met at Second Harvest on Monday to present a check in support of the Grand Rapids Food Shelf.  Itasca Vintage Car Club members are big supporters of Second Harvest and the Grand Rapids Food Shelf.  In addition to financial donations, many members are regular volunteers.  Many Thanks to the Itasca Vintage Car Club!

MN Ore Feeds the Need

Scott Coleman, on behalf of the men and women of MN Ore, presented Second Harvest with a check on Friday morning.  We sincerely appreciate the support from MN Ore to help provide a brighter holiday for people in this region. 

Holiday Food Box Packing Fun

Sunday, December 13th will go down as a record day for food boxing at Second Harvest.  The 41 volunteers and many staff members packed almost 1,700 food boxes in slightly less than 3 hours. 

The holiday food boxes contained ingredients for a holiday meal plus some staple items.  A cookbook was included with recipes that could be made from items in the box. 

Groups represented were: Itasca Vintage Car Club and the Baha’i Group along with food bank staff members families.  Packing ran like clockwork because so many of them have volunteered for this before, some of them for many years.  Thanks so much!

Volunteers pack over 1,600 toy bags Saturday

Saturday, December 12th was a big day at Second Harvest when about 87 volunteers plus staff members packed over 1,600 bags of toys for local children in need. 

Donated toys were stacked high in the bins when packing started at 9am.  By 11, the bags were completed and organized by the community they would be distributed in. 

Thanks to all the groups and individuals who came to help.  Some of the larger groups were:

• Nashwauk Alliance Youth Group
• GR International Club
• Lawron Church
• Bethel Trinity Confirmation Classes

Countdown to the Itasca Holiday Program Toy Packing Day

Today Second Harvest is buzzing with activity as we prepare to pack about 1,800 toy bags for local children.  On Saturday morning over 80 volunteers will gather here to assemble bags of toys for children who have been referred to the program.

Each bag has the name of the parent, the age and gender of the child and the distribution location listed.  Volunteers pack the bags according to instructions for each age group.  By noon on Saturday we will have all the bags packed and ready for delivery to one of the nine communities where families come to pick up their gift bags and holiday food boxes.  

On Monday, food bank delivery trucks start to take loads of food boxes, toy bags and other items like hats and mittens to each community where volunteers coordinate local distribution. 

Thanks to a very caring, generous community, Second Harvest is confident that we will be able to Feed the Need this holiday season.

Grand Rapids Evening Rotary Club Meets at Second Harvest

More than 30 members of the Grand Rapids Rotary Club met at Second Harvest on Monday evening for what has become an annual volunteer event.  After a meal and short meeting, the club members received an update on Second Harvest and the Itasca Holiday Program.  Then they got to work sorting hundreds of donated toys into age and gender categories.  Some of the Rotarians chose packing commodity boxes instead of toy sorting. 

Second Harvest depends on volunteers to accomplish the huge effort that the Itasca Holiday Program demands.  This Rotary Club has been volunteering for the Itasca Holiday Program since Second Harvest moved into the new building in 2002.  In addition to the annual evening project, the club has been instrumental in providing traffic control for the Grand Rapids distribution day. 

ICC Nursing Students Help Feed the Need

Today there were 40 students from the ICC Nursing Program volunteering at Second Harvest.  After a brief overview about how Second Harvest operates, the students spent the morning re-packing frozen vegetables and stacking canned food for the Itasca Holiday Program food boxes. 

It takes the work of many hands to provide for our neighbors in need.  Thanks to the ICC Nursing Students for helping Feed the Need this holiday season.

KQ Ride to Feed the Need raised food and funds for Second Harvest yesterday

KQ 105.5 Grand Rapids and the Iron Range brought the Trainwreck to Grand Rapids yesterday. The goal was a Ride to Feed the Need and support Second Harvest North Central Food Bank this holiday season. Thanks to all the businesses that participated:

· Wildwoods Trail Rides provided the draft horses and wagon

· Jerry’s Warehouse Liquor

· Tom Clusiau’s Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and GMC

· Ogle’s Marketplace Foods

· Lakes Area Credit Union

· Something Original

· Wings and Willows

· Mississippi Diamond Jewelers

· The Wardrobe

· Itasca Trail Sports

· River’s Italian

· Cell Phone Stuff

· Timberlake Lodge

· Rafferty’s Pizza

Thanks to the customers of these fine establishments for helping out the cause with donations of food or cash. Over $200 and almost 1,000 pounds of food was collected!

Thanks especially to KQ for holding this event!

Itasca Holiday Program Match Opportunity

Mr. Lyman Loveland, a new friend of the food bank from Nebraska, with ties to our area, has offered the Itasca Holiday Program a match to generate new donations. Donations up to $2,000 between now and Friday, December 4^th will be matched and all donations given through the GiveMN.org option on our website will also have no fees charged!

Please help Feed the Need!

Food Stamp Usage Interactive Map from The New York Times

Food stamp use has soared in many areas as more people are affected by the economic recession.  Check out county by county information in this interactive map from The New York Times.