Second Harvest Heartland and Their Hunger Relief Partners, Research Paper Example

In these tough economic times, hunger is a very real problem for many Americans. Across the nation people are responding to the hunger crisis by working to get food to those who need it most. The state of Minnesota is home to several organizations that provide hunger relief assistance to needy individuals and families. One such organization, Second Harvest Heartland, not only helps to get food to where it is needed, it also provides information about and connection to multiple private and government-run programs that assist those who are struggling financially.

Second Harvest Heartland is a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating hunger in the state of Minnesota. By coordinating with other agencies and through extensive outreach programs with partners in the business and private communities in the Minneapolis area, Second Harvest Heartland brought food to over half a million people in 2010. Second Harvest Heartland services are available to all eligible residents of Minnesota; eligibility requirements are typically determined on the basis of income, and are relatively free of restrictions.

Second Harvest Heartland operates numerous programs to gather and acquire food resources for the population they serve. The agency sponsors food and fund drives to collect donations of food and money; participating businesses in the Minneapolis area are members of the “Pallet of the Month Club,” regularly donating pallets of non-perishable food; the “Giving Green” program gathers fresh produce for the Second harvest food banks; and several other programs are in place to support those who depend on Second Harvest Heartland.

Second Harvest Heartland is funded entirely through donations and sponsorships. Corporate sponsors serve as the primary means of financial support, while private individuals can make one-time contributions or become “Harvesters” who make regular, monthly contributions to the agency. Second Harvest Heartland claims to be extremely efficient, with 94 cents of every dollar going directly to feed the hungry. Thanks to the assistance from their supporters, Second Harvest provided over 70 million pounds of food to the needy in 2010.

In addition to providing food to the hungry, Second Harvest Heartland offers educational services to their clients through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is dedicated to providing sound information about proper nutrition and making healthy eating choices. Clients of Second Harvest Heartland can coordinate the donations of food they receive with a nutrition plan designed by SNAP to ensure that they maintain a balanced diet. Along with the services of SNAP, Second Harvest Heartland provides educational outreach programs designed to inform Minnesotans about the problem of hunger and about what they can to do to help.

In an effort to ensure that donated food and other resources are distributed with maximum efficiency, Second Harvest Heartland has implemented the “Hunger Relife Partners” program. Through this partnership, Second Harvest heartland maintains communication with other relief agencies in Minneapolis, making constant determinations about how best to distribute their donated food. Some of the agencies in this partnership are The Greater Twin Cities United Way, Hunger Solutions of Minnesota, and Minnesota Food Share. Through this and other programs, Second Harvest Heartland is determined to feed as many people as possible every single day.

For more Information about Second Harvest Heartland and their Hunger Relief Partners, please visit the following websites:

http://www.2harvest.org

http://www.unitedwaytwincities.org

http://www.gmcc.org/foodshare