Second Harvest Heartland Announces 2014 Hunger Hero Awards

Hunger Hero Awards publicly recognizes six outstanding charitable partners for their roles in providing for hungry neighbors in the heartland

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Second Harvest Heartland

Apr 04, 2014, 02:06 ET

SAINT PAUL, Minn., April 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Second Harvest Heartland, a member of Feeding America and one of the nation's largest food banks, is pleased to announce the recipients of its fifth annual Hunger Hero Awards, an award created to honor and recognize organizational partners who make a compassionate and transformational impact on those who are hungry in the heartland.

Last year, more than 600,000 people in Minnesota and western Wisconsin were at risk of missing a meal on any given day. But as the demand for emergency food increased, so too did the generosity of many of Second Harvest Heartland's charitable partners, six of whom demonstrated extraordinary leadership in meeting the unprecedented demand for food. It is these six partners that Second Harvest Heartland honors this year with its Hunger Hero Award, a seal of appreciation designed to publicly acknowledge those who contributed the most by way of food, funds, hours, ideas, awareness and more.

"Our mission – to end hunger through community partnerships – could not be achieved without the support from our incredible partners. By providing donations of food, volunteer hours, financial support, innovation, and helping us build awareness of the need, these partners are making a difference to hungry neighbors in the communities we serve," said Second Harvest Heartland CEO, Rob Zeaske. "We are proud to recognize this year's Hunger Heroes for their leadership and are honored to be the recipients of such tremendous support."

Hunger Heroes are recognized in six categories, each of which is critical to Second Harvest Heartland's work and all of which must work in tandem to collectively achieve Second Harvest Heartland's goal. This year's award recipients and categories include:

2014 Hunger Hero Food Rescue Award: Walmart
Walmart has made a remarkable commitment to end hunger nationally and in our local community. In 2013, they donated nearly 7 million pounds of fresh food through our Retail Food Rescue program. In addition, Walmart has helped us deliver this food by contributing a food rescue truck, as well as paving the way for agency partnerships with its stores-allowing the Food Rescue program to reach beyond the Twin Cities metro area into our rural communities.

2014 Hunger Hero Volunteer Award: Target
A key component of Target's partnership with Second Harvest Heartland is volunteer engagement. Each month during the school year, Target team members come together to volunteer at the Target Meals for Minds school pantry program, providing additional food to help feed children and their families which helps support health and readiness to learn at school. Target and their team members show a deep commitment to making our community healthier and stronger by volunteering thousands of hours each year at Second Harvest Heartland.

2014 Hunger Hero Financial Award: General Mills
General Mills provides significant financial support to Second Harvest Heartland through initiatives like Share Fresh, employee match donations, and major event and campaign sponsorships. One of the most inspiring displays of support is their commitment to engaging their employees by matching employee donations. During their Feed the Need Food & Fund Drive held each year, General Mills employees collect food and also raise funds that are then matched monetarily by the General Mills Foundation.

2014 Hunger Hero Awareness Award: Pioneer Press
For the third year, the Pioneer Press partnered with Second Harvest Heartland for the "Summer Hunger is No Picnic" campaign to raise awareness about the issue of childhood hunger and encourage the community to take action. The Pioneer Press took action by developing a creative campaign including multiple ads in their newspaper and online throughout the summer. Their generous promotional support helped drive donations and community engagement and ultimately helped provide more meals to children and their families experiencing hunger.

2014 Hunger Hero Innovation Award: C.H. Robinson
After a successful sweet corn rescue in 2012, improvements were identified that could make the large-scale agricultural surplus rescue even more successful in the future. C.H. Robinson rose to the challenge and helped solve logistical needs in transportation—shortening delivery times and reducing waste. More importantly, more than 600,000 pounds of sweet corn was delivered to partner Feeding America food banks across the country and to the tables of families in need.

2014 Hunger Hero Food Award: John Svihel Farms
John Svihel, a fruit and vegetable grower near Foley, Minn., wanted to put use to all of the nutritious produce left behind in his fields because of its less-than-perfect appearance. Upon learning that Second Harvest Heartland could capture fresh produce like this through a new program called "Plant to Donate," supported by The Mosaic Company Foundation, he had his workers gather everything in the field. As a result, more than 800,000 pounds of fresh cucumbers, peppers, cantaloupe, watermelon and green beans were provided to our hungry neighbors in need.

About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women's Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than 1 billion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart's giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.

About General Mills, Inc.
General Mills is one of the world's leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Its brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., USA, General Mills had fiscal 2013 worldwide sales of US $17.8 billion.

About the General Mills Foundation
The mission of the General Mills Foundation is to nourish communities. Continuing its tradition of generous giving and global community support, General Mills contributed more than $150 million to charitable causes in fiscal year 2013. General Mills invests in and collaborates with community organizations and programs that focus on alleviating hunger and advancing nutrition wellness. In addition, 83 percent of U.S. employees volunteer. To learn more about the ways General Mills nourishes lives through philanthropy and community engagement, please join us on Facebook at Facebook.com/GeneralMillsGives or visit us at GeneralMills.com/en/Responsibility/Community_Engagement.

About The Pioneer Press
The Pioneer Press/TwinCities.com, a Digital First Media publication and the winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, serves readers and advertisers in the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin.

About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation serves guests at 1,924 stores – 1,797 in the United States and 127 in Canada – and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information about Target's commitment to corporate responsibility, visit https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility

About C.H. Robinson
Founded in 1905, C.H. Robinson is a global provider of multimodal logistics services and fresh produce sourcing, to 46,000 customers through a network of more than 285 offices and over 11,500 employees around the world. The company works with 63,000 transportation providers worldwide. C.H. Robinson is a Fortune 500 company and had annual revenues of $12.8 billion in 2013. Through the company and its Foundation, C.H. Robinson and its employees contribute millions of dollars annually to a variety of organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Community Health Charities, American Red Cross, Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, and Global Impact. The company is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and has been publicly traded on the NASDAQ since 1997. For more information about C.H. Robinson, visit http://www.chrobinson.com.

About John Svihel Farms
Svihel Vegetable Farm offers a wide range of wholesome products to residents of Foley, Minnesota and its surrounding areas. From cucumbers and peppers to apples and melons, Svihel Vegetable Farm sells only the finest fruits and vegetables. We invite you to pay us a visit at 12004 Duelm Rd NE and taste the difference for yourself.

About Second Harvest Heartland
Second Harvest Heartland is one of the nation's largest, most efficient and most innovative food banks. In 2013, we delivered more than 65 million meals to nearly 1,000 food shelves, pantries and other agency partner programs serving 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Second Harvest Heartland helps relieve hunger not only by sourcing, warehousing and distributing food, but through data-driven thought leadership and community partnerships that help improve the region's larger hunger relief system. For more information, visit www.2harvest.org or call 651.484.5117.