With 1 in 5 households in the state unable to afford the food they need, Second Harvest Heartland is holding a one day event Thursday called Meals That Matter to help Minnesota families eat.
On Thursday, September 24, every order, drink and purchase at these generous partners helps provide food for local families facing hunger. Otherwise known as Restaurant Giveback Day, many locations across the state are taking part in this event, according to Anne Laskey with Second Harvest Heartland.
“Restaurants, breweries, bakeries, food and drink leaders in our community are uniting to support Second Harvest Heartland,” Laskey explains. “We have more than 60 locations throughout the metro, honestly across Minnesota, who’ve pledged to donate a portion of their sales.”
They’re looking to raise a total of $20,000 which equates to roughly 60,000 much-needed meals.
“Last year, Minnesota saw more than 9 million food shelf visits, which is really staggering,” Laskey adds. “And, to add a little bit of the context to that, there were about 4 million food shelf visits in 2020, which was the first year of the pandemic. So it’s since more than doubled.”
This is also an easy way to give back.
“Costs are challenging for each and every one of us, but if there’s a way that is easy to give back, initiatives like this really, I think are powerful,” Laskey said. “Because everybody can make a difference by simply grabbing a coffee or grabbing a meal, knowing that it will directly help support food access for our community.”
Participating locations:
