Music drifts through the Aitkin Food Shelf as Jim’s fingers move across the piano keys, drawing neighbors in to listen, smile, and sometimes sing along.

A retired electrician, Jim volunteers his time sharing his love of music, creating moments of connection and community. Playing piano keeps him active, engaged, and connected in retirement.

Like many older adults, Jim lives on a fixed income. Rising grocery prices make it harder to cover essentials each month. Through our partner food shelf and Nutrition for Seniors Program, he can access the nourishing food he needs to stay healthy and independent.

“I believe that if I didn’t have the food shelf or the senior program, I wouldn’t have the food I need,” Jim shares.

Because of your support, neighbors like Jim have reliable access to food and the energy and confidence to share their talents, strengthen our Northland communities, and bring joy to others.

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.