Over the years, WDIO has been proud to team up with Second Harvest Northland for the “Have a Heart, Help a Neighbor” event. It’s become a yearly tradition where we come together with our viewers to help raise food and funds for our neighbors in need. Since the event started, we’ve seen incredible support, raising over 10,700 pounds of food and more than $157,000. Every year, we’re reminded of how generous this community is, and it’s all going to help feed families, kids, and seniors across the Northland.

This year, Have a Heart has raised 159 pounds of food and $2,210.09 (equivalent to 6,630 meals) as of Friday, December 6th.

This morning, we had the opportunity to interview several individuals involved in the Have a Heart, Help a Neighbor campaign. Our first interviewee was Patrick Miner. For decades, the Miner family and the Super One Foods team have been steadfast supporters of Second Harvest Food Bank. Miner shared, “The food bank stops at each and every one of our stores every day and picks up food that can be rescued and then brought to local area agencies so it can be provided to people that need that nourishment”.

Tonya Lokken from Essentia Health discusses how their collaboration with Second Harvest has made a meaningful impact in the community. “So, our patients, we have several dozen patients every single day that express their inability to afford the food that they need. So, we are able to refer our patients through our electronic medical record to Second Harvest for meaningful expert connection to the resources that they need to sustain a healthy life”.

Kelly Campbell from Grand Itasca reflects on the long-standing relationship between their company and Second Harvest. She notes that it was in 2020 when their partnership truly strengthened. “The number of volunteers coming on had fallen off because people couldn’t get out as well… And so Grand Itasca started sending a team over every month to volunteer at Second Harvest to help with packaging food so that individuals could get them in the form that they needed”.

Cara Hess shares that she first partnered with Second Harvest when they needed help transporting food from Minneapolis to Duluth. Since then, she says, “…we have traveled over 100,000 miles and we’ve ensured 15.1 million meals for the Northland community”.

Kate Van Daele from Minnesota Power discusses how their partnership with Second Harvest helps support members of the community. “So, one of the things we’re really proud about is that during the month of November and December, we have a gift matching program. And so, our employees, when they make gifts to Second Harvest, we in turn then are able to match them”.

This marks the twenty-first year of Have a Heart, Help a Neighbor. Shaye Morris from Second Harvest reflects on a cherished memory from over the years that remains close to her heart. “You know, we used to have little twins that came to us when they were toddlers in the early years, 2005. They are now grown adults and sometimes they come back and visit us. And I think they’ve been giving for over 20 years. It’s just amazing to see stories like that”.

Dale Rosier of Grand Rapids State Bank discusses his long-standing partnership with Second Harvest and reflects on the significance of community service in his life, “And we’re very proud of not only the monetary commitment that we provide as an organization and as a staff, but also the volunteerism that we offer in helping the Second Harvest Food Bank in putting together and packaging the foods and goods that people need and that they’re able to be delivered and or come here and pick up”.

Nick Bursik from U-W-S shares that this will be the ninth annual Week of Giving for Yellow Jacket Athletics, a week dedicated to community service and supporting those in need. Bursik adds, “We know the impact that it has within the community, within the region, especially during the holiday season. So, this is a great partnership for us, and we’re happy to support their efforts”.

The Minnesota State Troopers Association made a generous contribution to the cause and shared why supporting it annually is so important to them. “As we go about our business in our everyday work, we run across people that are in crisis and that need help. And we know that giving to Second Harvest can do a lot more good than us giving individually”.

If you would like to donate you can do so by clicking here.