Senator Paul Anderson was joined by celebrity chef and Minnesota resident Andrew Zimmern in supporting legislation that would construct a new statewide Second Harvest Heartland charitable food distribution facility in Minnesota.

Zimmern testified on behalf of Senator Anderson’s bill during a hearing of the Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee on Wednesday, April 17. The bipartisan legislation would invest in the construction of a Second Harvest Heartland food bank warehouse and distribution center that would serve as a statewide “food bank hub” for food shelves across the state.

“We all know the statistics. Hunger impacts one in ten Minnesotans. One in six Minnesota children do not have enough food to eat,” said Zimmern. “These are real people, who can’t reach their full potential because they lack something we all take for granted every single day. I want to thank Senator Paul Anderson and Representative Dario Anselmo [R-Edina] for their leadership on this critical state investment that will provide more healthy food for hungry Minnesotans in communities across the state.”

Second Harvest Heartland, in partnership with SuperValu and C.H. Robinson, conducted an analysis seeking to serve hungry Minnesotans and its network of partner food shelves and food banks more efficiently. The results of the analysis identified the northwestern suburbs of the Twin Cities as the best location for the new facility.

“This statewide project is a tremendous opportunity to address hunger in Minnesota in a real and meaningful way,” said Senator Anderson. “It impacts Minnesotans in-need in each of its 87 counties, including the cities I represent in Plymouth, Minnetonka, and Woodland. This investment will leverage the tremendous support of our communities and generous corporate partners to make a difference.”

Senator Anderson’s bill would result in the creation of 100 new jobs in the region and generate 68 million more meals for hungry Minnesotans. Second Harvest generated over 81 million meals to Minnesotans last year and provides 75 percent of the food found on more than 1,000 food shelves, partner food banks, and other meal programs across the state. Second Harvest Heartland serves nearly 600,000 hungry Minnesotans.