Young girl eats lunch with friends at school

OUR IMPACT

We're a leader in the emergency food chain and one of the nation’s largest food banks. But, our work is about so much more than moving food.

Bringing Hope to the Heartland

Our work is about so much more than moving food. It’s about making families whole again. It’s about helping those in crisis find stability.

It’s about relieving the stress of an empty fridge for parents, making sure kids have the food they need to learn in school, and giving seniors a chance to stretch their dollars every month.

It's about meeting community needs and bringing stability to hungry households.

Our impact goes far beyond a generous box of nutritious groceries.

We’re here to advocate for systematic change, innovate the way we source and distribute food, and empower our community to provide healthy food where it’s needed most.

Learn More        Get Involved

BY THE NUMBERS

We work with 464 agency partners and more than 780 programs across our 59-county Minnesota and western Wisconsin service area.

Get Involved infographic
Pallet of cabbage in warehouse

What is a Food Bank?

Distributing Food to Minnesotans

How do food banks help get nutritious food to our neighbors who need it? They source and distribute fresh food, free groceries and healthy meals through a network of local food shelves.

Illustration of people waiting in line

Food Supports Report

Our Latest Research

Our latest research shows the reach of hunger right here in the heartland, as well as who received food and support from our region’s network of hunger-relief organizations.

Two people standing outside, smiling and holding a grocery bag

A Strong Safety Net

Providing Food Stability

Food stability means living fully and without worrying about how to feed yourself or your family. It means peace-of-mind knowing where your next meal comes from. Second Harvest Heartland and our partners help create that strong safety net in our community. Every day, we’re listening to our partners, collaborating on more efficient solutions and working together to strengthen the hunger relief system.


We’re Coming Together to End Hunger

Our impact is broad, but we can’t end hunger on our own. Thousands of volunteers, donors, agency partners, staff and community members support our mission.

Our Donors

Our donors make an impact with generous financial contributions, where every $1 donated can provide 3 meals. More than 48,000 individuals and 2,600 organizations supported us last year.
Leigh Peters-Fransen, husband Joel and family, Donors & Volunteers

Our Volunteers

Our volunteers make an impact with hours of their time, talents and expertise. These generous individuals shared 55,008 volunteer hours in 2023, equivalent to 26 full-time employees.
Man holds FOODRx box

Our agency partners

Our food shelf and agency partners make an impact through hands-on outreach and hunger support across our communities. We count on nearly 1,000 partner programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Food shelf coordinator Althea Lankford at Hallie Q. Brown

Our Staff

Our staff make an impact by efficiently sourcing and distributing food, connecting hungry households with food assistance resources and identifying new ways to deliver food where it’s needed most.
Large group photo of the Second Harvest Heartland employees

Our Advocacy

Our advocacy with local, state and national officials creates an impact by raising awareness and championing anti-hunger policies.
Farmer's Market