By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Second Harvest officials showed off the work they do to USDA officials as a celebration was held for a grant awarded by the USDA to Second Harvest.
USDA Rural Housing Service Administrator Joaquin Altoro says he's excited to see Second Harvest taking the grant from USDA and using it to build capacity to do more.
"What they did with that they did mobile, they got mobile they were able to go to the people," Altoro tells reporters. "In most cases in rural communities we know a drive is not just five minutes up the block, the drive can be a half hour, 45 minutes, so really excited the fact that we were able to partner with an organization like Second Harvest and give them the capacity or build their capacity to be mobile and their ability to serve those that were in need."
Altoro says that a significant amount of work goes into the application process for these USDA grants.
"We have our local representatives, our state office, we have local staff that does an amazing job at having those relationships in the beginning and providing some of that technical assistance to provide the application," Altoro says.
Altoro says then the application goes through a process where everything is weighed against the need and how organized the organization is.
"It's a lot of work, so the fact that we're sitting here today and celebrating this announcement is just amazing," he says.
Altoro got a chance to tour Second Harvests facility during a celebration this week for the grant.
Altoro says he was most impressed by how well Second Harvest officials knew their business model and how efficiently it was run.
"Time was taken to say we've got to serve our people, we have to bring the food to our folks, but at the same time we need to dedicate some time to make sure we're doing it efficiently and that we're able to sustain ourselves for many years to come," Altoro explains. "So, that has been very impressive with this organization."
The grant from USDA began last year for Second Harvest worth in all over 200-thousand dollars over a three-year period.
The grant helps fund Second Harvests mobile food pantries as well as its entire operation throughout 19 northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas counties.
