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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.

Team members from Bell Bank recently joined us for a Behind the Scenes Tour to see firsthand how we are growing to meet the rising need for food access across our region—and the experience left a lasting impression.

“When families don’t have to worry about their next meal, they’re better positioned to focus on health, education, and economic stability,” says Tim McShane, Bell Bank’s Twin Ports Market President. “Food security creates the foundation for thriving communities.”

As a family- and employee-owned community bank, Bell Bank is deeply committed to making a difference where they live and work. Following the tour, Bell Bank was inspired to make a generous contribution to our Nourish the Northland Capital Campaign—an investment that will strengthen our facilities and expand our capacity to serve neighbors across our 15-county region.

We invite you to see this impact for yourself. Join us for our next Behind the Scenes Tour on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at noon, and learn how supporter investments—like Bell Bank’s—are helping advance our mission every day. Lunch will be provided.