Child Hunger Initiative

Childhood hunger in Minnesota is a serious and prevalent issue that can affect both kids’ day-to-day lives and their long-term ability to succeed. When children are hungry, anxiety and poor behaviors rise, learning is compromised, and physical and mental development can be affected.

Second Harvest Heartland understands how hunger can destabilize families and is committed to increasing access to food resources in our communities. To achieve this, we partner with schools, school districts, community partners, and other pertinent stakeholders to boost participation in meal programs, by increasing access and improving the quality of programs, and through advocacy to expand initiatives statewide.

Minnesota Child Hunger Facts

• More than 200,000 meals are missed by children in Minnesota each year
• While 1 in 8 Minnesota children struggled with hunger in 2019, 1 in 6 Minnesota kids now doesn’t know where their next meal will come from
• Nearly twice as many suburban children are food insecure, compared to urban children

*Funding provided by the State of Minnesota.