Second Harvest Heartland Receives $75,000 Grant from the Walmart Foundation to Fund Infrastructure and Equipment Needed for Handling Fresh Food

SAINT PAUL, Minn., June 16, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Second Harvest Heartland today announced a $75,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to fund the infrastructure that will ultimately help the food bank's partner agencies secure and distribute more nutritious food to families in need. The grant will support investments in the equipment necessary to handle perishable products, such as refrigerated vehicles; coolers and freezers for transporting, storing and distributing food; and other items.

"One in 10 people struggle with hunger in our service area, and that number climbs to 1 in 6 for children," said Rob Zeaske, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland. "We are thankful to the Walmart Foundation for helping to ensure that people who struggle with hunger have access to nutrient-rich food. This grant will go a long way in helping Second Harvest Heartland and our partner agencies serve hungry people in the Twin Cities."

Second Harvest Heartland secures fresh, perishable food from retailers across the Twin Cities metro area. The organization distributes the food to a large network of food pantries and meal programs, where hungry people can receive the donated food. Funds from the grant will be used to purchase items these organizations need to get these fresh foods to people who need them. Grant-funded items include refrigerated truck trailers, warehouse equipment, freezers, coolers and refrigerated food display cases .

The Walmart Foundation has been instrumental in helping food banks rescue and distribute more perishable food from retailers across the United States in a sustainable, cost-effective way. This grant is a part of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation's ongoing commitment to helping families who struggle with hunger by providing four billion meals to people in need in the U.S. by 2020. 

Since 2009, the Walmart Foundation has been a leading supporter of infrastructure grants to Feeding America food banks and their member agencies. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation provide donations of both food and funds to the Feeding America nationwide network of 200 food banks. Locally, Walmart provides volunteers for Second Harvest Heartland's food bank facilities, provides grant funding, and donates large of food from its stores and distribution center each year.

With food insecurity remaining high throughout the country, the ability to distribute more food is critical for food banks. According to the USDA, more than 42 million people nationwide are food insecure, which means that they may not know where they will find their next meal. In Minnesota, 1 in 10 residents are food insecure. To learn more about what the Second Harvest Heartland is doing to fight hunger, visit www.2harvest.org

About Second Harvest Heartland
Second Harvest Heartland is one of the nation's largest, most efficient and most innovative hunger relief organizations. Second Harvest Heartland provides an average of 75 percent of all food distributed by its food shelf partners, and in 2016, provided more than 80 million meals to nearly 1,000 food shelves, pantries and other partner programs serving 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Second Harvest Heartland leads through innovation, finding efficient, effective solutions to connect the full resources of our community with our hungry neighbors. For more information, visit 2harvest.org or call 651.484.5117.

SOURCE Second Harvest Heartland

Related Links

http://www.2harvest.org