Agency News | February 2023

I am so honored to be leading the Partnership and Programs team through this merger process. At Second Harvest Northland we have a phenomenal team not only in my department but across our organization. Every staff member truly cares about ending hunger together throughout NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin.

Over the next few months, as we support you through new online integrations and processes, I want to assure you that these are strategic changes. Everything we are doing is to increase our capacity and to better support your organizations and communities.

I thank you all for your patience, honest feedback, and forward-thinking vision. Together we are all going to have a positive impact on hunger relief.

Please take time to become familiar with our new website and specifically the “Partner Resources” section. That is where you will find the resources you need from us.

I look forward to growing our partnerships and hope you will all attend one of our virtual partner meetups on the second Wednesday and Thursday of this month.

Thank you for all that you do,

Ashley Hall

Director of Partnerships and Programs

Agency Fees and Procedures: Changes

We feel one of the best investments we can make in increasing food available to our neighbors facing food insecurity is our investment in YOU! In 2022, our East partners experienced our exciting changes and now we are excited to share with our West partners that beginning on February 1, all donated products will not have a per-pound fee. Instead, it will be available at $0.00/LB (FREE!). We are also changing our delivery fees to $.10/LB up to a $150 maximum per order delivered. We hope this allows you to access even more food and non-food items without the fear of the expense associated. And with a delivery fee cap, you can fill up a truck for delivery with as much product as you’d like. One other slight change is that on March 1, 2024, our product orders will need to meet a minimum 350-pound weight per order.

We have attached a document with further details on our changes, but if you have remaining questions please reach out.

Contact: Ashley Hall, Director of Partnerships and Programs

More Information: Agency Fee and Procedure Changes

More Merger Information: FAQ Attached

Many of our Second Harvest Northland West (Grand Rapids) agency partners have been reaching out to ask where to send checks. We want to assure you that this process will not change. We have also attached our FAQ in hopes of answering any further questions.

East (Duluth): 4503 Airpark Blvd. Duluth MN, 55811

West (Grand Rapids): 2222 Cromell Drive P.O. Box 5130 Grand Rapids, MN 55744

Contact: Ashley Hall, Director of Partnerships and Programs

More Information: Second Harvest Northland FAQs

Agency Portal Password: Coming Soon

Please note that at the end of February, we will be transitioning to a password-protected Agency Portal on our website. This will allow us to share more detailed information exclusive to you. The password will be SHN2024. Please save this and we will send more reminders as it gets closer.

Contact: Ashley Hall, Director of Partnerships and Programs

Monthly Statistics Reporting: Fully Online

As part of our own reporting to our state agencies, we require our agency and community partners to submit monthly statistics by the 10th of the month (following the month of service). In an effort to streamline our process, we are asking you to report your monthly statistics online. This will allow our team to focus their time on supporting you all and our neighbors experiencing hunger.

Contact: Travis Murphy, Partnership and Program Manager

More information: Statistics Reporting Form

Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign: Register Now

Minnesota food shelves are now eligible to register for the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign. Each year, thousands of Minnesotans come together for the largest grassroots food and fund drive in the state – the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign. This is a wonderful way for your agency to leverage support for its hunger-relief efforts. To date, Minnesota FoodShare has distributed over $18.5 million to the March Campaign participating food shelves via the FoodFund. Join us in participating in this effort to feed more of our hungry neighbors.

Contact: Megan Young Black

More information: Register Now

Product Sourcing Update: February

Did you know that much (43%) of the food available from our food bank to your agencies comes from local donors like retail stores and distributors? Our second largest channel (26%) comes from national donors like manufacturers, wholesalers, and growers. And, although USDA sources were a large source during the pandemic, they average 14% of our available product. The remaining source of food is our purchased product which averages about 17%. Our product sourcing strategy in 2024 will continue to be our sourcing to neighbor desire. We’ll continue to strive towards our goals of prioritizing the top three neighbor desired product categories - meat/poultry/fish, fresh produce, and dairy products. We’re also encouraged by our “Fresh Connect” volunteer enabled program which will result in even more donations for your agencies. If you are in need of specific items or have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. Also, please know we’re making every effort possible to access food for your agencies in the months ahead.

Contact: Tim Noake, Food Resource Developer

Monthly Partner Meetings: Please Join Us

Our Partnership and Programs team at Second Harvest Northland wants to connect with all of our partners across our 15-county region. Our goal is to bring the best of us together where we hope to learn from and with one another. Each month, we'll explore diverse topics related to food insecurity, hunger relief programming, and occasionally feature guest speakers. Would you like to share your expertise, have a topic in mind, or are seeking more information? Share your ideas with us!

To ensure we can have as many of you as we can, we will hold two meetings. Please feel free to attend one or both meetings.

Contact: Ashley Hall, Director of Partnerships and Programs

Our Schedule

Second Harvest Northland will be closed:

Monday, February 19, 2024 – In observance of Presidents’ Day
Thursday, February 29, 2024 – For inventory (Distribution Center only)

Second Harvest Northland is the Northland's largest hunger-relief charity. Our mission is to feed the hungry of NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization recognized by the IRS, contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

info@secondharvestnorthland.org | secondharvestnorthland.org