Residents in the Northland are struggling with food insecurity
About one in five residents in the Northland don’t have enough money to afford food for their family. That’s roughly 70,000 people experience food insecurity on a day to day basis.
Shaye Moris the President/CEO of Second Harvest Northland says after their merger last year, the non-profit has increased their donations by 4% to help people in need of food.
“Food insecurity, we have a high rate in the northern part of our state. Actually northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, are higher than the state averages amongst our general population and population of children. So this work that we’re doing to make sure that we end hunger in our Northland communities,” Moris said. “That was really a part of our strategic merger. It’s how can we provide more food to people and obviously we’ve had great results”
Second Harvest Northland‘s sister branch in the Twin Cities, Second Harvest Heartland is working to end hunger statewide. Recently Second Harvest Heartland released new data after collaborating with the Statewide Hunger Study on Hunger in Minnesota. 18% of Minnesotans rely on the emergency food system. The Statewide Hunger Study found 26% of households with children are food insecure.
Second Harvest Heartland is leading a bold, six-year initiative to reduce hunger across the state. They are working to making 90% of Minnesota households food-secure by 2030. They are asking help from neighbors, corporate partners, advocates, and lawmakers at their summit this Friday.
Second Harvest Heartland will host the first annual Make Hunger History Summit to gather Minnesota’s most innovative hunger relief and human service organizations to assess food insecurity and collaborate on strategy to address the ongoing hunger crisis in Minnesota.
The theme of the inaugural summit is Forging New Pathways, and it will feature national and statewide leaders addressing the hunger crisis and what can be done to Make Hunger History.
For anyone interested in getting involved, there are a number of ways to make a difference. Some ways of helping are donating to a local food shelf, volunteering for a hunger relief program in your area or lending your voice to statewide advocacy efforts. Learn more at 2harvest.org.