For more than two decades, Whole Foods Co-op has been a trusted partner in our mission to end hunger in NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin. This past year alone, they donated 20,574 pounds of food, ensuring over 17,000 meals for neighbors facing hunger. In addition, through their matching campaigns, another 7,116 meals were made possible.

Through our Food Rescue Program, partners like Whole Foods Co-op help recover surplus food and redirect it to families across our region, reducing food waste while increasing access to nutritious meals.

“Whole Foods Co-op is grateful for our longstanding partnership with Second Harvest Northland and for the incredibly important work they’re doing to increase food access across our region,” shares Marketing Manager Jenna Kowaleski. “They have the infrastructure to ensure our donations nourish those who need it most.”

Partnerships like this make our work possible. We are deeply grateful for Whole Foods Co-op and their continued commitment to our neighbors and our community.

In -20° weather with snow swirling outside, Hannah waits in her warm car to pick up her monthly supply of supplemental food at our Food Shelf Program in Duluth. Born and raised in Minnesota, this weather is nothing new to her. As she waits, Hannah thinks about how active her kids are and how important it is to her that she is able to provide them with healthy meals. 

“Feeding myself and my three kids with what I pick up at the Second Harvest Northland Food Shelf definitely fills a gap, because we pretty much live paycheck to paycheck,” Hannah shares. 

Ensuring our food shelf is open and available regardless of the weather is important to us, however, even for those like Hannah, who have grown up in Minnesota, sometimes the weather is unbearably cold.

In phase two of our Nourish the Northland Capital Campaign, we are excited to increase equitable and dignified food access through a grocery store style in-person shopping experience. Neighbors like Hannah will be able to pick specific items they need for a recipe and interact with volunteers while both stay warm and dry, no matter the season.