Halvor Lines finds practical way to get involved

Halvor Lines, Inc., of Superior, is providing a unique gift to Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank.

It’s not food and it’s not money.

Over the last eight months, it has donated 32 trucks providing free hauling of over 835,000 pounds of nationally and regionally donated food to the food bank’s Duluth facility. What’s more, the trucks have traveled an estimated 4,640 miles, saved the food bank $11,200 in expense and provided enough food to Northland residents for 668,000 meals.

“It really is a unique gift,” said Shaye Moris, Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank’s Executive Director. “When corporations or individuals donate they often think of just food and funds — they may not consider a gift that’s ‘in-kind.’ These gifts can really have impact.”

In late March, Second Harvest received a call from Buck Hamman, Halvor Lines Inc. He said that Halvor Lines and its owner, Jon Vinje, were aware of the food bank and wanted to do more to be community involved. He offered to haul Second Harvest’s nationally and regionally donated food from St. Paul to Duluth on a weekly basis.

“Transportation is obviously a large expense for our food bank since nearly 45 percent of our rescued food comes from out of the Northland,” Moris said. “We were just thrilled with their offer of support.”

In-kind donations offer nonprofit organizations donations of tangible goods or services, which aren’t cash, or in the food bank’s business, food. Tangible goods can include paper products, office or program supplies, office furniture, equipment or other items. Services can include transportation, truck maintenance, office cleaning, and other services beneficial to a nonprofit organization.

“I hope Halvor Lines has set an example of how others can be community involved,” Moris said. “These partnerships are invaluable.”

Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank is the region’s only food bank and rescuer of nationally and regionally donated food for 200 nonprofit programs and approximately 43,000 people in need throughout northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Visit www.northernlakesfoodbank.org.

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