As hunger rates in Minnesota rise, Second Harvest Heartland's mission to end hunger together is more important than ever. In 2022, Minnesota saw nearly 2 million more food shelf visits than the year before and demand for food assistance continues to grow. This year, Second Harvest Heartland distributed more than 128 million meals across our region and are on track to deliver even more in 2024.
Xcel Energy, an important partner of Second Harvest Heartland, understands how to give back to the communities where they work and play. "Second Harvest Heartland makes it so easy for us. They are always there to support and find ways our employees can help," says Krystal Russo, Xcel Energy social investments representative. Employees have 40 hours of volunteer time off each year and spend the hours in a variety of ways, including food packing shifts, pro bono projects and board positions.
Xcel Energy employees can sign up for volunteer opportunities on an internal portal. The company also gives a financial match to nonprofit organizations for employee volunteering. "We love Second Harvest Heartland and the partnership we have with them," says Krystal. She works with nonprofits and a wide variety of Xcel employees to match community needs with employee passions and talents.
Volunteer Resource Manager Kelly Mortvedt says, "Once the holidays are over, our volunteer pool gets smaller. But the need becomes even greater during the deep winter months of January and February. Volunteers can make a huge impact by signing up for new year shifts."
To start 2024 with a high-impact bang, consider scheduling a January group food packing event to help your community. With 19 shifts over 6 days and daytime or evening shifts available, it's easy for everyone to find time. Each shift can host up to 40-70 volunteers. It's as simple as setting up an account on the Second Harvest Heartland website, creating a team of co-workers, friends or family and signing up for a shift.
Mortvedt adds, "Xcel Energy is a great example of a business that utilizes our volunteer shifts to strengthen their teams. We often see Xcel groups in our Volunteer Center, connecting through conversation while actively working to eradicate hunger. It's team building with added community impact."
Make your new year's resolution to start off the year strong by volunteering with a group. Every set of hands makes a difference.
