Creative Partnerships: How Students are Partnering for Good

Every semester, University of St. Thomas students are partnering with Second Harvest Heartland on skilled strategic projects that enhance our work.

Dustin Killpack, University of St. Thomas director of community engagement at the Center for Common Good, says, “We’re here to create transformative relationships that help our local neighbors in need. Clubs, athletics, and classes have partnered with Second Harvest Heartland for a long time. We want to make volunteering a way of life. Students appreciate our class offerings which also offer a group experience, team building, connections, and a fun environment. Students are interested to know about food insecurity in our state. Hunger can happen to anyone.”  

Many University of St. Thomas classes engaged with Second Harvest Heartland last year, including:

Digital Media for the Common Good

Project: Increase volunteerism at hunger relief partner agencies.

Students worked with the Second Harvest Heartland Volunteer Engagement team and with staff and volunteers at Keystone Community Services’ food shelf in St. Paul. They developed branded digital and print materials to engage volunteers. Julie Greene, Second Harvest Heartland volunteer engagement director, met with students to share the organization’s mission and work, and to guide capstone project development. Julie says, “It’s several partner organizations working toward the same goal. The capstone was a real-world project, and the students can use this work in their portfolios as they start their careers.”

Project Management

Project: Increase access to groceries with Kitchen Coalition partners.

Aly Hotz, Second Harvest Heartland kitchen coalition specialist, presented the idea to expand grocery access at a Kitchen Coalition prepared meals distribution site. She was assigned a small group of students to complete the project using project management principles learned in the class. Aly’s group researched the needs of Fridley’s Oromo Resource Center. Now, two volunteers use a mobile trailer to distribute produce, flour, chicken, and vegetable oil on Mondays in addition to the prepared meals on Fridays. Aly says of this mutually beneficial relationship, “The students learn about how hunger shows up in Minnesota, and I was able to complete a project and receive a project management certificate.”

Intro to Medial Interpreting – Spanish

Project: Spanish translation of recipes and nutritional information.

Kali Starin, Second Harvest Heartland lead neighbor services healthcare advisor, presented Second Harvest Heartland and the FOODRx program to the class. Students were assigned materials and worked in groups to complete Spanish materials to be included in food boxes. Kali says, “Translating tangible outreach materials provided students with valuable experience while also supporting the mission of Second Harvest Heartland.”

The University of St. Thomas student volunteers are providing critical support to Second Harvest Heartland as the organization works to end hunger together. As Dustin states, “We want to help Second Harvest Heartland in their campaign to Make Hunger History.”  

If you are interested in partnering with Second Harvest Heartland, please contact us at volunteer@2harvest.org or 651-282-0901.