The 22Nd Annual Holiday Spirit Food and Fund Drive Hunger Action Month 2014
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Food Notes The Newsletter of Food for People • The Food Bank for Humboldt County October 2014 Hunger Action Month 2014 By Deborah Waxman, Director of Programs September was Hunger Action Month, and Food for People joined the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks for a month of activities to raise nd awareness about hunger and The 22 Annual The Holiday Spirit Food and Fund Drive will food insecurity in America, and kick off with the Canned Food Cowboy Convoy especially in Humboldt County. Holiday Spirit Food on November 22. At left, last year's Cowboy Convoy in Old Town, Eureka. At right, food According to Feeding and Fund Drive donated during last year's drive. America’s Hunger in America 2014 By Laura Hughes, Local Food Resources Coordinator National Report, more than one in six Americans (18.2%) report School is in session, the days including and beyond the holidays. who do not have enough food to creativity and enthusiasm of all that over the past 12 months, they are getting shorter, and the holiday eat. But the barrel food drive is our participants. Not only does the did not have enough money to season is around the corner! The holidays can be a stressful only one of several Holiday Spirit Hunger Fighter Challenge bring buy needed food for themselves time for anyone. But for low- activities. in much-needed food, it's also a or their families. In Humboldt At Food for People, we’re income families with limited fun way to get people involved and County, where the poverty rate planning the biggest food resources, providing additional The Hunger Fighter Challenge educate them about the realities is higher than both the state collection event of our year: the meals to kids while they’re An essential component of the and national averages, hunger 22nd Annual Holiday Spirit Food home on break from school, the Holiday Spirit Food and Fund Drive Continued on page 5 is a daily experience for many and Fund Drive. Soon you’ll be expectation of buying gifts, and is the Hunger Fighter Challenge. seeing our food donation barrels at the pressure to provide a special Any group can participate and Continued on page 10 locations throughout the county, holiday meal for loved ones can be put together a Hunger Fighter each decorated with our logo and more than stressful. In many cases, Team. If you’re interested, just list of most-needed foods. it’s simply out of the question. let us know, and we’ll get you started. Our Hunger Fighter teams Last year, community members That’s where the “Holiday include businesses, churches, donated over 64,000 pounds Spirit” of our generous community schools, civic organizations, and of food to help feed neighbors, comes in. Hundreds of businesses, community groups, all who sign friends, and families in need. We organizations, groups, and up to participate in a friendly invite you to participate in our individuals pitch in across the competition to determine which efforts again this season. Every county to participate in various team can collect the most food donation makes a difference. efforts to raise funds and collect and funds during the months of Together, we can help ensure food to help make the holidays November and December. Each Holiday Bags will that everyone in our community a little easier on families with Hunger Fighter Team creates their be distributed in the has enough nutritious food to children, seniors, the disabled and own unique approach to raising Times Standard on eat during the winter months, homebound, and working people food and funds. We appreciate the November 25. www.foodforpeople.org Permit No 159 No Permit 707-445-3166 Eureka CA 95501 CA Eureka Eureka CA 95501 CA Eureka PAID 307 West 14th Street 14th West 307 The Food Bank for Humboldt County Humboldt for Bank Food The U.S. Postage U.S. Food for People, Inc. People, for Food Non-Profit Org. Non-Profit 2 Food Notes The Newsletter of Food for People, the Food Bank for Humboldt County What the People at Food for People Do By Erin Tharp, Community Food Programs Coordinator What do the people at Food for People do? As the Community with some of our clients because Food Programs Coordinator, they’ve been doing it for so long. I supervise our two senior Two of my drivers, a couple, buy programs, the Commodity granola bars and add them to the Supplemental Food Program bag. They are very committed (CSFP) and the Senior Brown Bag to the clients and we hear from Board of Directors Program, and our Homebound clients that the volunteers are Nicholas Vogel, President Delivery Program. Up to 600 in turn an important support Carol Vander Meer, Vice President people are served monthly system for them. Drivers are my Jerome J. Simone, Treasurer through these programs. link, bridging a gap between Caterina Lewis-Perry, Secretary me and the client. Typically the Annie Bolick-Floss The Commodity Supplemental drivers are the ones who tell me Bill Daniel Food Program provides a 30- if the client has moved or passed Lew Litzky 40 pound box of nutritious away, because a client’s family Martha Spencer food monthly to income-eligible doesn't always know they’ve been seniors. receiving our services. Staff The Senior Brown Bag Program One of the challenges of my Anne Holcomb provides a bag of groceries for work is that every single week is Executive Director low-income senior households different. I don’t have a routine Amelia Boulware each month. Volunteer drivers every day. Things come up that Fund Development Director deliver bags to those who are must be addressed. It’s kind of Andy Nieto Erin Tharp, Community Food Programs unable to pick up their own food. controlled chaos! It requires a Operations Manager Coordinator, gets ready for Senior Distribution great deal of organization and Art Brown Day at the Eureka warehouse. Our Homebound Delivery accurate record keeping, not to Driver Program provides a monthly bag mention the organization of food Carrie Smith of groceries for adults under age in our warehouse. I spend about Child Nutrition Programs Coordinator 60 who are too ill or disabled half my time at my desk and half Cassandra Culps to leave their homes. Some my time on the warehouse floor. Nutrition Education Coordinator recipients are recovering from Corey Tipton illness or surgery, while others This work has also made me Bookkeeper may be coping with a terminal realize the community need. Darci Gibson illness. Referrals are accepted Most people know there’s a high Pantry Network Coordinator from hospital discharge planners, rate of hunger and food insecurity Deborah Waxman social workers, and home health in Humboldt County, but seeing Director of Programs workers. people in their homes makes me Desiree Hill realize how much we don't see, Warehouse Coordinator One of the most rewarding and yet it’s right there. Many of Erin Tharp parts of my job is working our elders are of a generation that Community Food Programs Coordinator with clients one on one, which is not accustomed to asking for Heidi McHugh is challenging because during help. There's a stigma attached to Community Education & Outreach Coordinator distributions I’m really busy, and asking for help, so they don't ask Jeanna DiMinno when I’m not doing distributions, and go without. Fundraising Assistant I am preparing deliveries or Jeff Gupton cleaning up. The other day a If you or someone you know Food Distribution Coordinator woman came in to re-certify could use the assistance of one Laura Hughes for CSFP, and I had a chance to of the three programs outlined Local Food Resources Coordinator sit down with her and do the above, please contact Erin Tharp, Michael Quintana application. It feels good to be able Community Food Programs CalFresh Application Assistor to help someone get something Coordinator, at 707-455-3166, ext. Nick Gauger they really need—food. A big 303, or etharp@foodforpeople. Warehouse Assistant problem I notice with my clients org. • Peggy Leviton is that on paper they have a pretty Finance Director significant income, but their Please visit our website at Philip Anderson medical costs are astronomical, www.foodforpeople.org Volunteer Coordinator so the money they actually have for more information about Stephen Uidl is insufficient. Seeing my clients all of our programs; staff Pantry Network Driver living in substandard conditions contact information; hunger Suzanne Ross-Kohl and without help is very difficult. education information and Inventory Database Manager resources; copies of past Tim Crosby Our volunteer drivers are newsletters and annual Mobile Produce Pantry Coordinator really important. They have long- reports; healthy recipes; standing personal relationships and more! Donate online at www.foodforpeople.org October 2014 3 farmers who have been forced to volume of bonus commodities Notes from the Director leave their fields fallow for lack of and it usually ranges from 25-75% water. Ranchers have reduced the of the total volume of commodity size of their herds, and farmers foods we receive in a month. The Future of Hunger have scaled back production. But that has changed recently as What many of our readers may not food prices have soared and the By Anne Holcomb know is that this has already had government has seen no need to an impact on food banks' access purchase crops to stabilize prices. individual in need. But looking we work toward the goal of ending to what are referred to as “bonus As the USDA exhausts their supply beyond the day-to-day reality of hunger.