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Responding to feedback from neighbors who utilize its Food Shelf Program, we have purchased a new facility at 220 N.E. 3rd Avenue in Grand Rapids, MN.

“We’re excited about our new facility and this location,” said our President/CEO, Shaye Moris. “When our new strategic plan launched last year, we’ve committed our organization to understanding and responding to the preferences of the food insecure neighbors we support. This new location is in direct response to what we learned from our Grand Rapids area neighbors.”

Through surveys and ongoing conversations, we learned that neighbors preferred a location for programming that was closer to city center, walkable, and other services. After searching for months, this facility rose to the top as the most viable option.

We consolidated our food bank operations to our new facility in Duluth in July 2025 in an effort to reduce expense and increase efficiency. This facility now supports our network of agency and community partners (food shelves, on-site meal programs, tribal organizations) within our 15-county NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin service region. We then began a search for a new facility in Grand Rapids to support our remaining Food Shelf Program, recently finding this new facility and entering into a contract to sell our current 2222 Cromell Drive, LaPrairie, MN, location.

We will continue to operate at our current location and hope to begin renovation of our new facility this month with plans to open later this fall. In addition to offering in-store shopping, we plan to implement new services models that will reduce wait times and expand partnership with other organizations who can offer other holistic supports to the neighbors we serve (e.g. SNAP enrollment, housing support, healthcare navigation, etc.).

In addition to serving as the region’s only food bank, we support families, children and seniors directly through our Food Shelf, Mobile Food Pantry, Nutrition for Seniors, BackPack and School Pantry Programs. Our Grand Rapids Food Shelf Program is one of the largest in the Northland, supporting an average of 2,800 people per month and ensuring nearly 628,000 meals annually.

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Each day at Myers Wilkins Elementary School in Duluth, Sadie sees how hard families are working to get by.

As a Community Health Coordinator, she connects with parents who are doing everything they can to provide for their children—but still struggle to put enough food on the table. During the school year, many kids rely on free and reduced-price meals. But when summer arrives, that support disappears, and families are left to find a way to fill the gap.

“Each day, we see more families struggling to make ends meet,” Sadie shares. “Too often, parents are going without food so their children can eat. We knew we had to find a way to support the whole family.”

Through a partnership with Second Harvest Northland’s School Pantry Program, families at Myers Wilkins can access the food they need—not just during the school year, but in the summer months as well.

“Being able to offer consistent support means everything,” Sadie says. “We’re not just providing meals—we’re offering stability and dignity to our families.”

Thanks to your generosity, our School Pantry, Food Shelf, Mobile Pantry, and Nutrition for Seniors Programs are reaching neighbors across NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin—ensuring healthy food remains within reach, even when school is out.

Because of you, families don’t have to face summer alone.

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