![Allison O'Toole in volunteer center](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_widget_3_1_1200x400/public/2023-04/img_1354-copy.jpg?h=b8df67ee&itok=kfDrCsnW)
Press Room
We work to elevate hunger awareness and inspire action. Find recent news stories and press releases here. If you're a member of the media, reach out to help share the story of today's hunger and how we can end it together.
Media Inquiries
Contact Samantha Solberg, Communications Specialist
ssolberg@2harvest.org
651-505-7102
Boilerplate
Second Harvest Heartland is a leading hunger-relief organization. In partnership with more than 1,000 food shelves and hunger-relief programs in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, we provided nearly 128 million meals to neighbors last year. We also help families enroll in food assistance and provide prepared meals for people who need more than groceries. Second Harvest Heartland is a leader, convener and voice in hunger-related policy discussions. Learn more at 2harvest.org.
Spokespeople Available for Interview
Please contact Samantha Solberg at 651-505-7102 or ssolberg@2harvest.org to arrange an interview with any of the following Second Harvest Heartland leaders.
Allison O'Toole, Chief Executive Officer
• Mobilizing Minnesotans to end hunger together
• Inflation and Covid recovery
• The racial hunger divide
Angelica Klebsch, Director of Community Partnerships
• Building community partnerships for hunger relief
• Barriers facing immigrant communities
• Tailoring strategies for special populations
Sarah Moberg, Chief Operations Officer
• End-to-end supply chain: sourcing, storing, distribution
• Innovating to serve our neighbors better
• Neighbor-centered services based in collaboration and partnership
Ethan Neal, Director of Partner Operations
• How strong food shelves power hunger relief
• Mobilizing local agriculture systems for hunger relief
• Supporting a 1,000-plus network of food programs
Press Releases
For all media inquiries and to request press releases from earlier than 2024, email Samantha Solberg at ssolberg@2harvest.org.
- 6/20/2024 Second Harvest Heartland Reports Progress on Make Hunger History Initiative by Getting More of the Right Food, Right Where it’s Needed
- 3/21/2024 Kitchen Coalition Celebrates Distributing 5 Million Prepared Meals Made by Communities, for Communities
- 1/29/2024 Second Harvest Heartland and Partners Announce Make Hunger History Initiative with Goal to Cut Hunger in Half for All Minnesotans by 2030
In the News
A sampling of recent media stories about hunger, Second Harvest Heartland and our partners.
- 8/21/2024 Minneapolis neighborhood gets fresh produce through nonprofit partnership
- 8/14/2024 St. Peter Area Food Shelf distributes free fresh produce
- 8/9/2024 2024 Best of Business: Giving Back
- 7/29/2024 A year since emergency SNAP benefits expired, thousands of Minnesotans struggle with grocery bills
- 6/27/2024 Prairie Farms donates lactose-free milk to Brooklyn Park food bank
- 6/20/2024 Heavy rains and climate change challenge Minnesota agriculture, farmers of color
- 6/20/2024 Afro Deli & Grill connects Minnesotans to African flavors — and to their neighbors
- 6/17/2024 App helps fight summer food insecurity in Minnesota
- 5/18/2024 Medcalf: As Feeding Our Future trial continues, will hungry kids lose support?
- 4/24/2024 After record year for food shelf visits, Second Harvest Heartland is hoping to fight food insecurity
- 4/24/2024 Harvest Giving Day at Second Harvest Heartland
- 4/22/2024 Twin Cities Apps Are Fighting Food Waste
- 4/10/2024 Food shelf visits in Minnesota increased by 2 million in 2023; a new bill hopes to help
- 4/10/2024 Proposed bill would give food banks $5 million annually
- 4/9/2024 Minnesota food shelves ask state for assistance amid record demand
- 3/13/2024 A record number of Minnesotans are relying on food shelves
- 2/7/2024 Minnesota nonprofits band together on housing, childcare, nutrition efforts
- 2/6/2024 Ways out of food insecurity
- 2/2/2024 A 'Moonshot’ to Reduce Hunger
- 2/1/2024 Food pantries getting creative to meet surge in demand
- 1/29/2024 State of Minnesota, Second Harvest Heartland team up to reduce hunger
- 1/29/2024 ‘Make Hunger History’ hopes to cut hunger in half by 2030
- 1/29/2024 “Make Hunger History” campaign launched
- 1/29/2024 Second Harvest Heartland, Minnesota pledge to cut hunger in half by 2030
- 1/29/2024 Second Harvest Heartland announces goal to cut state hunger in half by 2030
- 1/29/2024 Second Harvest is ready to cut food insecurity in half by 2030 — here’s how
- 1/29/2024 Food bank announces plan to cut hunger in half for Minnesota
- 1/29/2024 Target, Cargill pledge $10 million each to Second Harvest Heartland's new plan to cut hunger in Minnesota
- 1/29/2024 Second Harvest Heartland announces 'moonshot' plan to reduce hunger in Minnesota
- 12/21/2023 Food shelves struggling to serve communities amid high demand, looking for donations
- 12/21/2023 Want to fight hunger? There’s a better way than scrounging cans from your cupboards
- 12/13/2023 How Minnesota Stands Out in Charitable Impact
- 12/7/2023 Serving up kindness: How to help food banks, food rescues and more tackle food insecurity this holiday
- 12/6/2023 Food insecure MSU students find help at Campus Cupboard
- 11/28/2023 Food banks are filling gaps in the safety net this holiday season
- 11/21/2023 After beating Knicks, Timberwolves give back at Second Harvest Heartland
- 11/21/2023 $5 million in leftover federal COVID funds going to Minnesota food banks ahead of holidays
- 10/27/2023 Local food bank needs volunteers to feed hungry Minnesotans
- 10/25/2023 Viral social media post highlights 'real needs' at food banks
- 9/28/2023 Hunger relief organizations in the Twin Cities brace for impact of possible government shutdown
- 9/27/2023 Minnesota food shelves brace for government shutdown
- 9/27/2023 Ag secretary: Federal shutdown would hurt nutrition assistance, rural America
- 9/27/2023 We can’t feed the hungry without SNAP
- 9/26/2023 Government shutdown cloud looms over WIC recipients
- 8/2/2023 Farm bill, food stamps and federal funding debated at Minnesota's Farmfest
- 6/17/2023 About 4,000 Minnesotans could lose access to food stamps thanks to federal debt ceiling deal, unless they work or meet exemptions
- 6/14/2023 State helping to fund prepared meals that nonprofits provide to people in need
- 6/13/2023 Lt. Gov. Flanagan, nonprofits praise additional $3.3 million for prepared meals program
- 6/8/2023 2H Heartland Unearths SNAP Myths Among Latinos
- 6/2/2023 Legislature made progress on hunger, but there’s more to do
- 6/1/2023 Second Harvest Heartland receives large milk donation as food shelf demand surges
- 5/30/2023 KARE 11 Sunrise & Second Harvest Heartland team up for Summer Meals for Kids
- 4/24/2023 The Legislature can do more to address hunger
- 4/18/2023 How potholes can cause food insecurity
- 4/8/2023 Food shelves grapple with even more demand after COVID emergency federal food assistance expire
- 4/5/2023 Food shelves facing greater pressure with the end of additional SNAP benefits
- 3/8/2023 Food Banks Will Bear the Brunt of America’s Looming Hunger Cliff
- 3/2/2023 'I'm really worried about it': As federal emergency food help ends, Minnesotans voice concerns
- 2/28/2023 Emergency SNAP benefits end, Minnesota food shelves brace for growing need
- 2/27/2023 COVID-era emergency SNAP benefits set to end, food shelves gear up for more demand
- 2/20/2023 Concerns rise as north Minneapolis loses key grocery, pharmacy stores
- 2/20/2023 Campus-based assistance programs aim to combat food insecurity
- 2/9/2023 2H Heartland CEO Attends State of the Union Address
- 2/7/2023 Senator Tina Smith prepares for State of the Union Address
- 2/3/2023 Wolves coach Finch, staff help out at Second Harvest Heartland
- 1/30/2023 Kitchen Coalition expands beyond the Twin Cities, offering restaurant-style meals to people in need
- 1/20/2023 How Kitchen Coalition makes fresh meals for people in need
- 1/2/2023 At food banks, need is up, donations are down