National Hunger Action Month - Central Pennsylvania Food Bank

A Newsletter for Supporters of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
Winter 2008
National Hunger Action Month
Our focus during the month
of September was to increase
awareness about hunger in our
communities and to provide
opportunities for involvement
in the fight against hunger.
We are proud to report that our communities embraced
Hunger Action Month. We had 18 organizations participate in our food drive challenge. A hearty thanks goes to
Nationwide Insurance for not only bringing in the most
food overall (over 6,500 pounds of food!), but for really
having fun with it!
Our friends at Giant Food Stores and PSECU helped us
kick-off the month with a bang at the Kipona Festival in
Harrisburg. Additionally, through the support of Giant
Food Stores’ Web Development team, we launched hungerbites.org to support the campaign. Our friends at Giant
were steady supporters throughout the month – they
provided food for our lunchtime event on the Capitol
steps with WINK 104’s morning crew and a group of over
30 management staff from Giant Food Stores came to the
Food Bank for volunteer duty!
It was a busy month – filled with tours of our facility,
multiple volunteer projects, special events and more.
Many families are feeling the economic pinch.
Many people who never thought they would have to
ask for help are now looking for food assistance.
The role you play helps keep us going.
Thank you for making a difference.
Volunteers from Giant Food Stores
We ended the string of events by doing what we do best –
providing food assistance to those in need. On September
30, we took two of our large Food Bank trucks and drove
to upper Dauphin County. We distributed pre-packed
boxes of food that were designed to provide approximately
13 meals. 362 families lined up to receive the supplemental
food boxes. There were no requirements to receive the
free food.
We’re also thrilled to thank
Weis Markets for their
month-long Fight Hunger
Food Drive during Hunger
Action Month. Their efforts
resulted in over 21,000
pounds of donated food and
$60,000 in Weis gift cards to
benefit the Food Bank!
WINK 104 Wake Up Team
and Sharon Swope from
Giant Food Stores
Thanks to everyone who
played a role in Hunger Action Month. Without you, our
successes would not be possible.
Inside This Edition
Tasty Accomplishment . . . . . . .
New T5 Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . .
Making a Difference Spotlight . .
Agriculture & Health Officials
Visit During Harvest Tour . . .
New Food Bank Staff . . . . . . . .
Donors – Making a Difference . .
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Food Drive . . . . . . . . . . .
Recent Grants . . . . . . . . .
Let’s Talk Turkey . . . . . . .
Support Drives Success . .
Six-Year Old Sells Rocks
Against Hunger . . . . .
Save the Dates . . . . . . . .
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Visit our website at
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Tasty Accomplishment!
3908 Corey Road
Harrisburg, PA 17109-5929
717-564-1700
Fax 717-561-4636
www.centralpafoodbank.org
2008 Board of Directors
Lisa Katterman
President
Ron Smalstig
Vice President
Gregory J. Ricci, Esq.
Treasurer
Kimberly A. Nash
Secretary
Tracey Calhoun
Sean Connolly
David Diffenderffer
Michael E. Donaldson
Lisa M. Durborow
Rev. Dr. J. Richard Eckert
Joel Hopkins
Charlie Linn
John Linnenbach
Mark S. Merrill
Deanne M. O’Dell
Tracy Pawelski
Don Roth
Matt Schlosser
Mike Sgrignoli
Susan M. Sinclair
Dennis Stover
George West
Executive Director
Kendall Hanna
Editor, Food for Thought
Melissa Etshied
The official registration and
financial information of the Central
Pennsylvania Food Bank may be
obtained from the Pennsylvania
Department of State by calling tollfree 1-800-732-0999. Registration
does not imply endorsement.
21st annual Taste of
Central Pennsylvania
raises over $109,000!
Approximately 1,500 people attended
the event held at Harrisburg’s Strawberry
Square on November 2. Over $109,000 was
raised at this year’s event to support the
mission of the Food Bank!
The event featured music from local
entertainers, food and drink from 43
participating restaurants, caterers and food/
beverage purveyors, a raffle and silent auction.
Food Bank Board Members
Don Roth, Prudential Home Sale
Services and Tracy Pawelski from
Giant Food Stores.
Highlights include this year’s People’s Choice winners:
Best Drink.......................................................................... Tropical Smoothie
Best Food....................................................Scott’s Grille, Capital Steakhouse
Best Dessert........................................................................Giant Food Stores
Best Booth.............Benjamin Olewine II Center for the Culinary Arts at HACC
Our enormous thanks to the many corporations, individuals, restaurants and
other participants who gave their time, money or other valuable resources to
yet another successful event! The 21st annual Taste of Central Pennsylvania
was a delicious success!
Giant Food Stores was again the
Title Sponsor, Panera Bread was the
Premier Sponsor and PSECU - the
Presenting sponsor for this event.
Other sponsors included Fischer
Financial Services, Belco, and the
193rd Special Infantry Division of the
Tropical Smoothie wins Best Drink.
PA National Guard. Media sponsors
were WGAL TV-8, 105.7 the X, Mix
106.7 and Red 102.3.
PSECU guests enjoy
Champagne Reception.
Additional sponsors included
Capital BlueCross, The Hershey
Company, Highmark Blue Shield,
Joan M. Ruffle, M.D., M&T Bank, The
Hall Foundation, Sovereign Bank
and more.
New T5 Lighting in Harrisburg Warehouse
New lighting fixtures installed in the Food Bank warehouse will ultimately
result in increased efficiency and energy savings. They also provide 20%
more light output, which results in increased visibility and worker safety.
www.centralpafoodbank.org
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Making a Difference
Spotlight
Ken Sharples, President of SPK
Associates, Inc. has a rich history with
the Food Bank. His relationship with
the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
spans nearly 18 years.
Ken spent about six years on the volunteer Board of
Directors a number of years ago, but his relationship
continues in a very major way. Ken’s trucking company
- SPK - provides the Food Bank with reduced price
transportation services.
The Food Bank serves 27 counties in Central PA, and that
service area requires a significant amount of hauling food
from one point to another. According to Executive Director
Kendall Hanna, “Getting food to those who need it is the
core of our mission. Key partners like SPK allow us to fulfill
our mission in the most cost-efficient way possible.”
SPK Associates is part of our “18 Wheels, Thousands
of Meals” partnership formed by several area trucking
companies. The program supports the Food Bank by
providing free and reduced-price transportation services.
Agriculture and Health Officials
Visit Food Bank During
2008 Harvest Tour
Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff (center) and Acting Health
Secretary Everette James (left) visited with Executive Director
Kendall Hanna at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank recently
as part of their statewide tour focused on food safety.
“Our modern food supply is
complex and includes many
steps from the initial production in the field to the final
product served to consumers,” said Wolff. “These tours
are an important step in
understanding the precautions Pennsylvania producers, companies, manufacturers and organizations are taking to ensure
the safety of our food supply.”
Welcome New
Food Bank Staff
Joe Arthur, a former volunteer Board member
and Board President of Food Bank, has been
named Associate Director.
During his 23 years of accounting and finance
experience, Joe spent 15 years with Waypoint
Bank and its predecessor Harris Savings, rising
to Senior Vice President of Finance. He was also
Chief Financial Officer for Legacy Bank.
Joe lives in Lancaster County with his wife
Deb, and their two children.
Ginny Lutkewitte is the Food Bank’s new
part-time administrative assistant.
Having volunteered for various organizations
while raising her three children, Ginny felt working for the Food Bank would be the perfect fit for
her re-entry into the working world after 17 years.
Ginny resides in Derry Township with her
husband and three children.
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Visit our website at
Donors —Making
A BIG THANKS to Dr. Pepper/
Snapple Group from their Food
Bank friends. In these tough
economic times, there’s been
a downturn in corporate food
donations - but the Dr. Pepper/
Snapple Group has really
stepped up and helped us
meet our goals.
Country Meadows Retirement Community held a craft fair, raising
$1,000 to donate to the Food Bank. Country Meadows staff and
residents present check to Executive Director Kendall Hanna.
Pampered Chef
Consultant Tammy
Bottini-Lynch presents
Kendall Hanna a check
for $21,528.51. The
Pampered Chef partners
with Food Banks around
the country during their
annual Round-Up from
the Heart® campaign.
The Central Pennsylvania
Food Bank recently
received a grant from
Sovereign Bank to help
maintain the current
level of food distribution and programming
by partially offsetting
increases in food and
fuel prices. Joe Beck
presents check to
Kendall Hanna.
Aiden and Dustin Hencken chose
to support the Central Pennsylvania
Food Bank for their Bar Mitzvah
service project. The boys spent
time volunteering at the Food
Bank, as well as collecting food
and funds. They donated a total of
$500 and 80 pounds of food!
The Harrisburg Chapter of the
Pennsylvania Credit Union
League recently held a food
drive at their annual meeting
and presented a check for $786.
www.centralpafoodbank.org
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a Difference
Member’s First Credit
Union employees recently
donated stuffed animals
to distribute at Kids Cafe
sites. Associate Director
Joe Arthur at right.
Food Drives
Scouting for Food Drive Helps to Fill Food Bank
Shelves. The Keystone Area Boy Scout Council
conducted their annual Scouting for Food Drive
on November 15th. Scouting for Food brought
in 26,434 pounds of non-perishable food to be
distributed locally to hungry families.
Big 33 recently
organized their
annual food
drive, bringing in a total of 12,262
lbs! This year 10 schools participated
in the area-wide effort - Camp Hill
High School collected the most food
- with 4410 lbs! Camp Hill High
School students pictured.
KISS FM Stuff a Bus radio show
hosts Mike Miller and OC from
99.3 KISS FM spent one week
living on a Rohrer school bus in
the parking lots of local Giant
Food Stores to collect food
for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. 6,107 pounds of food was
donated to help support the Food Bank’s mission!
We appreciate your generous support!
Grants Provide Much
Needed Support
A special thanks to those
organizations that are playing
a significant role in our ability
to fulfill and extend our hunger
relief efforts.
BJ’s Charitable Foundation
u
Greater Harrisburg Foundation
u
Highmark Blue Shield
u
MARS Corporation
u
Martin M. Sacks Memorial Fund
u
Penn National Insurance
u
Sovereign Bank
u
Stabler Family Foundation
Thanks for helping
to Bag Hunger with
Giant Food Stores!
Giant Food Stores recently
helped to raise funds and
awareness about hunger in our
local communities through their
Help Us Bag Hunger campaign.
Shoppers were asked if they
wanted to help Bag Hunger
at checkout, by making a
donation to the Food Bank.
Giant donated $34,524 to the
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
through this promotion.
Visit our website at
Page 6
Let’s Talk Turkey!
It’s not too late to help feed hungry
families this holiday season
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank kicked-off the annual Turkey Drive
with a GENEROUS donation of 1,000 turkeys from Giant Food Stores on
October 30. Our goal is 4,000 turkeys by December 30, so there’s still
time to help us reach our goal!
Each year the Food Bank distributes frozen turkeys (along with all of the
side dishes that make a holiday meal complete) to hungry families during
the holiday season, through our network of member agencies in 27 PA
counties.
Visit our website or call the Food Bank at 717.564.1700 for more
information about the annual Turkey Drive.
Smooth Jazz 92.7 FM is our exclusive
radio sponsor for the 2008 Turkey Drive!
Quality Digital Office Technology
Team recently donated a check
for $2,670 and $600 in gift
cards toward the Turkey Drive.
Bill Wurster presents check to
Kendall Hanna.
Community Relations Manager
Christopher Brand from Giant
Food Stores and Kendall Hanna.
Kevin Karcher, President, Capital Wine & Spirits LLC, and PJ
Stapleton, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control board,
along with staff members, recently presented a check for $10,000
to Kendall Hanna. Later that morning, associates from Capital
Wine & Spirits (one of the largest wholesaler/brokers of fine wine
and spirits in Pennsylvania and a member of the Charmer Sunbelt
Group) volunteered at the Food Bank. The donation is targeted at
helping the Food Bank reach its goal during the Turkey Drive. (No
public funds were used in this donation.)
www.centralpafoodbank.org
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Your Support Drives Our Success
In 2008:
Advocacy & Outreach
• We ranked as one of the top food banks in the nation for operational
performance.
• 15.7 million pounds food was distributed.
• We served an estimated 185,000 people - an increase of nearly 15%
over last year.
• We achieved an 8% increase in food distribution in rural areas.
• 22 new food pantries joined us as the demand for services increases.
• Hunger Action Month focused on
the issue of hunger and how the
public can be part of the solution.
• Staff was engaged in getting the
Farm Bill passed, which provides
an increase of $1.8 billion in food
resources to PA over the next four years.
• Staff hosted and visited federal
legislators.
• We held a Senior Hunger Summit
with USDA officials, legislators and
other anti-hunger organizations.
Our objective is to be a major
influence in the creation of a Senior
Nutrition Act as part of the 2012
Farm Bill.
We are serving more people than ever.
• Kids Cafe® - 2,200 children get hot, evening meals/snacks at afterschool programs.
• Elder Share - Nearly 600 fixed-income seniors receive monthly boxes
of nutritious food.
• Power Pack - 325 at-risk children received backpacks of food to get
them through the weekends.
• Fresh Express - 5,000 families received fresh produce, dairy and deli
products each month.
York area six-year old takes hunger to heart
and sells Rocks Against Hunger
bank. The rocks are a hit – at craft
sales, food for rock exchanges,
and yes, even online! Some
people have traded 3 cans of food
for a rock, others have paid up to
$50 for a rock to benefit Katrina’s
Rocks Against Hunger.
One spring day a little more than
six months ago, then 5 year-old
Katrina came into the house with a
box of rocks. She told her mom to
sell them online. When her mom
asked “Why?” Katrina told her, “If
people are hungry, then we should
feed them.”
After some discussion with
her mom, Katrina came to the
realization that people might not
want to buy plain old rocks. In
addition to her philanthropic nature,
Katrina has an artistic side. She decided
that if she painted the rocks, they might
have some value. Since her mom paints
murals, paint was plentiful in Katrina’s
home, so she went to work.
“Mommy, why are
there kids that
don’t have food?”
Now, thousands of rocks later, Katrina’s more motivated
than ever to paint rocks and help support her local food
We’ll be keeping tabs on Katrina,
so we’ll be sure to promote any
upcoming events that feature
her rocks. In the meantime, if
you are interested in learning
more, visit http://www.myspace.com/
ArtisticExpressionMurals.
Katrina’s mom stated, “We hope this is
a way to inspire other children to get
involved! Spreading joy and hope and
food is a great thing and what a better way to help our
children – than by helping them see that they can make
a difference!”
Non-Profit Org.
U.S Postage
PAID
Harrisburg, PA
Permit No. 828
3908 Corey Road
Harrisburg, PA 17109-5929
Save the Dates
Food Bank Events Offer Unique Ways
to Sample and Support the Food Bank
Upcoming Food Bank events to help
fight hunger in Central PA
Friday, February 27 - 3rd Annual Soup
& a Bowl at Genetti’s Hotel and
Suites in Williamsport.
Monday, March 16 - 16th Annual Soup
& a Bowl at the Radisson Penn
Harris in Camp Hill.
Sunday, May 17 - 13th Annual Taste
of Lancaster County at the new
Lancaster Convention Center.