FAQ
We accept excess produce, perishable, frozen, dry or bulk products that are:
- Unlabeled or mislabeled
- Rejected but still safe for human consumption or use
- Discontinued items
- Off-spec items
- Damaged items (some restrictions apply)
- Close-dated items and
- Various past “best if used by” dated products.
We accept non-perishable food donations at our locations in Maplewood and Brooklyn Park. However, to make the most immediate impact and efficient use of our facility and operations we encourage you to deliver your food donation directly to community food shelves and hunger-fighting nonprofits. Visit hungersolutions.org to find a food shelf or other hunger-relief program in your area. Or, make a financial donation for the biggest impact.
Food donated needs to be labeled, undamaged and still within the “best if used by” date.
We cannot accept donations exceeding 200 pounds at our Maplewood location. Please donate these items at our Brooklyn Park location or to one of our partner agencies in Maplewood. Please call before donating:
Progressive Baptist Church, 651-888-6011
Vineyard Community Services, 952-595-5980
iHELP MarketSquare, 651-488-4463
Keystone Community Services - Midway Food Shelf, 651-917-3792
Keystone Community Services - Rice Street Food Shelf, 651-487-2792
Merrick Community Services, 651-771-9339
Merrick Community Services - Woodland Hills Food Shelf, 651-287-2088
North St. Paul Area Food Shelf, 651-770-1309
Salvation Army - East St. Paul, 651-776-8169
Salvation Army - Maplewood, 651-779-9177
White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf, 651-407-5310
To make room for more healthy food on our shelves, we do not accept donations of candy or soda. Please see our Healthy Foods Policy for more information.
In the interest of food safety for our agency partners and clients, we do not accept in-person donations of frozen or refrigerated products as we cannot verify proper temperature control or correct storage procedures.
Review our Most Needed Items page for a list of the items that are in greatest demand by families in need.
Second Harvest Heartland combines your dollars with donated, rescued and wholesale-purchased food from grocery stores, farmers, restaurants, retailers and other partners, multiplying your gift to make the biggest impact. Your financial donation makes it possible for our robust team of volunteers, warehouse workers and truck drivers to sort, re-package and distribute over 100 million pounds of food to nearly 1,000 food shelves and other partners each year, who put it directly in the hands of families in need. Learn more about how to make a financial contribution.
See our Food & Fund Drive page for how to host a Virtual Drive to raise funds to help local families in need. Please note that due to COVID-19 procedures we are currently not accepting food-drive donations at Second Harvest Heartland facilities. If you decide to collect food donations as part of your drive, we ask that you deliver your items directly to a community hunger-relief partner. Visit hungersolutions.org to find a food shelf or other hunger-relief program in your area.
If you are an individual looking to donate produce, we encourage you to deliver these items directly to a local food shelf partner who can more efficiently distribute smaller quantities. Visit hungersolutions.org to find a food shelf or other hunger-relief program in your area.
For food safety reasons, the only wild game we can accept is venison that has been processed under the guidelines established by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Yes. We accept and encourage donations of personal care and non-food items commonly found in your home such as laundry detergent, shampoo, napkins, toilet paper and other similar items.
Yes. Pets are an important part of many families and we do accept donations of cat and dog food.