In the Community with Second Harvest

February 23rd, 2026 | News | Our Partners

At Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison, we know the importance of community partnerships, which is why our staff is giving back to some incredible Madison-area organizations throughout 2026. Our staff is passionate about collaboration with our nonprofit partners to strengthen our bonds within our community and give back in a meaningful way.

This month, our first group of RMHC-Madison staff members volunteered their time at Second Harvest Food Bank of Southwestern Wisconsin, an incredible organization right here in Dane County that we have partnered with since 2022.

Donning hairnets, gloves, and aprons, our staff learned more about Second Harvest’s mission to end hunger in southwestern Wisconsin and spent their morning slicing and packaging cheese into family-friendly portions.

After their volunteer shift, the team took an impressive tour of their facilities, learning how the food is distributed to organizations like ours and across the 16 counties they serve in Southwestern Wisconsin.

RMHC-Madison is just 1 of over 300 community partners that Second Harvest distributes food to. Some of these partners include food pantries, residential programs, meal sites, community centers, schools, healthcare organizations, and youth sites.

At RMHC-Madison, we provide over 61,000 meals annually to our families at the House, Family Room, partnering hospitals, and our partner hotels. But this is just a small piece of serving those who are considered food insecure.

Second Harvest and its network of local food pantries and meal sites have provided millions of pounds of freshly grown and locally sourced food to over 60,000 people in Dane County who are considered food insecure.

Learning more about food insecurity from Second Harvest made a lasting impression on our staff. Monica Johnson, our Events & Corporate Partnerships Manager, shared, “I walked away from our time at Second Harvest with a whole new appreciation for their work. The scale, the efficiency, and the rapid turnaround of donated food is incredible. It’s an amazing organization making a real difference every single day and a great place to volunteer.”

Thanks to our generous meal group donors and our partnerships with local community organizations, like Second Harvest, we’re able to provide fresh food, snacks, and meals for our families to ensure they can focus on healing together.

To learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank of Southwestern Wisconsin, visit: https://secondharvestsw.org/.