FOCUS FALL 2012 Hunger Doesn’t They Got Milk! Take A Holiday Hunger doesn’t take a holiday, and we need your continued support of the Food Pantry now through the holidays to help stamp out hunger! Your ongoing financial and food donations during the fall and winter months are greatly appreciated, as increasing client volume places a greater demand on food distribution Sitting at our respective desks child’s exclamation that makes us to needy residents of Irving. just down the hall from the Food realize how fortunate we are in our Pantry, we heard a young child own lives that we have food in our As November and December (with his parents receiving their homes, the rent is paid, and the approach, please consider food order) exclaim in a most lights come on when we turn the a special Thanksgiving and excited voice, “Oh goodie, we’ve switch. Christmas holiday food drive got milk!” at your business, church, club, The Food Pantry served an average or school. The earlier the food You can imagine, we all choked out of 700 families per month last is donated, the more clients a collective gasp. year; however, this summer was can be served during this brutal – an average of 930 families special time of the year. So many days we get caught up per month. Spending for items not in the business part of serving donated is currently $36,979 over Some families have to choose our clients. It’s hearing that young budget. between buying groceries or Please see Milk on Page 4 sending a child to the doctor Please see Holiday on Page 4 Inside 2,3 The Great Harvest Report 6 Ranchview HS Volunteers 7 Earn It! Keep It! Save it! 4 Mercury One Volunteers 6 Holiday Gift Opportunities 8 What Your Cash Gift Can Do 5 Agrilogic Volunteers 7 Employment Success Story 5 Patient Transportation Story 7 Utility Assistance Success Story 5 Hygiene Products Needed 7 Food Pantry Success Story 6 Donor Bridge Results 1 Board of TGH Sponsors Directors Annette & Tom Morton Monica Reyes Plentiful Providers Diane & Jesse Orsini Chair D A D S Donor Advised Fund Monica Reyes Fluor Corporation Mass Electric Construction Co. & Rick’s Independent Car Kare Services, Kiewit Inc. Marvin Bond Barbara & Brock Scott Vice Chair Flor Smith Greater Irving – Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce Maize Teddie & Ken Story The Clements Family Linda Taylor Julie & Mike Esstman Chandra Hill Kay & Harry Weaver Treasurer Susie & Curt FitzGerald Jana & Jeffrey Whaley Greater Irving – Las Colinas Friends of Irving Cares Chamber of Commerce HMS TXU Energy Harvest Basket Mary Ann Burns Bob Bevier Secretary Julia Black BB&T Golden Pumpkin Francess & Robert Blakely Sandra & Kyle Ahlfinger Law Office of Carmen Blankenship Tarique Baloch Jane L. & Charles A. Beach Karen & David Bratton Community Trust Bank Big State Drug & Brown’s Pharmacy Vickie Bumpass Fran & James Cassels Yolanda Carroll Carol Bell Rita & Tom Chasser Connie & Jerry Dunn Community Volunteer Exxon Mobil Corporation Vicki & Bill Dearing Bob Hagestad Sandy & Steve Ferney Andy Bennett Nancy & Chris Heckman Merrill Lynch Global Jensy & Mike Gregory Insperity Wealth & Investment Management Kathy & Clint Howard Nancy & Carl Klinke Kimberly Humphries Angela Brooks Joe McQuillan Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau Citi Kimberley & Scott Sheffield Jacqueline & Richard Gamble Sam Smith in Memory of Carla Smith Bonita & Troy Kelley Lori Bunger VHA Clem Lear HOLT CAT Jolene & Dick Lear M&H 66 Chris Carathers Cornucopia Mammen Glass & Mirror, Inc. Irving North Christian Church Paul Anderson Alicia Fernandez-Mott & Dr. Charles Mott Anonymous Oncor Electric Delivery Company Yolanda Carroll Suzy Beeman R. Mills Roberts, MD BNSF Railway Carol & Steven Bell Linda & Larry Schorn John & Kitty Boyle and Family Mechelle Davidson Mr. & Mrs. Burnell R. Stehman TXU Energy Angela & Michael Brooks Caton Consulting Group, PC Tom Morton Sylvia & Walter Chiang Independent Bank of Texas Diann & Joe Contestabile Grace & Thom Davis Valet Sponsor Allstate Insurance Company Candi Richardson Angie & John Drake Insperity Arlene & Steve Dunston Fluor Corporation Volunteer Sponsor Vicki & Jim Fox The Clements Family Chris & Bob Horner Irving Cares Board of Directors Irving Firefighter Association Local #2073 VIP Reception Sponsor Beverly & Richard Martin Friends of Irving Cares Corinne & Paul B. McCully 2 TGH Raises More Than $220,000 “These are the faces of the people served at Irving Cares: a baby whose family received rent and food, a young man who found a job, an older gentleman who got a ride to the doctor.” Over 300 friends of Irving Cares arrived on Friday, September 28 at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas to raise money for their neighbors in need. Co-chairmen Larry Clements and Chris Clements welcomed everyone to the lavish auction and ballroom for a sumptuous plated dinner and a short program featuring stories about Irving Cares clients who benefited from their generous gifts. The live auction featured spectacular pieces of jewelry, vacations in Canada and Port Aransas, fabulous private dining packages, a crawfish boil for 50, a guided hog hunt in East Texas, and use of the Lou Brock Suite at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington for a Texas Rangers game vs the New York Yankees. The silent auction held over 200 items for your home, dining events, sports memorabilia and more. A lively game of Heads or Tails raised nearly $2,000 as guests hoped to win tickets to a Texas Rangers game and a baseball autographed by Josh Hamilton. Several people made donations to a plea for support for a technology upgrade that will improve efficiency in service delivery. Thank you to all who donated resources – time, talent, and treasure. The steering committee pulled together a fantastic event for Irving Cares. Last fiscal year, we served over 42,000 people. We could not do this work without you! 3 Mercury Rising Holiday Continued from Page 1 with an earache. Irving Cares provides groceries for families who need help because of unexpected expenses and for clients in the food stamp application process. A family’s food order for one week is an average of 85 pounds of groceries. At current service levels, we need nearly 72,000 pounds of groceries every month. There is a suggested “shopping list” and holiday food drive registration form on our website. Please use this form or contact Kyle Taylor, Coordinator of Volunteers, at 972-721- 9181 X209 or ktaylor@ irvingcares.org and to make arrangements to either deliver the food or to Mercury One, the philanthropic request a pick-up. arm of Glenn Beck, delivered much needed summer food relief to the Food Pantry at Irving Cares. Mercury Milk One conducted their own research, Continued from Page 1 visited and toured the facility and Please consider a really connected with our motto, ‘It’s donation to the Food a hand up, not a handout’. Two things Pantry. Your cash gift happened for Irving Cares after they goes further because connected with Irving Cares. our procurement methods through the The first was in June with Lemonade North Texas Food Bank Irving Cares was one of 12 food banks and retail are at lower Day that Mercury One holds through across the United States to receive pricing. Your donation another great partner of Irving Cares, a 52 foot trailer full of donated food of items not donated Liberty Mutual, which sent a group of from the “Restoring Love” food drive also helps. Holding a employees who collected 600 pounds held at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. food drive for peanut of food. The Liberty Mutual group butter, jelly, soups, It is through partnerships like these canned meat, or toilet sorted and shelved the donated food, paper means we don’t and even took turns filling client that Irving Cares can continue to have to buy those orders in the Food Pantry. provide food and services to the items. people of Irving Texas. The second was during July with the Every gift counts, and lets Irving Cares delivery of 40,000 pounds of food. provide milk for families who need it. 4 Agrilogic Volunteers Volunteers from Agrilogic Hygiene recently spent a few hours Products at Irving Cares. They toured the agency, learning about Needed the application process and programs that we offer. One We are seeing an team worked in the Food Pantry unprecedented request preparing orders for clients, and for personal hygiene another team worked in the products. These products warehouse sorting, stocking are very important for those and readying their food individuals who are looking donation of nearly 300 pounds. for work and for those After some meaningful time children who are attending together, they left Irving Cares school. Feeling good energized and ready to do more about oneself is a key to for their fellow Irving citizens. performance, whether you They vowed to maintain and are looking for work or your strengthen their relationship child is spending the day with Irving Cares. in a classroom and being successful in your pursuit of life. More Than Just a Ride We have several gracious by Monica Oliver, donors who donate cash to purchase hygiene products Patient Transportation Program driver for our clients, but more help is needed. Please consider a Donna and Diane are twin sisters. Recovering from breast cancer and cash gift or donating these mastectomy, Diane needed transportation to physical therapy for complete products. recovery of her arm motion following complications. Patient Transportation Program was able to get Diane safely to and from her appointments, and You can mail a check to today she is recovered and is doing well. P O Box 177425; Irving, TX 75017-7425 or make a Donna, on the other hand, has had many concerns over the past three years.