Potatoes, onions and summer squash on the shelves of a food shelf

AGENCY PARTNERS

Meet the neighborhood food shelves, emergency meal programs and community organizations that rely on our food bank’s food and resources.

Fighting Hunger on the Frontlines

Last year, Minnesotans visited food shelves 7.5 million times. That's over two million more times than in 2022. Many turned to the community resources they know and trust: A neighborhood food pantry. A mosque, synagogue or church. Their child's elementary school. A pop-up grocery or produce distribution center. The closest YMCA.

These and other agency partners provide far more than free groceries and emergency meals. They also create a safe space to get help and move forward.

A Broad Hunger Relief Network

Here in Minnesota, local organizations—along with the staff and volunteers who run them—are grassroots advocates for ending hunger. They’re entrenched in our communities, and passionate about helping our neighbors.

They’re the frontlines for distributing the food and assistance available from Second Harvest Heartland to the working families, seniors, children and others who need it most.

 

Diagram of how food gets from Second Harvest Heartland to our neighbors experiencing food-insecurity.

Fueling Food Shelves and Filling Fridges

Second Harvest Heartland relies on our extensive network of food shelves, emergency meal programs and agency partners to get the food we source onto the tables of households in need. Last year, working together, we helped:

Support More than 7.5 Million Food Shelf Visits

Providing meals to neighbors who need them.

Distribute over 141 million pounds of food

To hungry households across the heartland.

Support over 1,000 partner programs

Across Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Nutritious Food... And More

Second Harvest Heartland provides our agency partners with far more than traditional food banking. Our fight to end hunger extends across numerous programs and services designed to meet the specific needs of various groups within our community. For example, our agency partners may:

  • Distribute FOODRx nutrition boxes that help seniors with chronic conditions thrive.
  • Deliver prepared meals from Kitchen Coalition.
  • Help low-income households qualify for discount grocery benefits through SNAP.
  • Join us in advocating for anti-hunger legislation and food assistance policies.
  • Share stories and community needs that spawn new and innovative food bank programs.

We also work diligently with our partners to ensure food safety and compliance across our operations, from sourcing and warehousing to distribution to hundreds of food shelves.

As one of the nation’s largest and most innovative hunger relief organizations, we serve as a knowledge base, leader and advisor for our network. The Agency Relations team supports partners with more than just food deliveries. We use our depth of industry knowledge to offer one-on-one support. We answer questions, share best practices and connect the many hunger-relief organizations we work with to smarter, more efficient and more impactful ways to help our community.

MEET OUR AGENCY PARTNERS

Who’s in our network? Hundreds of local organizations across a 59-county area in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

A woman smiles at the camera while sitting outside

One Woman’s Journey from Food Shelf Client to Coordinator

Zenobia Carson always makes her neighbors feel welcome and empowered when getting what they need from the food shelf pantry at her senior community.

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A group of people clap after ribbon cutting ceremony

Today’s Harvest Opens Second Location

Rescued food from grocery stores and retailers stocks these two free markets in Oakdale, Minnesota. Local residents have a variety of choices and access to fresh, healthy food.

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veap van 2

VEAP is Working to End Food Insecurity in the Southern Suburbs

For a growing number of families in Twin Cities suburbs, hunger and food insecurity are a new experience. As a trusted, long term community partner of Second Harvest Heartland, VEAP works to connect…

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Two women stand in front of shelves of boxes

So Much More Than a Food Shelf: CROSS Services in Rogers, MN

CROSS Services provides the northwest suburbs with a welcoming place for families to access the resources they need to stay healthy, housed and fed.

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