Notes from Harry Spring Newsletter 2020 | Vol. XX, No. 1 Serving Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties

Hurray for Harry’s Heroes! At Orange River Elementary School, kids who often face hunger themselves gave from their hearts to help feed others, and Harry Chapin Food Bank is grateful.

The school, located in the Tice community in Fort Myers, has 843 students. Of those students, 89.5% come from families with Orange River Elementary School students walk to fight hunger. low incomes. Yet the children decided they wanted to orange ribbons with the words help those in our community They knew they couldn’t “Harry’s Heroes” to recognize who struggle with hunger by attend the Hunger Walk, held their achievement. He also gave participating in the WINK Feeds in January, as a group. So they a trophy featuring “Walking Families Hunger Walk, the decided to help by holding Harry,” the Hunger Walk mascot, signature fundraiser for Harry their own Hunger Walk at to Jameele, and a large trophy Chapin Food Bank. their school. The idea came from students in their National to Principal Staruk for display in Elementary Honor Society. They the school’s trophy case. planned and held the event within a week and raised more WINK News Anchor Lois Thome, than $2,000. “I think it’s amazing a Harry Chapin Food Bank what we accomplished,” said board member, was also there Jameele Sicajan, a fifth-grader and thanked the children. who is honor society president. “What great hearts you have. You need to know how much School Principal Cayce Staruk of a difference you’re making in was also amazed at their effort people’s lives,” she said. “You’re and caring. “The whole school my heroes.” gave and our students don’t have a lot to give,” she said. “A The students loved the chance lot of kids go hungry.” to give back to their community, and Principal Staruk thinks the Harry Chapin Food Bank staff school will make this an annual paid a surprise visit to the school event. “It will get bigger and recently to say thank you. John better each year,” she said. Kuhn, special events manager, gave the honor society students Honor Society President Jameele Sicajan Help Post a Victory Over Hunger We’re gearing up for the 28th On May 9, volunteers annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp for Harry Chapin Out Hunger Food Drive on Food Bank will be Saturday, May 9! stationed at six different post offices This is the nation’s largest single- in Lee County, where day food drive, when letter they will help unload carriers throughout the country food picked up by do double duty, delivering mail letter carriers and and collecting non-perishable other volunteer Volunteer at 2019 Letter Carriers’ Food Drive food items that residents put out drivers on their routes, then do preliminary sorting of tens of at their mailboxes. It is also the Of that total, Harry Chapin Food thousands of pounds of food. It’s largest single-day food drive for Bank received 226,452 pounds. Harry Chapin Food Bank, and hard but rewarding work, and we’ll need about 300 volunteers we invite you to be part of our If you’re new to Harry Chapin to help make it happen. team! Food Bank and would like to volunteer for the letter carriers’ Locally, Harry Chapin Food The National Association of food drive, go to our volunteer Bank and the United Way Letter Carriers food drive grew page at harrychapinfoodbank. of Lee, Hendry, Glades and out of repeated community org and sign up. Existing Okeechobee Counties partner service efforts over the years by volunteers can log in to the with the letter carriers in this various branches of the letter volunteer information center annual event. Last year, the carriers’ union to help feed and choose their shift for that letter carriers’ food drive those in need. The date of the event. second Saturday in May for a brought in 337,449 pounds national drive was chosen after of food in Lee County and For more information, contact feedback from food banks Immokalee. Immokalee is Lori Harrington, volunteer across the country showed included because it is part of manager, at 239.334.7007 that this is when most of them the National Association of ext. 141 or lharrington@ start running out of donations Letter Carriers’ union local. harrychapinfoodbank.org. received over the holidays.

Leave a Legacy Consider a Gift of Life Insurance

If your insurance policy is no longer needed, you could simply change Harry Chapin Food Bank to be the primary beneficiary of the existing policy. If your loved ones still need the security of the policy, consider listing Harry Chapin Food Bank as the contingent beneficiary. We would be happy to help you explore special giving opportunities.

For more information, contact Barbara Evans, chief development officer, at 239.334.6881 or [email protected]. He Broadcasts Food Bank Message Matt Mangas knows what it’s Matt and his family like to be successful. found themselves in a home that they couldn’t afford. They And he knows what it’s like to were quickly without be hungry. food, without income and with a mountain Matt and his wife moved to of debt. Matt’s wife, Southwest Florida where Matt desperate for food quickly became a well-known told her husband that Volunteer at 2019 Letter Carriers’ Food Drive radio personality. Matt is the they had to go to a midday host on WRXK-FM church to get food. (96K-Rock) and is the program And Matt balked. “I director at 96K-Rock and WJPT- was embarrassed and Matt Mangas FM (Sunny 106.3), of the Beasley wouldn’t go with her, because Matt mustered the courage to Media Group. Matt’s wife had a I knew so many people in town go to the pantry the next time flourishing real estate business. and just didn’t think I could with his wife and what he found She was so successful that Matt face anything like that,” he was lifesaving. He found more became a stay-at-home dad said. than nourishment, he found to take care of their young helpers, he found humanity. daughter. The church pantry his wife had gone to was part of Harry “I was able to get back on my For Matt and his family, Chapin Food Bank’s Partner feet and re-establish my career; experiencing hunger came Agency Program, which and now when Harry Chapin when the real estate bubble distributes food to a network of Food Bank comes calling, I burst and the Great Recession more than 150 agencies across want to use the power of my hit in 2007-2008. Millions across Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, radio program and all the the country lost their jobs Glades and Lee counties. She resources I have here at Beasley and their homes, and for a came home with several boxes Media Group to help the food while, Lee County became of food. bank in any way I can.” the foreclosure capital of the nation.

Publix Customers Come Through During Food Drive We are thrilled to report that the all 62 Publix stores throughout inaugural Feeding Southwest Lee, Collier and Charlotte Florida food drive held on counties. We are grateful Feb. 8 across three counties in to Publix for their steadfast partnership with Publix Super partnership in our mission to Markets collected 92,647 lead our community in the pounds of food and $23,448 in fight to end hunger and to the contributions! numerous volunteers and Publix customers who helped make Feeding Southwest Florida a Food drive volunteers at the Publix The Feeding Southwest Florida success! Shoppes at Grande Oaks in Estero. food drive was a major effort in Schulze Match Helps Seniors Who Struggle A $350,000 challenge match Chapin Food Bank works with A donation of $500 can feed a for our Care and Share: Senior selected partner agencies and senior for a year. Many of these Feeding Program is being senior housing sites to not only seniors face the difficult choice generously offered through identify participants but also to of paying for rent, utilities, and the Richard M. Schulze Family serve as distribution centers for medication, or buying food. Foundation. Your gift will be the program. We seek your help in continuing fully matched – dollar for dollar to provide supplemental – and make twice the impact food to our seniors in need. Eligible seniors age 60 and over for the seniors enrolled in this To make a gift, please visit receive kits containing canned program. harrychapinfoodbank.org. fruits and vegetables, canned protein, cheese, milk, grains, The Care and Share: Senior cereal, and other food each Feeding Program aims to month. When possible, we supplement the diets of seniors provide fresh produce, frozen who have low incomes. Harry meats and bread with these kits.

Rotary Rocks! Kickoff of Walmart Campaign April 13 Walmart’s 2020 participating products or “Fight Hunger. donating at your local Walmart Spark Change” or Sam’s Club. national campaign starts April 13 and continues through May Here’s how: 11 to help Feeding America and its network of 200 member food • Product purchase: Walmart is partnering with several We received a wonderful banks, including Harry Chapin suppliers that will donate the and much-needed gift Food Bank. equivalent of one meal for recently from nearly every each of their participating Rotary Club in Rotary District The goal of the seventh annual products sold. So far, the list 6960: collectively, they campaign is to raise awareness includes Campbell Soup provided Harry Chapin of hunger issues and engage Company, Clorox/Hidden Food Bank the funds to help the public in working with Valley products, Nature purchase a new refrigerated Feeding America member food Nate’s and PepsiCo. The list truck! We are so grateful for banks to address hunger locally. will be updated as more their support. The new truck suppliers come on board. will join a fleet of 16 trucks that deliver food to Harry The campaign has raised $100 • Register giving: You can Chapin Food Bank programs, million to fight hunger since donate to the campaign including the Partner it began, with the majority of in $1, $2 or $5 increments Agency Program that funds benefiting local food or choose another amount distributes to more than 150 banks. This year, the total when checking out at your nonprofit partner agencies number of dollars available is local Walmart or Sam’s Club. throughout Charlotte, Collier, $2.25 million. Glades, Hendry and Lee The meals and funds donated counties. In 2019, the campaign brought locally will benefit Harry Chapin in more than $126,000 for Harry Food Bank! Chapin Food Bank. You can participate by purchasing Couple Finds Food Bank a Good Fit Rick and Joan Laboda were wanted to make sure that the seeking a way to help feed organization truly helped their the hungry when they moved neighbors in need locally. They to Bonita Springs nearly three found that Harry Chapin Food years ago, and they found their Bank has a four-star rating from niche at Harry Chapin Food Charity Navigator, the nation’s Bank. leading nonprofit watchdog organization, and that 96 cents of every dollar donated goes Rick, a former vice president, toward food bank programs. consumer market manager for Bank of America, previously volunteered with another food So they began volunteering in bank in the Atlanta area before different ways, sorting produce, he retired and the couple packing nonperishable food relocated to Southwest Florida. items for senior programs, and He was anxious to continue distributing food at Fulfill Mobile Kickoff of Walmart Campaign April 13 giving back. “I had the time to Pantries. Rick could be seen give and the resources to give working the crowd at the WINK and the knowledge to give,” he Feeds Families Hunger Walk said. The question was, where? dressed in a very colorful outfit Rick Laboda volunteers at a Fulfill and hat, selling raffle tickets to Mobile Pantry. raise more money for the food Rick and Joan’s criteria for bank. Then the couple began “Children have no choice in the getting involved was a rather donating money as well as time. equation,” Rick said. “It’s not short list. It was important that their fault they’re hungry in any the nonprofit they chose be well way. Helping these innocent run, with a high percentage Rick and Joan provide victims is incredibly important, of money raised going back monetary investments at several especially in an education into the operation. They also different levels - individually, environment,” he said. “Hungry as a couple, and through the bellies don’t learn as well as full Laboda Family Foundation. bellies.” They are a sponsor of the WINK Feeds Families Hunger Walk. They are especially interested Joan shares that as a mom and in funding programs that help grandmother she can’t imagine children. Most recently their how painful it would be to know family foundation provided the that she couldn’t provide the funding for an in-school pantry necessary food for her children. at Ray V. Pottorf Elementary It is part of what drives her to School in Fort Myers. The school be engaged with Harry Chapin has over 700 students, and Food Bank. the pantry will provide food assistance to the students and their families who struggle with hunger.

Rick Laboda volunteers at Letter Carriers’ Food Drive. Harry’s Photo Album

A group of volunteers from A group of 25 volunteers from the Fiddlesticks Country Club sorted Harvard Club of Lee County helped and packed 2,862 pounds of pack 690 senior food boxes at our Fort carrots in Fort Myers. Myers Distribution Center.

Cornerstone United Methodist Church volunteers sorted and packed 1,500 pounds of potatoes at our Collier County Center in Naples.

The Marco Island Men’s Cooking Club, aka the Gourmet Stud Muffins, announced that the club raised a total of $28,458 for the food bank.

We distributed 3,416 pounds of A group from WellCare Health Plans food at a Fulfill Mobile Pantry at packed 198 food kits for seniors in need Hector Cafferata Elementary, in in Fort Myers. Cape Coral.

A group of enthusiastic employees We received a $2,500 Senior Initiatives Good Shepherd United Methodist from Hampton Inn and Suites Grant from the Cape Coral Community Women in North Fort Myers raised volunteered in Fort Myers. They sorted Foundation for our Care and Share: $1,350 for the food bank during the and packed frozen meat, fresh bread Senior Feeding Program. L-R: Food bank annual “Souper Bowl of Caring” on and yellow squash. staff Lissette Ortiz and Annie Noel. Super Bowl weekend, a national event to help those who struggle with hunger. An Appetite for Giving Back The Kerry family got their first taste of volunteering for Harry Chapin Food Bank during the recent Feeding Southwest Florida food drive, and now they have an appetite for more.

The Kerry Family The massive food drive was held Feb. 8 at 62 Publix Super Alefa, who works as an Dennis, an outgoing eighth- Market stores in Lee, Collier and insurance agent, said she heard grader who sounds like he Charlotte counties. The Kerrys, about Harry Chapin Food Bank could also be a budding including Alefa, Rick and their through donating to the United politician, was enthusiastic two children, Dennis, 13, and Way. “I enjoyed it a lot,” she said about his experience. “I liked Delayna, 11, were stationed at of volunteering. It was a good pretty much everything about the Colonial Crossings Publix in feeling to see that many people it,” he said. Dennis is in the Fort Myers. They volunteered were willing to give, she said. National Junior Honor Society, about eight hours, including involved in Boy Scouts, and setting up the donation site and Rick, who is a computer participates in a nonprofit breaking down afterwards. developer, stayed the entire college-readiness program time volunteering despite designed to help students develop, critical thinking, As first-time volunteers, they got having surgery for metastatic teamwork and other skills. an education on what it’s like liver cancer just one month to work hard interacting with before. But his whole family the community on behalf of was going to volunteer, and Dennis said he stood near the food bank and promoting he wanted to be with them. “I an ATM machine while the food bank’s mission. As a wasn’t as helpful as I probably volunteering. If someone told side benefit, the children were could be,” he said. “I recovered him they couldn’t participate able to log needed community enough to walk around and ask because they didn’t have any service hours for school. They people for donations.” money, he would point out the both go to Three Oaks Middle ATM and encourage them to School in San Carlos Park. “buy food inside and give it to help your neighbors in need.”

Delayna, a sixth-grader who likes playing on a beach volleyball team with her mom, was a bit more reserved. “I enjoyed talking to people,” she said shyly.

The parents said they plan to have the family volunteer again. “It was a good experience,” Rick said. “I recommend it to anybody who has kids their age.” The Kerry Family at Feeding Southwest Florida 3760 Fowler Street • Fort Myers, Florida 33901

239.334.7007 | harrychapinfoodbank.org

Board of Directors: Bill M. Dillon, Board Chair John D. Clinger, Vice Board Chair Mark Levine, Board Secretary Kathleen K. Johnson, Board Treasurer Anne Rose, Past Board Chair Precious Gunter Veronica Larriva Pat Nevins James A. Nolte Kayla Richmond Miller P. Keith Scoggins, Jr. Linda Stuart Lois Thome Jill Turner Marianne Zuk

Responding to COVID-19 Harry Chapin Food Bank is prepared to do whatever is needed to help ensure that no one will go hungry, especially during this unprecedented crisis. The core of our plan is to utilize a drive-thru distribution model, distributing prepackaged kits. Each kit will include shelf stable-food and will if possible, be supplemented with fresh products. We have identified distribution points throughout our five-county footprint and continue to seek additional sites that suit this model of food distribution. Each kit is roughly 20 pounds of food which would provide food for 5 days for a family of 4. The cost is $30 per kit.

Your gift of $30 pays for one kit

Your gift of $90 pays for three kits

Your gift of $150 pays for five kits

Our ability to provide these kits will lie squarely on our ability to raise the necessary funds.

Now more than ever, our mission needs the help of many to ensure that no one has to go hungry. Can we count on you? Together we can continue to serve those who are hungry in our community. Use the enclosed envelope or you can make a gift online at harrychapinfoodbank.org. Current information can always be found on our website.