CJMS Students and Faculty Raise Money for Second Harvest

During this holiday season Connor Jasper Middle School has been engaged in their annual school-wide Adopt-A-Family fundraiser. Students and faculty members have been raising money at Connor Jasper Middle School during the two week span of December 6th through December 17th. This service-based activity has helped define the character of this school and promote a sense of connectedness among students, staff, and the community. The Adopt-A-Family fundraiser is a great cause that the fourth through eighth graders raised money for. Adopt-A-Family is aimed towards helping families in our local communities have a warm and cheerful holiday. Jen, an eighth grader at Connor Jasper Middle School, said the reason she found Adopt-A-Family so important was after remembering all her holiday memories. “Everyone deserves that special time together during Christmas and Adopt-A-Family was a way for me to give them their own memories,” said Jen. Connor Jasper Middle School, with the help of many, raised $1566.59 for their fellow community members, and made Adopt-A-Family fundraiser a great success.

Minnesota Power Foundation Provides $2,550 Grant

The Minnesota Power Foundation recently awarded Second Harvest North Central Food Bank a $2,550 grant for the Itasca Holiday Program. This contribution was used to purchase food for the holiday food box. This year, 1,700 boxes were stuffed with food items for those in need in the Itasca County and Hill City area. Thank you, Minnesota Power Foundation for ensuring our neighbors wouldn't go hungry over the holidays.



A client receives her food voucher, fruit and food box
as she exits Second Harvest North Central Food Bank



Employees of the City of Grand Rapids Invest $2,500 into the Itasca Holiday Program

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank received a very generous donation from the employees of the City of Grand Rapids earlier this month. The $2,500 donation will be directed to the Itasca Holiday Program which distributes a holiday food box to 1,700 families in need in Itasca County and Hill City, as well as gifts for the children. THANK YOU!

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank Is Stepping Up To The Challenge!

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank, a member of the Feeding America network, is working harder every day to assist individuals and their families right here in Grand Rapids in these tough economic times. Fighting hunger is a daily challenge, and we are always looking for new ways to meet it head on.

Today we’re excited to announce our involvement in the Pound For Pound Challenge! Now in its third year, this proven fundraising program has partnered with NBC’s The Biggest Loser, General Mills, and Subway, to encourage Americans to “Lose Nationally, Feed Locally.” And we need your support to make our involvement a success!

Participating is easy and your impact can be huge. Simply sign up and pledge your weight loss goals at www.pfpchallenge.com. For every pound you pledge, the Pound for Pound Challenge will donate 11 cents to Feeding America– enough to secure one pound of groceries for Second Harvest North Central Food Bank.

The more pledges a food bank has from its area, the more funds it receives. So please help us by signing up now and encouraging others to pledge!

It’s a great opportunity for our supporters to do something good for themselves, and do something good for our community. To learn more about the Pound For Pound Challenge, you can visit the national website at www.pfpchallenge.com or e-mail gretchen@secondharvestncfb.com.

A Busy Weekend at Second Harvest North Central Food Bank...

On Saturday, December 18th Second Harvest North Central Food Bank housed 82 volunteers who sorted and packed the toys for the Itasca Holiday Program.

The following day, 23 volunteers came out to pack 1,700 food boxes which are being distributed this week. All in all, the weekend was a HUGE success! Thank you to all who donated time or money to the Itasca Holiday Program. Together we are making a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need.

Itasca Vintage Car Club Members Join the Fight to END Hunger

The Itasca Vintage Car Club is a firm supporter of the Itasca Holiday Program and the Grand Rapids Food Shelf, both in volunteering of their time and in their generous gifts of money. At their December Christmas dinner, members donated $1,151.00 which was matched by the club's treasury. The total dollar amount given to the Grand Rapids Area Food Shelf by the car club and its members was $2,302.00. This has the purchasing power to provide over 11,500 meals to area families.

In addition to their monetary gifts, many of the members give of their time. On December 16th, seven members of the club were involved in the preparation of 1,800 gift bags which will soon be filled with toys and distributed to families. A large group of car club members will also volunteer at the Food Bank on December 19th to help fill over 1,700 boxes of food for area families.

The Itasca Vintage Car Club meets at the Harris Town Hall at 7:00 p.m. every 3rd Tuesday of the month from October through May, and invited you to join them. For further information, please contact Club President, Jerry Latola at 326-5910 or Vice-President, Tom Carpenter at 218-363-2516.

Itasca Vintage Car Club members volunteered at the Itasca Holiday Program's gift bag project on December 16th. The day's project was to write the names and ages of children who will be receiving these Christmas toy bags. Volunteering are (back row) Pat Pedersen, Betty Wass, Art Bruns, Don Majerle, and Denny Smith. (front row) Delores Bruns and Sue Smith. Other club members will fill food boxes on December 19th. In addition, the club members and club treasury donated $2,302.00 to the Grand Rapids Food Shelf.

ICC Practical Nursing Program Lends 94 Helping Hands to the Itasca Holiday Program

Last Friday, 44 students and 3 instructors, from the Itasca Community College Practical Nursing Program volunteered at Second Harvest North Central Food Bank. The 94 additional hands helped us prepare for the 2010 Itasca Holiday Program which is in full swing at Second Harvest North Central Food Bank. The Itasca Holiday Program provides holiday food boxes to 1,700 families in need in the Itasca County and Hill City area. Since each box contains about 30 food items, there is plenty of sorting and repacking to be done. Students sorted various food items in preparation for the food box assembly line. The ICC Practical Nursing Students have been volunteering their time at Second Harvest North Central Food Bank for several years. It is thanks to caring individuals such as these, that the Itasca Holiday Program is a success.   

Students re-packing pasta and brown sugar




The Crew!

 

Students re-packing pasta

Open Your Heart is helping provide 670,000 pounds of fresh food for Minnesota

Earlier this year, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank and our five partner Feeding America food banks in the state were awarded a $100,000 grant from Open Your Heart to help fund a statewide acquisition of fresh produce for our neighbors in need. Open Your Heart is the only charitable federation in Minnesota dedicated solely to alleviating hunger and homelessness. Founded in 1986, Open Your Heart has ears of experience helping people meet life’s essential needs in communities across our state.
Fresh produce is one of the most costly and difficult food items to obtain for those in need, and also tends to be a crucial component of culturally-relevant food. More than ever, it’s vital that we and other hunger relief organizations work toward better solutions to providing access to these foods.
In total, the $100,000 grant will provide more than 670,000 pounds of fresh produce—from carrots and cantaloupe to peppers and potatoes—to help fill dinner tables for families across the state!

On behalf of those we serve, sincere thanks to Open Your Heart for making such an important gift possible.

Holiday Need

2010 Itasca Holiday Program Food Box

The Itasca Holiday Program supplies a food box to individuals, families, and seniors in need during the holiday season. The food box is filled with traditional holiday food items, but also some extras to help supplement the nourishment of the families. In the food box this year recipients will find over 30 items such as wild rice, turkey stuffing, sweet potatoes, gravy mix, instant potatoes, canned vegetables, pasta, spaghetti sauce, muffin mix, raisins, oat meal, au gratin potatoes, assorted fruit, etc. The food the box also features a $15.00 food voucher for a local grocery store for extras they may need. Every year, Second Harvest distributes 1,700 food boxes to individuals throughout Itasca County and Hill City as well as gifts for children up to the age of 12. It is a direct result of the community support that the Itasca Holiday Program has been a success every year.

The Itasca Holiday program is run in addition to the usual day-to-day operations at Second Harvest North Central Food Bank. November was a record setting month with 951 client visits to the Grand Rapids Food Shelf. Of the 951 households, 73 were new to the Grand Rapids Food Shelf meaning they haven’t visited this year, or ever. The 951 visits also represent 244 seniors, 1,425 adults from the age of 18 to 60, and 1,005 children under the age of 18. With the average of 20 pounds of food per individual, that’s an astounding 53,480 pounds distributed to our hungry neighbors in November.

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank and the Grand Rapids Food Shelf are thankful for the thoughtful consideration of all individuals, groups, congregations, and businesses that participate in food and fund drives. Just recently, the Grand Rapids Area Preschool children and families donated 412 pounds of food they collected throughout the month of November. Anytime Fitness also ran a promotion for new members and raised $255.00. Second Harvest North Central Food Bank can turn each dollar donated into 5 meals and the food collected will help keep the shelves stocked.

Preschool Teachers from left to right: Kristi Cook – St. Joseph’s Preschool, Nancy O’Toole – Ready Set Grow, Cindy Eckert – First Lutheran Preschool, Kristi Erdman – St. Andrew’s Preschool, Laura Bundy – Our Redeemer Little Lambs Preschool, Holli Olson – Miss Mary’s Young Fives, Kelly Olsen – St. Andrew’s Preschool
Not Pictured: Mary Hanson – Miss Mary’s Young Fives, Colleen Casey – St. Andrew’s Preschool, Krystine Jurvalin, Jessica Dixon, and Donna Derby - Our Redeemer Little Lambs Preschool.

Stuff-A-Truck Food Drive

Year after year, Ogle's MarketPlace Foods does a Stuff-A-Truck food drive event. This year they collected 4,228 pounds of food for the Grand Rapids Food Shelf. Pre-packaged bags could be purchased in $5, $10, or $15 incriments. Cohasset and Forest Lake Elementary schools also participated by contributing a combined 1,760 pounds of food. Thank you all for participating. This food will help many families in need this month.

L & M Supply Donates to the Itasca Holiday Program

L & M Supply of Grand Rapids has been a partner with Second Harvest North Central Food Bank since the inception of the Itasca Holiday Program, 16 years ago. L & M Supply is one of five retail locations where you can find the Gingerbread Giving Tree. Not only do they collect gifts for area children, but also contribute a monetary gift of $500 to provide holiday food boxes to local men, women, and children in need. The Itasca Holiday Program continues to be a success every year, because of caring people and organizations, like L & M Supply.

Pictured in front of the Gingerbread Giving Tree from left to right are: Gretchen Gilbert, SHNCFB - Communications Coordinator, Mike Mesia, L & M Supply - General Manager, Ellen Christmas, SHNCFB - Program Manager, Michelle Clough, L & M Supply - Assistant Manager, and Eric Porterfield, L & M Supply - Assistant Manager



Give to the Max Day Was a Success!

On Tuesday, November 16th, the second annual Give to the Max Day, history was made in Minnesota. The statewide goal was to have 40,000 donors Click. Contribute. Change Your World. In the 24 hour time period 42,624 donors contributed $7,998,434 to non profits in Minnesota! Second Harvest North Central Food Bank also reached our goal of exhausting our $5,500 in matching funds. We finished the day with 144 donors contributing $13,373 for a grand total of $19,873 after adding $5,500 in matching funds and the $1,000 "Golden Ticket" prize won by Erin K. for her donation between 7-8:00am.
Give to the Max Day 2010 was an amazing experience. Thank you to all who donated what you could. Because of you we raised enough money to provide 65 Kids Packs, 70 holiday food boxes and 85,690 meals to hungry men, women, and children in our community. For more information click here.

Holiday Program Receives $400 From Grand Village Resident Council

Last week, Second Harvest received a check in the amount of $400 from the Grand Village Resident Council. Pictured left to right are Grand Village Resident Council President, Phil Anderson, Vice President Helen Elling and Second Harvest Executive Director, Sue Estee. This donation will be used to support the Food Shelf and the Itasca Holiday Program. For more information on how you can help click here.

Give to the Max Day Returns November 16th!

Help support the work of Second Harvest North Central Food Bank by donating what you can on Tuesday, November 16th. Second Harvest has over $3,500 in matching funds so you can double your donation dollars. Look for the "2x" icon on our page. This icon means there is a dollar for dollar match available when you donate to us. During the 24 hour "Give together" one donor will be randomly chosen every hour to have $1,000 added to their donation. This could be you!
You can also help Second Harvest North Central Food Bank win one of two grand prizes! A $20,000 and $10,000 prize grant will be awarded to the top two nonprofits in Greater Minnesota that attract the largest number of individual donors on Give to the Max Day 2010. Will you give?


For more information contact gretchen@secondharvestncfb.com or visit our GiveMN website by clicking here.

Anytime Fitness and Second Harvest North Central Food Bank Team Up to Get Fit and Fight Hunger

During the month of November, Anytime Fitness in Grand Rapids is holding a food and fund drive to benefit Second Harvest North Central Food Bank. Anytime Fitness is offering; new members ½ off the enrollment fee for a nonperishable food donation, no enrollment fee for those who donate $5.00 or more, and free tanning for one month to current members who donate $5.00 or more to Second Harvest North Central Food Bank.

Anytime offers a full cardio theater that includes; Nautilus treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines, and a Stairmaster. They also have new, top-of-the-line Nautilus Nitro Plus machine weights and free weights. Anytime’s 24-hour facility contains around-the-clock tanning access and a state-of-the-art security system, so you can work out comfortably, day or night. Join today and be a part of the Anytime Fitness Family and help feed hungry men, women, and children in our community! For more information, contact Luke or Joe at 218.326.4446.

Grand Rapids Food Shelf Recieves Check from Jephthah Chapter No 176 Order of the Eastern Star

The Grand Rapids Food Shelf received a generous donation from Jephthah Chapter No 176 Order of the Eastern Star in the amount of $200.00. This donation will be used to purchase food to fill the shelves of the Grand Rapids Food Bank which is consistently serving over 830 families each month.

Pictured left to right are: Volunteer Tyre Harris, Jephthah Chapter No 176 Order of the Eastern Star member Betty Jones, Program Manager Ellen Christmas, Volunteers Noreen Hantala and Dorothy Fairbanks.

Jaycee Pony Football Helps Tackle Hunger in Grand Rapids

On Wednesday, October 6th the Grand Rapids Jaycees and Second Harvest North Central Food Bank teamed up for a food and fund drive during the championship games. This drive raised enough funds to purchase and distribute 1,410 meals and 163 pounds of non perishable food items. Thank you to all who donated and made this event a success!

Local Eagle Scout Lends A Hand

Local teen, Matt Kluthe, constructed the compost system pictured above. Matt built the compost system as an Eagle Scout project. Second Harvest North Central Food Bank will use this system to create and sell compost from any left over produce. This compost system will also ensure nothing donated, will ever go to waste. Thank you, Matt!

Day 7 of Hunger Action Month ~ Vanity Food and Fund Drive

Fashion women’s retailer Vanity and pop band OneRepublic are teaming up to help Feeding America (the nation’s largest hunger relief organization), and Second Harvest North Central Food Bank, to “Share the Secret About Hunger” to help feed the 49 million Americans who are in need of food. Our goal is to provide 100,000 meals through an in-store food drive and CD sales.

From Tuesday, September 7 – Saturday, October 16, 2010, customers can bring in food donations, which will be used locally to fight hunger and help strengthen our communities. With EVERY food item donated, they will receive a coupon for 25% off one regular priced item!

Customers also can purchase OneRepublic’s “Waking Up” CD, featuring a Vanity-exclusive live version of their latest hit “Secrets”. Each CD sold will provide 21 meals through Feeding America (Vanity will donate $3.09 to Feeding America for each CD sold). Customers who purchase the CD also will receive a coupon for 25% off one regular priced item. Customers can enter to win a chance to see OneRepublic live in concert, meet the band backstage, receive a $500 Vanity Shopping Spree and more! Other prizes include: an iPad, iPod Shuffle, autographed CDs and gift cards.

Customers can sign up in store, they can text “Secrets” to 82746, or they can register online at eVanity.com.

**Share the Secret update - So far the Grand Rapids Vanity Store has collected 1,428 lbs of food. Keep up the great work everyone!**

Hunger Action Month 2010 - 30 Ways in 30 Days

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank is part of a national movement to raise awareness and take action to fight hunger in America.

Today, September 1st, kicks off Hunger Action Month 2010. Throughout the month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, including Second Harvest North Central Food Bank, is working to engage citizens to take action through the 30 Ways in 30 Days campaign. Individuals are asked to pledge their “way” to make a difference, and take part in the fight against hunger in America. There are five ways you can join us: Advocate, Organize, Experience, Donate, and Volunteer. Visit our website: www.secondharvestncfb.com, choose your way, and take action now!

Nationwide, more than 49 million Americans suffer from food insecurity. But hunger’s impact is felt by many more than the millions living with food insecurity: hunger impacts child development, health and wellness, education, workforce development – our general welfare as a nation. It is also an issue right here in our community – and at the local level, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank works to combat hunger and aid the hungry living right here in North Central Minnesota. Throughout September, there will be opportunities to get involved. These opportunities will range from social media initiatives to events, family activity suggestions, and ways to volunteer or support the work Second Harvest North Central Food Bank does every day. To see our 30 Ways in 30 Days Calendar visit our website: www.secondharvestncfb.com and click on the calendar tab across the top.

National sponsors of Hunger Action Month include Kraft Foods, Macy’s, The Cheesecake Factory, United Airlines and Snickers. Individuals who want to learn more, find a 30 Ways in 30 Days calendar, or take a My Way Pledge can visit Second Harvest’s website at http://www.secondharvestncfb.com/. For more information, email gretchen@secondharvestncfb.com.

Grand Rapids Food Shelf Receives Plants Donated from Beiers’ Greenhouse

It was an exciting day at the Grand Rapids Food Shelf as we received over 1,500 plants donated from Beiers' Greenhouse. Visitors to the food shelf were pleasantly surprised and thrilled to be able to take the vegetable plants home to relocate into their own gardens. In addition to the plants, Beiers' also donated over 200 pounds of potatoes. It is because of generous donors, such as Beiers', that we can keep our shelves stocked and hungry neighbors fed.

Pictured here you can see staff tending to the donated plants.

Deerwood Bank "Facebooking" to Help End Hunger

Deerwood Bank's current campaign states that for every Facebook fan they add, they'll donate $1 (up to $2,000) to local food banks. Yesterday, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank received a check for $500.00. With every dollar invested into Second Harvest, we can provide up to 5 meals for individuals in need in our community. Thank you for your support, Deerwood Bank and Facebook fans!



Pictured above are Executive Director, Sue Estee of Second Harvest and AVP/Market Manager, Roger Mischke of Deerwood Bank.

Food Shelf Visits Still Increasing in Grand Rapids

Requests for food assistance by people in the Grand Rapids area are up 5% over last year.  Although not the double digit increases we were seeing at this time last year, the need for food for people in crisis continues to grow.  Signs of economic recovery are not appearing for unemployed and low income workers. 

Greenway High School Day of Caring

Today, 20 students and 2 adults worked at Second Harvest in conjunction with the annual Greenway Day of Caring.  The students packed Kids Packs Backpack bags, labeled hundreds of cans of corn and repackaged many bags of macaroni.  Thanks so much to the Greenway High School students for caring about their community and helping end hunger! 

Grand Rapids Letter Carriers Participated in Stamp Out Hunger on Saturday

Thanks to the National Association of Letter Carriers and the Grand Rapids Post Office, more than 5,500 pounds of food was collected on Saturday, May 8th.   The food will go directly to the Grand Rapids Food Shelf and help local people who come for food assistance. 

Stamp Out Hunger Saturday, May 8th

The National Association of Letter Carriers will be collecting nonperishable food items on Saturday, May 8^th along their routes for Second Harvest North Central Food Bank /Grand Rapids Food Shelf. It is the eighteenth annual “Stamp Out Hunger” drive conducted by the National Association of Letter Carriers – the largest one day food drive in the nation. Non-perishable food donations can be placed by your mailbox and a carrier will pick them up for delivery to the food bank. The carriers extra effort each May helps our community and makes it very easy for individuals to donate. Last year the Grand Rapids postal carriers delivered over 8,000 pounds of donated food to the Grand Rapids Food Shelf which was distributed locally to people seeking assistance. Hunger is a very real issue in Minnesota communities. In March of 2010, 753 households needed to use the Grand Rapids Food Shelf to put food on the table. Food Shelf use has doubled from 2005 to 2009 and 40% of food shelf clients are children. Through the generosity of postal customers and the commitment of local letter carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive will again help stock the shelves and help feed families in need. For more information, call the Food Shelf at 326-4420  

This is National Volunteer Week

Thanks to more than 500 people every year who give their time to Second Harvest and help us feed the hungry in our area.  Over 11,500 hours were logged by volunteers at the food bank in 2009.  Volunteers pack over 2,000 commodity boxes every month and help hundreds of families in the Grand Rapids Food Shelf.

Thanks to a very caring community!

Grand Casino Mille Lacs Donates $7,083 to Second Harvest to help local food shelves

Grand Casino Mille Lacs , along with donations from their Guests and Associates, donated a total of $7,083.50 to Second Harvest North Central Food Bank.  That translates into more than 35,000 meals and more than 5,000 pounds of food for hungry local families.

The donation was the result of the “Add a Quarter to your Order” promotion, in which Guests could donate a quarter to their food order at any food venue at either casino.

“We appreciate the compassionate support shown by our Guests and Associates to make this donation to local food shelves possible,” said Michael Garrow, Commissioner of Corporate Affairs for the Corporate Commission of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. “Grand Casinos is proud to match the contributions made by our Guests and Associates and glad that we could help increase awareness about the needs of local food shelves as they feed hungry families in Minnesota.

During the check presentation, Sue Estee, Executive Director for Second Harvest North Central Food Bank, reiterated the fact that the demand for food is higher than it has been in recent years. “The donation that we receive today from Grand Casino Mille Lacs will go to purchase food to help the member agencies in Aitkin, Brainerd, Garrison, Onamia, and Isle. We appreciate the dedication Grand Casino has shown, along with its Guests and Associates, to hunger relief.”

Grand Rapids Scouting For Food this Saturday, March 27th!

Every spring the local scout packs and troops participate in the “Scouting for Food” service project. The local scouts will collect food door to door on Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 9 am until 12 noon. The scouts dropped off plastic bags and fliers at most local in-town residents doors this week in hopes of residents being able to donate some non-perishable goods to the food drive. All proceeds of the local drive will go directly to the Grand Rapids Food Shelf located at the Second Harvest Food bank.

Please set out donations on Saturday morning by 9 am so the scouts can pick them up. There are also drop boxes at local churches and businesses in case your pick-up gets missed. Donations can be dropped at the Medicine Shoppe, Ogle’s Market Place Foods, Zion Lutheran Church, St. Andrew’s Church and St. Joe’s.

Please help with this worthy cause if you are able!

St Joseph’s Church Hosts Corned Beef Dinner for the Grand Rapids Food Shelf

Please join St. Joseph’s Church and the Knights of Columbus on Saturday, March 13th from 6-7pm for a Corned Beef Dinner to benefit the Grand Rapids Food Shelf.  Tickets are $8 for Adults and $4 for children under 12 and available at the door. 

St Joseph’s Church is located at 315 SW 21st St in Grand Rapids.  Thanks to the Knights of Columbus and St Joe’s for their support of Second Harvest and the Grand Rapids Food Shelf.

Add a quarter to your order at Grand Casino

In 2009, there were more than 30,000 individual trips made to area food shelves surrounding the communities near Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley. In response, Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley are joining forces to fight hunger in their surrounding communities through the “Add a Quarter to Your Order” promotion.

The concept is simple. The “Add a Quarter to Your Order” promotion kicks off Monday, February 22. When you dine at Grand Casino Mille Lacs or Grand Casino Hinckley from February 22 until March 28, you will have the option of adding a quarter to your food order. All proceeds will benefit Second Harvest North Central Food Bank, which serves area food shelves around Grand Casino Mille Lacs, and Family Pathways shelters in Hinckley and Sandstone, which serve the communities surrounding Grand Casino Hinckley.

At the end of the promotion, Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley will match the donations raised at each respective property up to $5,000.

Join the Feinstein Challenge

For the 13th consecutive year, Alan Shawn Feinstein will divide $1 million among anti-hunger agencies nationwide, using it as a spur to raise funds during March and April 2010.

All donations made to Second Harvest and the Grand Rapids Food Shelf from March 1st to April 30 will qualify for the challenge allocation. The more we raise, the more we will receive from the Feinstein Challenge.

Mr. Feinstein says "Please give whatever you can - I will gladly add some of my money to yours. Thank you for sharing my heart, and the hope that someday, no one will ever go hungry."

To participate in the Feinstein Challenge call Second Harvest, 218.326.4420 or online at our website www.secondharvestncfb.com

Thanks for your support!

Chef''s Gala Benefitting Second Harvest A Huge Success

The first ever Chef's Gala Benefitting Second Harvest was a sold out event hosted by the Timberlake Lodge on Wednesday Feb. 10th. Over 240 people were served four gourmet courses and each chef described the dish he had prepared. Local celebrities were auctioned off to serve the table that purchased them. The event raised almost $9,000 for the hunger relief efforts of Second Harvest. Many thanks to the chefs, the Timberlake Lodge, KQ105.5, and everyone who supported the event!

Plant to Plate Soup Day

Fourth graders from Southwest Elementary School in Grand Rapids made Golden Autumn Soup at the food bank on Tuesday.  Plant to Plate coordinator Linda Russell, with support from University of Minnesota Extension NEA Gail Pollard and volunteers, took the students through the steps to make soup; cutting vegetables, measuring ingredients and adding food to the pot.  While the soup cooked, the students made “bread in a bag” and baked it in the food bank’s oven.

Most of the students enjoyed the squash soup, many came back for seconds, thirds and even fourths!  The project was an extension of the Plant to Plate garden project.  Just like the garden this year, soup making was delayed.  Most years, students make soup from the Plant to Plate garden after harvest.  That didn’t work out this year, but soup in January is very good too.

Thanks to Linda and Gail and everyone who helped the students make and taste a new soup.

Lake Country Power Operation Round Up Helps Feed the Need

Lake Country Power once again supports Second Harvest North Central Food Bank’s Itasca Holiday Program through a $3,500 grant from Operation Round Up. Many thanks to the members of Lake Country Power who help “Feed the Need.”

Sue and Rick accept the check from Operation Round Up

Second Harvest distributes over 3.6 million pounds of food in 2009 – thanks to generous community support

Thanks to many generous donors, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank was able to “Feed the Need” in 2009. The food bank distributed over 3.6 million pounds of food in 2009 – a new record!

· Donor support enables Second Harvest Food Bank to implement innovative programs like the Grand Rapids Food Shelf, Itasca Holiday Program and Kids Packs to Go Backpack Program. We are able to store and transport wholesome, nutritious food quickly, and advocate for public policies that benefit America’s hungry.

· Second Harvest Food Bank depends on the contributions of its financial donors to secure and distribute food to hungry people in north central Minnesota.

· Just one dollar enables Second Harvest North Central Food Bank to provide up to 5 meals for people in need.

· Second Harvest takes pride in our commitment to keeping administrative costs low.

· That’s why for every dollar we raise, a full 94% goes directly to the programs we support.

· Second Harvest has earned the Charities Review Council approval.

· Together, we can provide hope to hungry Americans.