Volunteer Opportunity – Second Harvest Heartland

Second Harvest Heartland, the Upper Midwest’s largest hunger-relief organization, works to reinvent hunger relief through leadership and innovation so as to help those who are hungry today and provide the means for those who are hungry to be fed tomorrow. Pioneering partnerships and programs have paved the way for Second Harvest Heartland to distribute nearly 60 million pounds of grocery products this year to hungry seniors, families and children through nearly 1,000 non-profit member agencies and programs serving 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.2harvest.org.

Meals for Minds

1 in 8 Minnesota children lives at risk of hunger. To help provide for children in need, the Target Meals for Minds program and Second Harvest Heartland join together to distribute food to students and families through mobile food pantries in Minneapolis and St. Paul elementary schools.

During the event, volunteers help set up a mobile food pantry by sorting and pre-bagging produce and stocking tables with food so the room is ready when families arrive. Volunteers will then distribute items, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, bread and meat, directly to students and families.

The events take place once per month in the late afternoon or evening with a time commitment of about 3 hours. This is a very meaningful opportunity to provide food to those who need it most.

Upcoming Dates:
• Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary (807 27th Avenue North, MPLS, 55411) on Tuesday, Oct. 18th from 5 – 7:30 pm
• Jackson Elementary (427 Edmund Avenue, St. Paul, 55103) Oct. 27th from 5:30 – 8:00 pm

Minneapolis Service Center

Volunteers at our Minneapolis facility work in groups to sort and re-package donated food such as pinto beans, rice, cereal, tortillas or pasta. This food is then made available for our local partner food shelves, soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Shifts for the Service Center are available weekdays from 9am – 12pm and from 1 – 3 pm, and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 – 7 pm. Volunteering at our Service Center is a fun and convenient experience for both groups and individuals.

Farmer’s Market

Each Sunday from mid-July through October, we collect surplus produce from vendors at the Minneapolis Farmers Market. There are two ways to volunteer: during the morning volunteers focus on encouraging shoppers to donate through outreach and education, and the afternoon shift focuses on produce collection. In 2010, over 1,000 volunteers collected more than 50 tons of fresh food at the Farmers Market!

Registration Information
Volunteers can register online by visiting Second Harvest’s website at www.2harvest.org/volunteer. Kris Jensen, Volunteer Coordinator, is available to answer questions and provide scheduling assistance by phone at 651-216-3761 or email at kjensen@2harvest.org.