A food distribution with volunteers in colorful vests in front of colorful new mobile food distribution trailer

Mobile Distribution Pilot

Nov 21, 2025

Kitchen Coalition, the prepared meals program of Second Harvest Heartland, helped to launch a mobile food distribution pilot using the Second Harvest Heartland mobile trailer. Since April of 2025, the mobile unit has been bringing weekly distributions of fresh produce and halal ingredients to the Oromo Resource Center in Fridley.  

Pro bono volunteer, Eric Paredes, used his data analytics skills to create an evaluation plan and tracking tool to measure this pilot program’s effectiveness and to identify improvement areas. These tools helped us to understand the impact of the pilot and make an informed decision to continue the initiative.  

Eric says, “I saw firsthand the lack of access to culturally relevant groceries—a barrier keeping families from nutritious meals.”

Pro Bono Projects are Mutually Beneficial

In the past year, almost 120 pro bono volunteers completed nearly 60 projects, helping 20 teams and programs across our organization.  

Sarah Peterson, Kitchen Coalition Director, says “Pro bono volunteers bring an additional level of rigor to the work we do.”  

Examples of skills pro bono volunteers have brought to Second Harvest Heartland include:

  • Process mapping
  • Workflow improvement
  • IT systems (ServiceNow)
  • Strategic Planning
  • Employee training and skills-building
  • Market research

Pro bono volunteers also benefit from sharing skills. Eric says, “I firmly believe a dedicated group of people can solve food injustices in Minnesota. I am glad I can contribute my skills and experience to help drive healthy and thriving communities.”  

Volunteers benefit by:

  • Learning about Second Harvest Heartland and the local hunger relief network
  • Gaining knowledge of food insecurity and systemic impact
  • Experiencing cultures and communities in the area
  • Expanding skills and gaining experience
  • Having input in specific areas of interest

Bring your skills to Second Harvest Heartland! Though our pro bono projects are open on an as-needed basis, we’re always looking to build our database of potential volunteers. Fill out our pro bono volunteer interest form.