Give to the Max Day is tomorrow. Studies have shown that giving, volunteering, and being of service to others can actually boost your physical and mental health. Allison O'Toole is CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, an organization using volunteer power to feed the hungry.

Jill, I just mentioned that relationship between giving and the idea of being of service to others, and how it's linked to our own health. I wonder if we could just start by having you speak a little more to that — and then, in general, how it's related to the work that you all do at Second Harvest Heartland.

Studies have shown that giving can actually boost physical and mental health. A study out of the Cleveland Clinic that we look to shows associated health benefits with giving: lowered blood pressure, reduced stress, even increased self-esteem and satisfaction. When I think about Give to the Max Day, boy, it's a win-win-win all across the board.

We always say the most efficient way to help is giving a financial donation if you can. Every single dollar counts, and we can leverage a dollar like nobody's business. We can turn one dollar into three meals, and so if you can give a financial donation, we'd love that.

I also think a really important thing to do right now...and it's a matter of having a conversation, not only about hunger and the great need we're seeing right now, but it's really important to strip away the stigma from asking for help. So what I'm always trying to encourage people to do is just talk about this. Make sure you're keeping an eye on your neighbors and friends, and if someone needs help, make sure they know it's okay to ask for help and where they can access help. You can find all that information at 2harvest.org, of course. But just talking about it will help make it okay to ask for help, and it's so important right now.

Yeah. I'm glad you bring that up. We're heading into, really, that giving season, and I just imagine that during this year, the year 2020, of the global pandemic, this conversation is...well, it's really important to have all the time, but I wonder what have you seen? What kind of differences have you seen this year as related to hunger in the community during the COVID-19 crisis?

Well, it is just so sobering every day. We are seeing thousands of new faces all the time at these food distributions, and one in eight Minnesotans is facing food insecurity right now. That means they don't know where their next meal is coming from, and that is a sharp increase from just last year. Those numbers — that one in eight — includes one in five Minnesota kids. That's 20% of the kids. I know so many people are working at home and doing distance learning with their kids at home, and no matter how your child is showing up for school, whether it be in person or online or some mix, hungry kids can't learn, and if we're going to get through this and thrive at the end of this pandemic, everyone needs to have food in their cupboards, in their fridges, on the table, so our next generation of leaders can learn.

But I'll tell you what: you look for positives in this, and I'll tell you the entire hunger relief community has stepped up. This community's generosity is off the charts. We have been able to distribute more than 65 million meals since March. We have been problem-solving every single minute of every single day to make sure our distributions and access points are safe and that we are providing healthy food so people can stay well — socially distanced and all that — but we are in just the highest gear we have trying to respond to this crisis, and we've shown with the right resources, we can respond. We're meeting the need. We're flattening the food insecurity curve, so it's working. We just need people to stick with us, because it's going to be a prolonged crisis.

A reminder that there is that benefit to your mind and body when you're being of service to others. I'll speak from my own experience: my advice is just give it a try, if you don't believe me. You will not regret that time spent. You will not regret writing that check. I have never regretted donating money. Even if it's just for the simple purpose of finding a way to cope with this global pandemic and doing something good for others, you're going to feel the goodness. You're going to feel the benefits of being of service to others. Allison, thank you so much for joining me for Wellness Wednesday.

Thank you so much, Jill, and thank you to this entire community for standing alongside us as we respond. We are so grateful.