Second Harvest Heartland - Newsletter - Spring 2011

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• Can-do attitude provides 700,000 meals• Bremer takes action• Your 2011 Hunger Heroes• Donor highlightsIN

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GENERAL MILLS’ CAN -DO ATTITUDE PROVIDES 700,000 MEALSIt’s a one-week campaign that takes over four months to plan, but employees of General Mills look forward to the challenge every year. They know the ultimate goal of their Food & Fund Drive is to give even more to our neighbors in need.

For over five years, General Mills has participated in the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign, which annually aims to restock 300 food shelves throughout Minnesota. Though the campaign runs for the entire month, General Mills picks one week in March for a friendly, fun campaign with some internal challenges within

departments/divisions. “Hundreds of people are involved in the campaign. It really rallies everyone together,” says Pam Olsen, who represents the Volunteer Council for the General Mills campaign. “We hang banners, use driveway signs, and have an Outreach Committee that helps raise awareness and increase participation in the drive.”

During the internal drive, employees can enjoy fresh baked goods—made and sold by the Betty Crocker Kitchen group—or maybe a fresh baked waffle, made and sold by the IS “Master Minds” team. New this year, one department brought in an Elvis impersonator and any employee who purchased a ticket could spend a lunch hour listening to Elvis tunes.

“Departments are constantly figuring out new ways to raise money,” says Pam. “It is always fun to see what creative ideas they come up with each year.”

Another component to the drive is the annual CANstruction event at the ICS center. Teams of employees use all different sizes of aluminum cans and non-perishable items to build structures and compete for the “CANley Cup.” Throughout the event, employees judge the structures and vote for their favorite. When the competition is complete, the structures are disassembled

and the food is donated to Second Harvest Heartland. This year’s CANstruction collected a total of 1,688 pounds of food.

The General Mills Food & Fund Drive collected 7,440 pounds of food this year, and raised more than $96,643, bringing the grand total, with the company match, to 207,000 combined dollars and pounds of food for our neighbors in need—enough to provide over 700,000 meals.

“General Mills is a wonderful sponsor. They are 100% behind the drive and allow us to take time to plan and then participate in this campaign each year,” said Pam. “Our mission of Nourishing Lives, Nourishing Communities, Nourishing the Future is a part of all we do. The Food & Fund Drive is just one avenue.”

Anyone can start their own Food & Fund Drive. Visit 2harvest.org/foodandfund to learn how.FM107 “My Talk’s Food for Families” Food Drive

June 6 – 19My Talk 107.1 will collect food for Second Harvest Heartland at various locations throughout the metro area.For more details, visit mytalk1071.com.

American Association of Woodturners 25th Annual International Symposium June 24 - 26 • Saint Paul RiverCentreProceeds from the AAW Return to the Community Project/Empty Bowls go to Second Harvest Heartland.Visit 2harvest.org/events for more details.

Ice Cream Social Hosted by AdvisorNet FinancialJune 28 • 11:30am - 2:30pm • Peavy PlazaAdvisorNet Financial will serve up free ice cream while collecting donations for Second Harvest Heartland.Visit 2harvest.org/events for more details.

Food ManiaJuly 18 – 29 For more information, see page 11, or visit 2harvest.org/foodmania.

Lifetime Fitness Torchlight 5kJuly 20 • Basilica of St. Mary, MinneapolisParticipants are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items, which benefit Second Harvest Heartland.For more details, visit torchlight5k.com.

Minneapolis Farmers MarketSundays from July 10 - October 30 • Minneapolis Come donate produce to our neighbors in need!For more information, visit 2harvest.org/givinggreen.

Bremer Bank Farmers Market EventsBremer Bank will collect donations for Second Harvest Heartland. KS95 personalities to make appearances.

St. Paul Farmers MarketSaturday, June 4 • 7:00am – 1:00pm • St. Paul Minneapolis Farmers MarketSunday, June 26 • 7:00am - 1:00pm • Minneapolis

The Mission Beyond the Mission

A message from our Executive Director

You can help.

Together we are transforming hunger relief. Mark your calendar with these events. Go to 2harvest.org/events for more details.

The Mission Beyond the Mission

A message from our Executive Director

Anyone can have a hunger storyLast month, I once again had the pleasure of speaking at Dish: Cuisine for Change, the annual gala benefiting Second Harvest Heartland. It’s one of my favorite nights of the year—I’m always humbled by the tremendous showing of generosity from the community partners who come out in support of our work. If you were one of those people, I’d like to extend my sincere thanks, on behalf of Second Harvest Heartland and the people we serve, for your attendance and your commitment to the fight against hunger in our neighborhoods.

At this year’s event, I talked about one of our employees who had a screening appointment with a man who called Second Harvest Heartland seeking help. At the time of the appointment, our employee

didn’t recognize him on her first pass through the lobby, as he was wearing a suit and she had assumed this man was a donor here to meet with a member of our executive team. She circled back and he responded when she called his name (as she inwardly chided herself for knowing better than to judge a person’s need by his attire, particularly in this economy). She led him back to her office and learned his story. She heard about his layoff from his corporate sales job, his divorce and his house falling into foreclosure. He emotionally relayed how the suit he was wearing was his only nice thing left. And he had it on that day only because he was going to a dinner that night. You see, he was still on the list for some upscale marketing events at which dinner was included if you listened to a

sales pitch for various products. He could no longer buy anything, he explained, but he desperately needed the dinner.

Our neighbors are facing immense stress—unexpected health problems, unemployment, home foreclosure, a broken car—any single one of which can cascade into a list of debilitating pressures if you are already struggling to get by. While the economy slowly rebuilds, I continually remind myself that we still have a long way to go.

But I’m convinced that with your commitment and faith in the work of Second Harvest Heartland, we can create a better tomorrow for our neighbors who are struggling today.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support.

-Rob Zeaske

CANstruction collected 1,688 pounds of food.

Teams of General Mills employees competed for the CANley Cup.

Second Harvest Heartland shares the Bremer Bank vision to build healthy communities through partnership. This is why we’re so excited to partner once again with Bremer for the Taking Action Against Hunger Campaign.

Now in its sixth year, the campaign will make an even more significant impact in the lives of our hungry neighbors in 2011 by making every donation twice as valuable. Bremer Bank will generously match every dollar donated to Taking Action Against Hunger, up to a $50,000 total.

Your donation is important! For every $10 donated, Second Harvest Heartland can distribute 37 meals for the children, seniors and working families in need in our community.

Donations can be made at your local Bremer Bank or online at Bremer.com. Hurry, because Taking Action Against Hunger will only accept donations through June 30, 2011.

50,000 reasons to Take Action

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Second Harvest Heartland is pleased to announce the recipients of its second annual Hunger Hero awards, which were created to honor and recognize organizational partners who make a compassionate and transformational impact on those who are hungry in the Heartland.

Last year, 1 in 10 Minnesotans was at risk of not having enough to eat, and hungry Minnesotans missed 125 million meals. As the

demand for emergency food increased, so, too, did the generosity of many of Second Harvest Heartland’s charitable partners, six of whom demonstrated extraordinary leadership in meeting the unprecedented demand for food. It is those six partners that Second Harvest Heartland honors this year with its Hunger Hero award, a seal of appreciation designed to publicly acknowledge those who contributed the most by way of foods, funds, hours, ideas, awareness and more.

“Second Harvest Heartland works passionately every day to feed our hungry neighbors, but our success is dependent on the benevolence and conviction of our outstanding community partners who continue to demonstrate equal passion for and commitment to our cause,” said Rob Zeaske, executive director of Second Harvest Heartland. “We are proud to recognize to this year’s Hunger Heroes for their leadership in substantially and sustainably impacting our hungry neighbors.”

Hunger Heroes are recognized in six categories, each of which is critical to Second Harvest Heartland’s mission of ending hunger through community partnerships and all of which must work in tandem to collectively achieve that goal.

To read more about our Hunger Heroes, turn the page!

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40 percent of the Heartland hungry are children.

THE HEARTLAND’S HUNGRY CHILDREN RECOGNIZING OUR 2011 HUNGER HEROES

Dr. Jean Kinsey

The Vikings’ Visanthe Shiancoe is a prominent face around the Twin Cities, and his likeness adds even more

appeal to the Kids Eat Free promotional campaign.

promotional support from the initiative’s founding sponsor, the Minnesota Vikings Children’s Fund, as well as supporting sponsors Target and ConAgra Foods. The program has achieved high visibility locally, as well as nationally, due to the ‘Kids Eat Free’ promotional campaign, which combines online and text-based site locator tools with neighborhood canvassing and attention-grabbing billboards located in the neighborhoods of more than 20 sites.

USDA officials laud the program’s intimate appeal, for everyone from players to kids, for its effect. This poignant anecdote from an SFSP site coordinator reinforces the USDA’s praise: “We have a few weekly rate hotels nearby,” says one site coordinator. “A couple of high school age boys from one of them walked into our church for dinner and told us that it was the first meal that they had eaten all day. They saw the ‘Kids Eat Free!’ sign outside our church and decided to come in. They returned every day during the summer for an afternoon snack and dinner. At the end

of the summer, the younger of the two informed us that he would be trying out for high school football this fall because he felt strong enough to do it this year.” In 2011, the program plans to serve 1 million meals to children during the summer recess.

Share Your LunchSecond Harvest Heartland has added another component to its child hunger outreach this summer. The Share Your Lunch initiative is a seasonal fund drive that highlights the everyday role individuals and groups can take in providing meals — and a healthy future — for a hungry child. Introduced as a promotional partnership with the St. Paul Pioneer Press and WCCO Radio, the drive reminds us of the power of food security—the lunch break—in taking us through the day, and invites a movement to Share Your Lunch during summer, the most vulnerable time for out-of-school children to miss meals.

For more information on the effects of hunger and the benefits of supporting child hunger relief visit hungerfreemn.org.

As it becomes clearer that the consequences of missing meals can have lasting effects on a child’s life, child hunger has moved to the forefront of hunger relief dialogue and programming.

“Hunger is a leading indicator of other problems related to physical and mental health and poor educational performance,” points out

Dr. Jean Kinsey, director emeritus of the University of Minnesota’s Food Industry Center, and an authority on the effects of hunger on young lives. “Today’s quality of life, and tomorrow’s potential, is in jeopardy for the 1 in 8 children experiencing hunger in our region.”

A Shocking StudyPublished in March 2010, the Center’s Cost/Benefit Hunger Impact Study pinpoints the toll hunger takes on health and educational performance, as well as some shocking emotional and behavioral outcomes:

• Hungry infants and young children suffer from iron deficiencies that affect their cognitive and physical development.

• Hungry children are more likely to experience headaches, stomachaches, ear infections and colds.

• Hungry teens are twice as likely to suffer from depression and are five times more likely to commit suicide.

• Hungry children have a heightened propensity for having isolating or antisocial behaviors and a greater need for special education.

• Hungry children are nearly twice as likely to see a psychologist.

• Hungry children tend to have lower math scores, are twice as likely to repeat a grade and three times as likely to be suspended from school.

While jarring, the litany of negatives is contrasted by a number of positive measures currently helping alleviate the prevalence of child hunger.

School Officials Do Their PartThe grim roll call of effects presented by the Cost/Benefit Hunger Impact Study are part of the reason for preventive measures taken by educators, some of whom are partnered with Target and Second Harvest Heartland in a five-site, urban school pantry pilot project during the 2010-2011 school year. The Target Meals for Minds™ school-based food pantry allows families to choose from a variety of staple foods and fresh produce to take home. “Within the educational environment, there is an extraordinary opportunity to stem need, as well as its consequences, among children and their families,” said the principal of the most recent Meals for Minds site, Leadriane Roby of the Nellie Stone Johnson Community School in North Minneapolis. “It is a process of trust and dialogue, and of acknowledging that location is important to connecting children with food resources,” explained Roby. “The school-based pantry is truly a step towards better learning, and a better life for our students.”

Beating the Summertime Hunger BluesOver the summer, the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is in place at 400 sites around the state, with unique

COMMUNITIES FACE THE FACTS:

“He informed us that he would be trying out for high school football this fall because he felt strong enough to do it this year.”

-SFSP Site Coordinator


SECOND HARVEST HEARTLANDYOUR 2011 HUNGER HEROESPROUDLY PRESENTS

DISTRIBUTION

We distributed 59.6 million pounds of food in 2010, up 21.4% from our output in 2009.

TIME

Last year, more than 9,000 unique volunteers gave more than 52,000 hours of their time toward our mission – an increase of 2,000 people and 12,000 additional hours from 2009.

EFFICIENCY

In 2010, we put nearly 94% of every dollar donated directly into our programs.INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The need is growing, but so are we!


SECOND HARVEST HEARTLANDYOUR 2011 HUNGER HEROESPROUDLY PRESENTS

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AWARENESSPartner generating outstanding visibility in delivery of programs.

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FINANCIALPartner with the leading financial impact on hunger relief programs.

General Mills has a longstanding commitment to hunger relief at both a corporate and an employee level. The manufacturer of many beloved brands delivered transformational financial support to food bank programs and operations, nearly 1/3 of which was the result of employee contributions.

VOLUNTEERPartner with the largest impact on operational productivity via donated time and labor.

Target has a nationally recognized employee volunteer program. In 2010, the retailer kept hunger relief in the center of its hometown bullseye by packing boxes and directly assisting struggling families as frontline partners in solving child hunger.

FOODPartner with outstanding value and volume of donated food.

Supervalu has demonstrated a “super” ability in the delivery of high-volume, nutritious charitable pounds to hometown neighbors, touching more than 1,000 hunger relief programs and innumerable lives with its generosity in 2010.

AWARENESSPartner generating outstanding visibility in delivery of programs.

Bremer Bank is a premier program partner with a far-reaching voice in community affairs. The organization has generated outstanding visibility and made a deep impression with its multimedia Take Action Against Hunger campaign and as lead sponsor of our Food & Fund program.

INNOVATIONPartner with unique vision and volume delivery of a program or product.

Boston Consulting Group is a breakthrough thought-leader for ending hunger in Minnesota, identifying key initiatives for closing the state’s missing meals gap and challenging Minnesotans to think differently about federally funded nutrition assistance.

GREENRetail partner with outstanding contribution to the “rescue” of food (produce, dairy, meat and bakery).

Walmart has become a critical partner in the success of our Food Rescue program by donating a volume-enhancing refrigerated truck and filling it with millions of pounds of fresh meats, dairy and deli products, produce, and baked goods.

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General Mills has a longstanding commitment to hunger relief at both a corporate and an employee level. The manufacturer of many beloved brands delivered transformational financial support to food bank programs and operations, nearly 1/3 of which was the result of employee contributions.

Target has a nationally recognized employee volunteer program. In 2010, the retailer kept hunger relief in the center of its hometown bullseye by packing boxes and directly assisting struggling families as frontline partners in solving child hunger.

Supervalu has demonstrated a “super” ability in the delivery of high-volume, nutritious charitable pounds to hometown neighbors, touching more than 1,000 hunger relief programs and innumerable lives with its generosity in 2010.

Bremer Bank is a premier program partner with a far-reaching voice in community affairs. The organization has generated outstanding visibility and made a deep impression with its multimedia Take Action Against Hunger campaign and as lead sponsor of our Food & Fund program.

Boston Consulting Group is a breakthrough thought-leader for ending hunger in Minnesota, identifying key initiatives for closing the state’s missing meals gap and challenging Minnesotans to think differently about federally funded nutrition assistance.

Walmart has become a critical partner in the success of our Food Rescue program by donating a volume-enhancing refrigerated truck and filling it with millions of pounds of fresh meats, dairy and deli products, produce, and baked goods.


CORPORATE & INDIVIDUAL DONOR HIGHLIGHTSA GOOD REASON TO WINEWhat began in 2005 as a wine enthusiast group’s dream of a charitable wine-tasting event has blossomed into an elegant winter evening featuring an unparalleled selection of high end wines from all over the world. Every January for the past six years, wine lovers and philanthropists alike have gathered together to enjoy the Vintner Ball, an exquisite collection of wine, food and auction items in support of Second Harvest Heartland.

One of the most unprecedented points to note about the Vintner Ball is that 100% of the funds raised at the event are donated directly to Second Harvest Heartland. Every dollar collected at the Vintner Ball provides almost four meals to our neighbors in need by directly assisting Second Harvest Heartland’s programs.

In its first year, the Vintner Ball raised $50,000 and just six years later in 2011, more than tripled that amount, raising an incredible $160,000. In total, the event has raised nearly $800,000—a stirring testament to the compassionate nature of our supporters.

Second Harvest Heartland extends a sincere thanks to hosts Tim Aune, Joel Moline, Jeff Morris, Kevin Spreng, John Wanninger and Jim Wohlford for their ideas, dedication and benevolence over the past six years. Also, a very special thank you to Lunds & Byerly’s, the generous event sponsor who provides so much of what makes the Vintner Ball possible.

THESE DONATIONS AREN’T SMALL POTATOESFor years, potatoes grown in the St. Cloud area that were “too small” or had visual defects went to waste. But thanks to the Edling Farms and 17 other potato growers, more than 6 million pounds of these potatoes—perfectly edible and fresh—have been rescued and donated to Second Harvest Heartland since 2004. “We call, Second Harvest Heartland sends a semi truck, loads up the potatoes and then distributes them,” says Jerome Edling. “It’s a win-win; farmers who are unable to store the potatoes are able to give them to the people who need them.”

Though the unpredictable Minnesota weather means each year can bring a different kind of potato season, there are always some to give. “Many times we just couldn’t keep the extra or they would spoil before they were used, but because of our partnership with Second Harvest Heartland, we can keep them moving. It’s great for everybody involved,” said Jerome.

Through the potato donations from the Edling Brothers and other growers in St. Cloud, Second Harvest Heartland can provide even more fresh food for our neighbors in need to enjoy, and we sincerely thank these donors for pioneering this important effort.

A PERSONAL APPROACH TO GIVINGWhen Deb was in high school, a series of personal events took a toll on her family, causing them to fall on some financial hard times. “I remember my mom working full-time in a retail job that just didn’t provide enough income,” Deb recalls. “My parents used food stamps to help through the tough transitional time, but all the while they were trying to get back on their feet. They knew they had enough work ethic to pull themselves out.”

Deb and her husband, Scott, have been fortunate in their adult lives, both employed by a Twin Cities-based company that provides stable incomes. When they decided to seek out a hunger relief organization to which to contribute, Second Harvest Heartland rose to the top of the list. “I did some research on efficiency and administrative costs, and Second Harvest is impressive in that regard,” Deb says. “We contribute to other hunger relief organizations too, but are proud of how much Second Harvest can do with our gifts.”

Deb’s Christian faith reinforces her conviction that it is her duty in the world to serve others, and urges others to follow suit, no matter your beliefs. “So often, when people need help, it’s just due to an unfortunate sequence of events,” Deb says. “We shouldn’t be judgmental of people in need or how they got there—all of us are a layoff away from needing help.”

Deb and Scott are significant financial supporters of Second Harvest Heartland, helping to provide almost 57,000 meals through their contributions to date. Second Harvest Heartland extends a sincere thanks to Deb and her family for their tremendous commitment to our work.

To learn more about how much we grew in 2010, check out the Second Harvest Heartland Annual Report online at 2harvest.org/annualreport.

PAMPERED CHEF ROUNDS UP DONATIONSWhen most people hear the words “Pampered Chef,” it prompts memories of cooking parties among friends while enjoying good eats and sweet treats prepared using top-of-the-line cooking utensils and other products. At Second Harvest Heartland, we think about the Pampered Chef’s meals in a bit of a different context: one million meals on the dinner tables of our neighbors in need.

Since 1996, The Pampered Chef has been a generous partner to Second Harvest Heartland, sponsoring the “Round Up from the Heart” program through which consultants ask customers if they would like to “round up” their order amount. Customers can round up to the nearest dollar, or add on a donation amount of their choice. 100% of funds raised through “Round Up from the Heart” are passed along to local food banks.

The local Round Up from the Heart Ambassador, Independent Director Phillip Barrett with Pampered Chef, and his team of consultants are very committed to the issue of hunger. Phillip recently asked a team of 25 consultants to tour the Second Harvest Heartland warehouse and volunteer to pack boxes of food for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). He and his team plan to schedule future events as they look to further engage their consultants in support of our work.

Sincere thanks to The Pampered Chef and Phillip Barrett for their tremendous efforts in support of our work.

A FOOD RESCUE RENEWALSometimes, less-than-ideal fruits and vegetables are passed over by shoppers in favor of “perfect” apples or the freshest lettuce. Lunds and Byerly’s recognized that this fresh, nutritious, less-than-perfect food is still per-fectly edible and began donating it to Second Harvest Heartland’s Food Rescue program in 2005.

Since the partnership began, Second Harvest Heartland, along with the Salvation Army, has collected donations from Lunds and Byerly’s stores across the metro, making a significant impact on the people who need it most.

Just recently, to ramp up participation and make it sim-pler for more stores to get involved in Food Rescue, Lunds and Byerly’s invited a team from Second Harvest Heart-land and the Salvation Army to revisit their stores and reintroduce the program. The team attended department meetings and presented on how the program can effi-ciently and effectively provide even more fresh food to our neighbors in need.

Food Rescue’s renewal process at Lunds and Byerly’s is complete and progress has been significant—more de-partments, such as dairy, deli and meat, are participating and the amount of food that has been donated continues to increase. As stores adapt to the new process, donations will continue to grow each month.

Sincere thanks to Lunds and Byerly’s for their partnership and for going above and beyond to ensure that our neigh-bors have access to the fresh food they desperately need.

In addition to our Hunger Heroes, Second Harvest Heartland is pleased to recognize the following corporate and individual donors who have made a great impact on our hungry friends and neighbors.

LORI JOHNSON: Director of Child Hunger Programs

Lori Johnson is all too familiar with the prevalence of childhood hunger. With 40% of the people served by Second Harvest Heartland being children, she knows that there is a tremendous need that is not being met.

As Second Harvest Heartland Director of Child Hunger Programs, Lori realizes there is enough food for children in desperate need, but getting it in their hands isn’t something that can be accomplished easily.

Within Second Harvest Heartland, Lori leads and coordinates the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which is a challenging yet rewarding role. With over 300,000 Minnesota children receiving free or reduced-price meals during the school year and only about 20% of those kids continuing to get these low-cost meals during the summer, her concern is for the other 80%. Although SFSP works to provide free and nutritious meals to kids, there are only 400 summer food sites statewide—200 of which are in St. Paul and Minneapolis—meaning many children are going without the food they need.

“We have to figure out a way to reach all the children who are unable to have access to food in the summer,” says Lori. “Lack of proper nutrition has such an effect on a child—lower test scores in reading, vocabulary, arithmetic and general knowledge.”

As the cost of transportation and food increases—as well as the need—Lori’s work becomes even more important. She is continually contacting schools, churches and other nonprofits, educating them about the importance of SFSP and helping them understand how the program benefits children who would likely otherwise go without food.

“My responsibility is to connect organizations and people in the community about the program,” Lori says. “Once there is an understanding of how the program works and that they too can make a difference in the lives of a child, they are immediately

committed to helping. Rarely do I receive a negative response.”

In 2009, with the support of the Vikings Children’s Fund, Lori and her team developed a mini-grant program which helps increase SFSP participation by providing funds to offset program and outreach costs, thereby enabling sites to better serve low-income children. The grants have been instrumental in the creation of new sites statewide and have allowed already existent sites to expand their reach. The program is now also supported by Target and ConAgra Foods.

But coordinating SFSP sites isn’t all Lori does. Each summer, she and other Second Harvest Heartland staff and volunteers operate a site for two weeks. “You see that child who was up early, who probably rode their bike a long way on a hot, sunny morning, just so they could have breakfast. This is what really has an impact on your life,” she says. “You get to put

a face with a name and after the two weeks are over, you really get to know the children, why they are there and how much they truly appreciate that one extra meal per day.”

SFSP continues to gain momentum. In 2010 more than 750,000 grant-supported meals were served to hungry kids over the summer. That’s a 275% increase from the summer of 2009, and for the summer of 2011, the program is projecting to support nearly one million meals. Though significant strides have been made, there is still a long way to go.

“I am continually inspired by the many people who are determined to help,” says Lori. “We are on the right track, keeping up the good fight, and I know that by working together, we will make a difference in the lives of so many children.”

Voices of HungerTHE FRONT LINES OF HUNGER RELIEF

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What do turkey costumes, sumo wrestling and pie have in common? They’re all ways to drum up excitement for Food Mania, an annual competition between Twin Cities law and accounting firms to raise funds and food for Second Harvest Heartland! Since its inception, Food Mania has been an exciting and hugely successful campaign in support of our work, and now approaching its fourth year, we’re expanding the competition to credit unions and food companies.

Food Mania began when Anne Simons, Marketing/Business Development Manager, and Beth Bird, Nonprofit Partner, both of Eide Bailly LLP, attended a seminar on the use of media to support sponsorships and nonprofit partners. The speaker mentioned a program in Washington that pitted law and accounting firms against each other in a race to raise the most food and cash in support of their local food bank. The timing couldn’t have been better; Eide Bailly was searching for a new nonprofit partnership, and loved the idea of organizing the community in support of a good cause.

“Our office has a particular focus on community service,” Anne said. “We selected Second Harvest Heartland as the hunger relief partner because of the reach, and because of how well-run and efficient the organization is.” Which, she notes, was “very important to a group of accountants.” Anne was also personally connected to a former member of Second Harvest Heartland’s Board of Directors, through some volunteer work at another organization.

Within Eide Bailly, Anne and Deb Nelson, Nonprofit Tax Manager, lead the program in coordination with their community service team, which brings forward ideas on how to generate interest and raise the most money. Anne’s personal favorite campaign was the year they allowed staff to nominate other employees—including partners—to sumo wrestle each other. “We hand-picked about 20 employees to be up for voting, and put jars with their photos around the break area,” she said. “Whichever jars had the most money in them at the end of the voting period, those were the people who had to get in the ring and wrestle!”

The other firm helping lead the Food Mania program

in the community is Mackall, Crounse & Moore PLC. Personnel Director Tammy Lanning said, “Our firm has really enjoyed being a part of Food Mania since it started! We like the fact that we are all working together to help end hunger in our community.” The firm has a community service committee that helps come up with fun activities that raise food and funds during the drive each year. They’ve done raffles, silent auctions and coin wars. Last year, Holly, a firm attorney, dressed in a turkey costume and “gobbled for good” by walking the skyway in downtown Minneapolis, collecting donations from passersby.

Although there may not be an obvious connection between accounting and law firms and hunger relief, there is most certainly an association between the lives of the employees and the lives of the people we serve. “Second Harvest is an organization that any one of us could see ourselves or our family members needing at some point,” Anne told us. “We believe in the work you’re doing and are proud to be able to support it in such a fun way.” And we’re thankful for tremendous partners like Eide Bailly LLP and Mackall, Crounse & Moore PLC going above and beyond the call of duty in support of our neighbors in need.

The 2011 Food Mania competition runs July 18 – July 29. If your law firm, accounting firm, credit union or food company would like to get involved, visit 2harvest.org/foodmania.

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AN EXTRA EFFORT FOR OUR HUNGRY NEIGHBORS

A Firm Stance on Hunger Relief

Holly, a firm attorney, dressed in a turkey costume and “gobbled for good.”

“We selected Second Harvest Heartland as the hunger relief partner because of the reach, and because of how well-run and efficient the organization is.”

-Anne Simons Eide Bailly LLP

“You really get to know the children, why they are there and how much they

truly appreciate that one extra meal

per day.”

-Lori Johnson

CUIS INE FOR CHANGE

Dish: Cuisine for Change was a success yet again!

Be sure to check out the next edition of

Stories of Hope for more about

this year’s event!

10 Spring 2011

Nonprofit Organization

US Postage Paid Second Harvest

Heartland

More food to more people, every year.Thanks to your generous contributions of food, funds and time, Second Harvest Heartland has nearly doubled the amount of food we were able to distribute just five years ago. In 2010, we provided more than 46.5 million meals to our hungry friends and neighbors. Thanks for all you do, and we look forward to providing food for even more of our neighbors in 2011.

Cause and EffectsYou supported the cause. Here is the change you’ve effected.

12 Spring 2011

1140 GERVAIS AVE., ST. PAUL, MN 55109-2020

Second Harvest HeartlandPhone: 651.484.5117 Toll Free: 888.339.3663 Fax: 651.484.1064

2harvest.org

Contact Info

®

*1.28 lbs per meal.

60

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40

30

20

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

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46,562,500 meals provided*in 2010.

29.8

34.4

41.3

49.1

59.6

Documents

Second Harvest Heartland - Newsletter - Spring 2011