Second Harvest Heartland to Release “Missing Meals” Findings; Target to Present Major Food Donation to Help Overcome Shortfall of Meals in Minnesota
WHAT: A joint news conference at which Second Harvest Heartland will release the results of its “Missing Meals” study and at which Target will take a leadership role in starting to overcome that meals shortfall by presenting a signification contribution of food to Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign, which Second Harvest Heartland is supporting.
The “Missing Meals” study is a collection of secondary data that pinpoints exactly how many meals Minnesotans in need are missing. Historically, hunger relief organizations have been able to identify the number of individuals seeking assistance, but it has been unclear how many more meals are actually needed to address the problem of food insecurity and hunger and ensure that all low-income people in Minnesota have access to three meals a day, 365 days a year.
As it releases the results of this study, Second Harvest Heartland will also announce its support of Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign, a long-standing program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches that has successfully raised more than 460 million pounds of food to help feed hungry Minnesotans over the past 26 years. Second Harvest Heartland will also accept a significant food donation from Target designated for that Campaign that will start filling the gap of missing meals in Minnesota.
WHO: Rob Zeaske, executive director of Second Harvest Heartland; Laysha Ward, president of Community Relations and Target Foundation; and Sue Kainz, coordinator of Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign. Other news conference attendees will include food shelf representatives and clients; a representative from the University of Minnesota’s Food Industry Center, which co-published the “Missing Meals” study; and 50 Target volunteers who will be packing boxes at Second Harvest Heartland throughout the afternoon.
WHEN: Monday, March 2
2:00 PM
WHERE: Second Harvest Heartland
1140 Gervais Ave.
Maplewood, MN 55109
MORE: Second Harvest Heartland is the Upper Midwest’s largest hunger-relief organization with a mission of ending hunger through community partnerships. 41 million pounds of grocery products were distributed last year to hungry seniors, families and children through more than 1,000 non-profit member agencies and programs, including food shelves, soup kitchens, shelters, senior centers, faith-based organizations, and children’s after-school programs serving 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. For each $1 donated, Second Harvest Heartland can distribute more than $9 worth of grocery products for those in need. For further information, visit www.2harvest.org or call 651.484.5117.
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