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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 09-19 Maplewood food bank leads region in hunger action campaign MAPLEWOOD REVIEW Maplewood food bank leads region in hunger action campaign Submitted by admin on Tue, 09/19/2017 - 10:16am Volunteers are needed at Second Harvest Heartland to help repackage bulk items like rice or pasta into manageable amounts. Each volunteer shift is about two and a half hours long. courtesy of Second Harvest Heartland With the help of volunteers and donors, Maplewood-based food bank Second Harvest Heartland served more than half a million people last year in its service area, which includes 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. courtesy of Second Harvest Heartland Maplewood and Minnesota declare September Hunger Action Month In 2016, 15.6 million U.S. households didn’t have enough food for each family member, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. Although food security is a year-round problem, this fall offers ample opportunities to make a difference. Maplewood, along with St. Paul, Minneapolis, Golden Valley and the State of Minnesota, have declared September as Hunger Action Month. Hunger Action Month is a national campaign initiated by Feeding America, a network of hunger relief organizations throughout the United States. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of the widespread need for food support, in addition to bolstering donations and volunteer hours. “Hunger action month serves as, kind of a kickoff, to the busy fall season,” said Heather Olson, director of corporate partnership and cause marketing for Maplewood-based Second Harvest Heartland, which also has a location in Golden Valley. “I think fall is a time when people naturally think of giving back, so we want to make sure people understand what the need is in our community,” she added. Second Harvest Heartland is a member of the Feeding America network and helps supply food to food shelves in 59 counties. About 75 percent of the food that local food shelves distribute comes from Second Harvest Heartland, Olson said. Recognizing the need Last year, Second Harvest Heartland served more than half a million people in its service area, which includes communities across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A declaration the Maplewood City Council passed at its Aug. 28 meeting, says, “The City of Maplewood is committed to taking steps to raise awareness about the need to combat hunger in every part of our city and to provide additional resources that citizens of Maplewood need.” “We’re very proud to have \[Second Harvest Heartland\] in our city,” Mayor Nora Slawik said during the meeting. Olson explained that it is important to have cities like Maplewood recognize Hunger Action Month because it creates additional awareness that hunger exists even in our local communities and reminds residents how they can help. Council member Kathleen Juenemann added that in addition to making the declaration, Maplewood is collecting nonperishable items at the community center, City Hall and the public works building throughout September. Making change Olson said the best ways to help relieve hunger in the community are to volunteer, donate and spread awareness. Volunteers are needed at Second Harvest Heartland to help pack meals or repack food, and a shift lasts about two and a half hours. For Hunger Action Month, Bremer Bank is matching every volunteer hour worked at Second Harvest Heartland in September with a $5 donation. “For every dollar that we receive, we can distribute three meals in the community, so it’s really amplifying the impact of donating some of your time,” Olson said. Second Harvest Heartland is also looking for donations of non-perishable food items or money. “We prefer cash donations because by carefully stewarding food, volunteer time and donations through our efficient operations, Second Harvest Heartland can distribute over $7 worth of food and grocery product for every $1 donated,” said Mary Sutherland, director of communications for Second Harvest Heartland. Olson said Second Harvest Heartland uses the money to purchase bulk quantities of items like rice and pasta at a low rate, and with the help of volunteers, the nonprofit is able to repackage the items in manageable amounts. Giving money online is the most efficient way to do it, she added. Also, the Xcel Energy Foundation and several other individual donors have raised $50,000 to match financial donations received in September, which makes every dollar donated stretch a little further. For spreading awareness, Olson suggested wearing orange, or making social media profiles orange, to show support for hungry people in the community. Also, she suggested talking with friends, family and neighbors about hunger in the community and ways to get involved. CLICK HERE to access a list of additional local hunger relief organizations. Other opportunities Olson said Hunger Action Month also serves as the kickoff for Feeding America’s new campaign, Fill Another Table, which looks ahead to upcoming holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. The goal of the campaign is to collect enough donations to provide 12 million meals. “As you fill your table for holiday meals coming up in the months ahead, \[consider\] what you can do to help fill somebody else’s table too,” Olson said. Just as the symbol of Hunger Action Month is orange, the icon for Fill Another Table is an orange fork. Olson suggested that using orange forks at holiday meals may spark conversation about hunger action. Of course, this campaign brings with it a number of events hosted in the area throughout the season, such as a disc golf tournament and specialty items sold at local restaurants and bars. For a full list of ways to participate in this campaign, go to the Second Harvest Heartland website at www.2harvest.org. Second Harvest Heartland will also be a beneficiary of the Walk to End Hunger at the Mall of America on Thanksgiving morning and the Lifetime Fitness Turkey Day 5K on Thanksgiving Day. Olson said those who are looking for other ways to help can also get creative by hosting their own food/fund drive for the Fill Another Table campaign. In the past, a fun way people have raised food was by hosting a party and asking guests to bring nonperishable items instead of bringing a dish. “We just want to make sure that people remember that there are those that are going to struggle during the holiday season for their holiday meals, so this is the right time to think about what they could do to give back,” Olson said.