A group of employees at 3M Co.’s Maplewood, Minnesota headquarters recently processed nearly 12,000 pounds – six tons – of food to be distributed to seniors in the community.

According to Mary Christiano, a lead Web developer writing on the company’s online blog, her department volunteered at the Second Harvest Heartland food bank in Maplewood, Minnesota and packed eight pallets worth of food for distribution to those needing it. She writes that the activity was “hard work, mixed with some laughter and definitely some team bonding.”

She writes that volunteer opportunities are one of the reasons she enjoys working at the company. Past projects have included a “paint-a-thon” and helping out at a local women’s shelter.

Second Harvest Heartland collects, stores and distributes millions of pounds of food each year. The organization works with more than 1,000 agency partner programs in Minnesota and western Wisconsin that provide direct client service to people in need. In addition to the food for seniors in need, the group also offers a range of food-related programs for the needy.