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Our Response to Community Needs

For over 40 years, your support has allowed us to be responsive to the hunger-relief needs of our neighbors. What started as an emergency response to the recessionary impact on workers in the mining and timber industries has now grown to a movement to end hunger in our 15-county region. As we strive to be responsive in the years ahead, we recently completed a Community Needs Assessment to learn from and with our neighbors.

As Kat, a paraprofessional from northern Cook County, shared with us, “Living in a remote location can be a challenge, especially with the nearest grocery store 35 miles away. I appreciate the kind volunteers and fresh foods like milk and fruit I receive at your Mobile Food Pantry Program.” While Kat shared that she appreciated our support, she said it’s extremely important for her community to provide for themselves—one of the many pieces of feedback we’re putting into action.

We’re now planning to build support and address hunger in rural and under-resourced communities. We plan to address barriers to food access like transportation, service hours, and stigma to ensure we continue to be responsive to the needs of neighbors like Kat.

Support for hunger relief runs deep in the Miner family. Since the 1970s, when Super One Foods began, they’ve contributed to us in countless ways—from in-store campaigns and financial and food donations to in-kind and technical support.

“For the Miner Family and Super One Foods, hunger relief has always been a cause that is close to our hearts,” shares Patrick Miner, Board Member, and President of Miner’s Inc./Super One Foods.

Patrick, who continues the legacy of board service started by his late uncles, Mike and Matt Miner, played a key role in securing our new facility, which is designed to support a more efficient and effective operation. And now, in another remarkable display of commitment and generosity, the Miner family and Super One Foods are offering to match all corporate gifts to our Nourish the Northland Capital Campaign, and our new facility, up to $500,000 through year-end.

“We’re proud to continue to support Second Harvest’s mission,” shares Patrick. “We hope that this matching challenge inspires other individuals and businesses to step forward and be part of something that truly makes a lasting impact in our region.”