Second Harvest Heartland Receives Additional Morgan Stanley Grant to Expand Program Delivering Nutritious Meals to Children and Families

$50,000 Grant for "School Pantry Program" Brings Total to $100,000

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Jun 17, 2015, 03:18 ET

SAINT PAUL, Minn., June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Second Harvest Heartland today announces a $50,000 grant from Morgan Stanley to fund its School Pantry Program, a child hunger initiative that helps make sure low-income families have a readily accessible source of healthy and nutritious food to prepare at home. This is the second gift Second Harvest Heartland has received from Morgan Stanley – for a total of $100,000.

The grant is part of the latest phase in Morgan Stanley's more than $14 million commitment to Feeding America and its network of 200 local food banks that distribute millions of meals every year to children and families across the United States. Over the past three years, food banks like Second Harvest Heartland have collectively received more than $4 million from the firm to help launch, expand and sustain critical childhood feeding programs.

"We are thrilled to receive this important grant from Morgan Stanley in support of our efforts to deliver more nutritious meals to children and families," said Rob Zeaske, chief executive officer of Second Harvest Heartland. "Morgan Stanley is a terrific partner for our organization. We are grateful for this grant and for the Morgan Stanley volunteers who show their support by spending so many hours volunteering for Second Harvest Heartland."

"We are honored to be able to help the Second Harvest Heartland food bank in its important fight against child hunger," said Morgan Stanley Executive Director Mark Gherity. "Giving back to the communities where we live and work is one of Morgan Stanley's core values."

According to Feeding America's Hunger in America 2014 study, 89 percent of Feeding America's client households with more than one child lack reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

"Grants like this from Morgan Stanley make a vital difference in our efforts to provide these children with the nutritious meals they need every day," said Nancy Curby, vice president of Corporate Partnerships for Feeding America.

About Second Harvest Heartland

Second Harvest Heartland is one of the nation's largest, most efficient and most innovative food banks. In 2014, we delivered more than 74 million meals to over 1,000 food shelves, pantries and other 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 2harvest.org or call 651.484.5117.