Cool People I Know: William McNally, Founder, Harvest Pack, Dedicated to Ending Hunger

By Stephen Dupont, APR, vice president, Pocket Hercules

William McNally is the founder and president of Harvest Pack, a nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger locally, in our own backyards here in Minnesota and throughout the U.S., and throughout the world.

 I’ve known William for about nine years. We live in the same neighborhood, our kids go to school together, and we go to the same church, Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church in Sunfish Lake, Minn. I want to share with you the good work that Harvest Pack is doing as well as William’s story about how he made the big leap from B2B sales at Best Buy to aligning his career with a cause with which he is very passionate – his dream to end hunger as we know it. Here’s my recent interview with William.

Stephen: What is Harvest Pack and how is it different from other nonprofits dedicated to ending hunger?

William: I believe that we need to make healthy food accessible to everyone. Everyone deserves a healthy meal. That said, we’re dedicated to not just helping to feed those overseas, like other nonprofits, but people who are hungry right here in our own communities. I think many people would be surprised to learn that there are a lot of families, even in perceived wealthier communities, that struggle with hunger every day.

Stephen: With whom do you partner?

William: We partner with schools, companies, churches and other organizations across the country that want to end hunger. We host events in which students, employees or church members pack meals, which are distributed to those in need, both locally and overseas.

Stephen: What types of meals do you prepare?

William: We’ve created our own unique meals. They’re very nutritious – we’ve added vitamins, minerals and protein to provide the nutrition that many processed meals (like a box of noodles and cheese) don’t provide. We also have created our own attractive packaging to make our meals more pleasing to the eye when someone is picking up food at a food shelter. What many people don’t realize is that when someone is picking up food at a food shelf, they’re limited by the total weight of their selections. That’s why boxed processed foods are often selected – because you can get more meals out of them, and they weigh less.

Stephen: Many of your meals go to feed people in local communities, including schools.

William: Yes. About 20 percent of our meals go to feed people in local communities. There’s a huge hunger problem in many of our communities across the country. Many schools have also become channels to feed people through free and reduced lunch programs. Elementary, middle school and high school principals see that some of their kids are going hungry on the weekends, so they are quietly packing food in the backpacks of those kids so they have something to eat on the weekends.

That’s how we’re different. We’re targeting this need – hungry children don’t do as well in schools. Hungry kids can’t concentrate. They don’t have the fuel to think. Long term, that affects all of us. So, if Harvest Pack can break that pattern, we will have healthier, smarter kids who will go on to do great things. Our primary focus with regard to meal donations is through education programs both locally and internationally.

Stephen: You left a good job in B2B sales at Best Buy to start this non-profit. Why did you do that?

William: It’s been a dream of mine to start a business since college. I just didn’t know what that exact business would be.

I wanted to do something different with my life. Two experiences inspired me – work at another local feeding program and a mission trip I took to Belize through our church, Saint Anne’s. I went on to work at a local feeding organization and that’s how I met my mentor Richard Proudfit, who founded both Feed My Starving Children and Kids Against Hunger.

Stephen: Do you feel like you’re living a purposeful life?

William: Yes. My mantra is: Don’t let what I can’t do hinder me from what I can do. I wanted to find work that I found personally inspiring, and hopefully, I can inspire others to do the same, such as my three children. I would like to see everyone find work that sets their hearts on fire. My work allows me to lead by example.

Stephen: Do you feel you’re making an impact?

William: We’re just making a dent. The reality is, the food is there. But, still, even in this country, 1 in 6 people are food insecure. Many people do not know where their next meal is going to come from.

Stephen: Was it scary to make the leap in starting your own nonprofit?

William: Yes, and it still is. While we’ve been growing and getting traction, building an organization and everything that it entails can still feel daunting at times.

Stephen: Any lessons you can share about that journey?

William: I think the most important lesson is surrounding yourself with great people. It’s important that you find people with different strengths to provide advice and insight.

Stephen: What do you find the most rewarding about your work?

William: I would say going to the events that we set up with companies, schools and churches and seeing the joy on people’s faces as they pack 10,000, 20,000 or even 100,000 meals. It feels great to see people come together to do good. After all, many good deeds will go undone unless we do them.

It’s also rewarding to see CEOs standing right next to their employees and packaging meals together for those who are less fortunate. That’s leadership through example.

Stephen: What are you goals for the coming year?

William: We are partnering with groups from around the country. In the past year, we’ve done packing events in Maine, California, Texas and Minnesota. We hope to continue to expand on that and package more than 2 million meals in 2016.

Stephen: Thanks for sharing your story William. Readers — If you want to get involved in the fight to end hunger, visit www.harvestpack.org.

William: Thank you for taking the time to share my story. I appreciate the good work you are doing.