PROGRAMS & SERVICES
Through partnerships, expertise, grantmaking and innovation, our programs help address immediate hunger needs and systemic food insecurity across the community.
New Ways To End Hunger Together
We can’t end hunger through food distribution alone. We also need programs and policies that work upstream to prevent emergency hunger and keep our neighbors fed and well.
We focus our programs and services in two areas:
- Feeding the line of people experiencing hunger right now, through immediate distributions of healthy, fresh and nutritious food across over 1,000 agency partner programs.
- Shortening the line of those affected by hunger, by helping address and prevent food insecurity earlier.
Making a Difference for Hungry Kids, Families and Seniors
As one of the country’s largest food banks, we leverage our resources, expertise and connections to:
- Make it easier for more hungry households and agency partners to use existing state and federal hunger relief programs like SNAP and CSFP.
- Explore how technology and innovation can streamline and improve the emergency food system, with powerful tools like MealConnect.
- Respond to new and urgent demands in our community with thoughtful, custom solutions, such as Kitchen Coalition during COVID-19 and FOODRx for individuals with chronic conditions.
- Work with schools, educators and communities to address childhood hunger and help kids get the nutrition they need to thrive.
Our work exists to reduce the gaps in nutrition services and to more meaningfully and collaboratively strive to end hunger in the heartland.
FIGHTING HUNGER AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
Partnering to Make a Difference
Across the Twin Cities metro and in greater Minnesota, our programs, services and resources help hungry families, school children, seniors and others access healthy food, get the support they need and most importantly, move toward a brighter future.
How We Work to End Hunger
There is more than enough food for everyone, and our programs and services work to fulfill that belief. We work across local, state and federal programs and also develop innovative, custom solutions, all to create a sustainable support system that gathers our abundant food resources and delivers it to our community members in need.
Explore our programs to learn more and get involved
SNAP Outreach
Helping more low-income households buy groceries Our team of experts—the largest in the state—helps applicants and referral partners across Minnesota navigate the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance…
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Senior Food Resources (CSFP)
Nutritious food boxes for hungry seniors We distribute healthy, shelf-stable food to low-income Minnesotans age 60+ through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, also known as NAPS.
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Child Hunger
Resources for K-12 schools and communities We help schools and educators address childhood hunger through food distribution, outreach, grants and expertise.
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Kitchen Coalition
Kitchen Coalition serves up culturally connected, freshly prepared meals and a whole new way to fight hunger. We know that not everyone facing hunger has the home, health, or ability to use the…
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FOODRx
Recognizing healthy food as medicine This clinically tested program ensures people with chronic health conditions have access to the nutrition, education, and support they need to thrive.
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Grantmaking
Funding local hunger-relief programs We invest in innovative ideas at the local level, helping our agency partners launch new programs, replace aging equipment or improve access to healthy food in…
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MealConnect
Using tech to rescue prepared food This innovative tech platform from Feeding America moves excess food from commercial kitchens and manufacturers to local food shelves—often within a few hours.
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Food Rescue
Reducing food waste in the heartland We team up with manufacturers, retailers and farmers to divert safe, edible food from landfills and provide it to people in need.
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Farm to Food Shelf
Putting more fresh produce on the table Thanks to state funding, we bring surplus Minnesota-grown crops to local food shelves for families in need.
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Midwest Food Hub
As one of the largest food banks in the country, Second Harvest Heartland has the opportunity and responsibility to support other food banks in our region, expanding our hunger-fighting reach across…
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READY TO GET INVOLVED?
Talk to Us About Your Need and How We Can Work Together
There are numerous ways for local food shelves, faith-based organizations, schools, restaurants, retailers and other community resources to join us in ending hunger together.