Hunger Hero

Second Harvest is fueled by selfless individuals and groups who join in our mission to grow hope in our region by ensuring our neighbors in need have the food necessary to work, learn, and thrive. We like to call them “Hunger Heroes” here at Second Harvest. We’re proud to spotlight individuals and groups who are fighting hunger in our neighborhoods. Today’s spotlight: Northwestern Mutual’s Giardini, Zavodny, & Associates.

In June of 2018, Giardini, Zavodny, & Associates of Northwestern Mutual accepted the challenge to become a Second Harvest “Hunger Hero” and help raise food and funds to improve the lives of children & families in their community. With their office based out of Cleveland, but majority of their team consisting of employees who reside in and around Lorain County, Giardini, Zavodny, and Associates felt a real calling to give back to the communities they call home. They committed to raising funds specifically for our Child Hunger Initiative and never looked back! They raised over $1,200 dollars through a bake sale & a match campaign to fund & sponsor a distribution for our new Hunger Initiative at Lorain City Schools, The School Pantry Program.

In addition to raising funds, Giardini, Zavodny, and Associates wanted to roll up their sleeves & share their time to volunteer. They volunteered to pack BackPacks at Second Harvest. In under two hours, they packed over 500 BackPacks stocked with groceries to be distributed through local school districts. During the holidays, they shut off their computers & cut their work day in half to again lend a hand in volunteering. This time they joined us at our holiday distribution at the Lorain VFW #451 to help distribute food to over 358 households of local families, children, and seniors at risk for hunger over the holiday season. They’ve already committed to challenge themselves to raise more funds for 2019 and join us for more volunteer shifts and distributions in and around the Second Harvest service area. Thank you Giardini, Zavodny, and Associates for inspiring all of us and being a Hunger Hero!