freezinl for hunger - literally - Food Pantry of Waukesha County
Transcription
freezinl for hunger - literally - Food Pantry of Waukesha County
WINTER | SPRING 2008 newsletter FREEZIN’ FOR HUNGER - LITERALLY As the title suggests, eleven Food Pantry supporters braved the elements on the night of January 18 to the morning of January 19 to raise awareness of homelessness and hunger in Waukesha by camping out on the coldest night of the winter thus far. How DOES one keep warm in below zero temperature and wind chills? With the help of generous local supporters like Dunn Brothers Coffee (coffee and hot chocolate), Quizno’s on Silvernail (sub sandwich platters), and Wynn Becker and Amy from Hardees, who donated refreshments AND spent quite a bit of time with the group Friday night helping collect donations. Food Pantry staff warmed up everyone with breakfast early Saturday morning. One must also wear many layers of clothes, have a good tent, good boots, hand warmers, a fire (with wood and fire-pit donated by Alderman Randy Radisch) and a warm sleeping bag. Sleep didn’t come easily, and the volunteers needed to move around to keep warm, accounting for the rumor that certain younger volunteers went sledding at 3 in the morning! Jeff Jensen & Co. donated propane heaters for the night, and Ferrall Gas contributed the propane gas tanks. Five hours into the camp-a-thon, Karen Tredwell (left) visits campers Matt Nelson, Aimee McGeen, Tim Probst and Janelle Blavat All high energy and smiles, Aimee McGeen is captured before ‘lights out’ FPWC is grateful to the overnight group and all their generous sponsors. Our primary sponsor this year was The Schroeder Group Attorneys at Law who not only provided our single largest sponsorship, but supported attorney Ross Sharkey and his sister Sue. The founder of this event and new FPWC board member Tim Probst was pleased with the support and publicity contributed by the Waukesha JanBoree staff. Having the warming house open all night was a welcome change in plans and a very necessary one considering the weather. Tim is already planning for next year! Aimee McGeen, a member of Leadership Waukesha XIX and an employee of the Waukesha/ Pewaukee Convention & Visitors bureau, drafted her sister Haley to join her. Dawn Hagenau of Jannsen & Company was part of our organizing committee and contributed both financially and by creating our marketing brochures. Dave Wabiszewski of Jannsen and Adam Matson of MLG were two additional hardy adult overnighters. FPWC’s Youth Representative Board member Matt Nelson, his sister Kayla and Desiree represented their high school well. Overall the group raised $7332.00 in monetary donations and 4,937 pounds of food. Aimee McGeen summed it up well when she said, “I have been completely overwhelmed with the generosity of those who sponsored.” FPWC is grateful to everyone who helped make the third annual Freezin’ for Hunger a success! 1 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Friends, After working at the Pantry for more than 10 years, I am sure that it is not hard to imagine the wonderful acts of generosity that we have seen. It is heartening to know that people in our community continue to care for and support so many – in most cases for people that they will never meet. I never get over the gratitude and warm-hearted feeling one experiences from witnessing countless acts of benevolence that we are privileged to observe on a regular basis. Mission Hunger hurts. It denies dignity, lessens human energy and impairs the potential of people to succeed. Therefore: The Food Pantry of Waukesha County will advocate to increase awareness of hunger in the community and promote collaborative action to provide food to those in need. Vision To eliminate hunger in Waukesha County. Non Profit Status The Food Pantry of Waukesha County is a non profit community organization, maintaining 501(c)3 status, and all donations are tax deductible. The Food Pantry of Waukesha County is an equal opportunity provider and employer. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. 2 Each day, we provide the “basics” to clients registered at the Food Pantry. We have been fortunate enough to offer food beyond the basics for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is our fervent belief that all people should be able to celebrate holidays regardless of income status. As we have seen an increase in our overall daily usage, we anticipated more requests for holiday food. To that end, an appeal mailing seeking assistance for holiday meals was coordinated, (See page 7) which generated much-needed support. When it became clear that additional items were needed to support holiday food for 300 additional families, area media were alerted to the need and the story was shared via newspaper and television. The stories generated a lot of interest and response. Thanks to an incredible reaction from area businesses, congregations, civic organizations, schools, families and individuals, we were able to meet the need for Thanksgiving and get a healthy jump-start for Christmas. We are honored to be the stewards of the many gifts you have entrusted to us. More importantly, due to your generosity, holiday food for a total of 2,362 households was distributed! Now the holidays seem but a distant memory, and the need continues. The next big food drive, Scouting for Food, will take place on Saturday, April 5th. However, you can help us to keep our shelves stocked each and every month by placing food donations in barrels in area stores or dropping off food directly at the pantry. Better yet, host a food drive with your congregation, community group, school or business – it is easier than you may think. Call us or visit our website for information to facilitate a drive or the hours we accept donations. We could not provide assistance to others without your ongoing support. Thank you, Karen Tredwell, Executive Director Record Number of People Served November’s client numbers soared as the FPWC provided groceries to 6755 clients, an 8% increase from 12 months prior. FPWC’s resources were strained as donated food was distributed as quickly as it arrived. Luckily the service numbers leveled off during December and January, with 5457 and 5538 clients respectively, but the service data indicated client levels were maintained from corresponding months one year prior. Success of Holiday Meal Program Plea Warms the Heart Last September, The Food Pantry of Waukesha County (FPWC) sent solicitation letters to local companies and community groups. What is so different about that? This time FPWC asked these supporters to coordinate fundraisers and donate the money to fund a new Holiday Meal Program. The fundraising effort was initiated to purchase, stock and distribute specific foods used to celebrate the holidays during a condensed window of time before each holiday. The response was amazing, and $8,000 was raised by the end of December. Please take in to consideration that this program provides food in addition to the regular grocery distribution that occurs seven times weekly. In the past, the program relied on the incoming stream of food donations that has a random ebb and flow. This irregularity would cause fluctuations in inventory and shortages of particular items throughout the holiday season. Half of the money raised in November ($4000) was used to supplement food donations of turkeys, stuffing, gravy, and other holiday meal supplies. Even with this additional resource, the demand for holiday meals was so high in November that FPWC found itself 300 turkeys short on the Monday before Thanksgiving. The community heard of the shortfall and immediately responded with a flood of donations (see accompanying letter from Karen Tredwell). Overall the mailing was a huge success and the funds generated were used to provide 1392 holiday meals in November and 970 holiday meals in December. What do you like about volunteering here at the Food Pantry? “The great, friendly atmosphere; also (the pantry) is very well organized.” Charlie, Age 71, volunteer for 7 years, 2 mos. “The fellowship with the other volunteer (and) the staff is great!” Jody, 36, volunteer for 1 year “Helping others, especially those who speak Spanish.” Mayra, 16, volunteer for 2 years Substantial Donation of Warehouse Equipment Received “The friendly people and the cute babies!” Barb, NA, volunteer for 8 years “Seeing the smiling faces of the people receiving food.” Joel, 16, volunteer for 3 years The Food Pantry received two substantial donations in December that will make a significant difference in the way FPWC is able to move and store food. Both donors requested that the gifts be acknowledged anonymously. First, a forklift replaced an aging forklift that will provide a reliable tool to move and stack pallets in the warehouse. Second, the FPWC received a 28-foot straight truck that will provide an efficient way to pick Jerry Oven riding the forklift up larger contributions and purchases. Thanks go to FPWC friend Dr. John Ernst, who was integral in procuring each of these significant donations. Jerry Oven, FPWC Warehouse Manager said, “This type of donation enables us to be more efficient overall in our day-to-day operations. That means more resources can be directed to food collection and distribution. We are so grateful to Dr. John for identifying potential donors and creating new partnerships.” “And the friendliness of the staff and volunteers.” Margaret, 74, volunteer of 1 year. “Both the clients and the staff.” Herb, 80, volunteer for 6 years “Contact with the staff and volunteers.” Dorothy, 82, volunteer of 17+ years “I’ve met some very nice people.” Jan, 72, volunteer for 5 years. 3 Neighborhoods Coordinate Huge Food Drive The Community of Waukesha Truly Supports Its Neighbors The sixth annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food & Fund Drive was held December 8th in the subdivisions of Tall Grass, Rolling Ridge and Meadowbrook. Coordinators Dave Rebro and Shannon Majewski encourage residents to make donations to be collected later that day by children from the neighborhood with help from adult family members. The drive generated 6000 lbs. of food and $1994.00 http://www.tallin.com/neighbors/ourwork.htm) A partial list of recent donors: A & A Manufacturing Company, Inc. American Family Insurance Group American Legion / D. J. Martin Post #8 Accurate Products Mfg. Corp. Ascension Lutheran Church Aurora Health Center Karen Tredwell and children that helped with the local drive Beneco of Wisconsin, Inc. Carroll College Christian Stewardship Foundation Dai Shin Technologies, Inc. E.A.S. Inc. - The Picnic Basket Elegant Farmer, Inc. Evangelical & Reformed UCC Evans Transportation Services, Inc. That first year money was collected and a few neighborhood families delivered a contribution directly to the pantry. When they arrived, they discovered the pantry was open and distributing groceries. They observed the long waiting line of clients and a parking lot filled to capacity. The sight of all those people in need really made an impression on the group, particularly the children. Matthew Wulf, age 11, one of the children present remarked, “After seeing the long line of people waiting to get food, I realized how lucky we are to have what we have...and it felt good to give to others.” Co-Coordinator Rebro added, “We were all so surprised that day how the clients looked and dressed just like us. It really hit home that a situation could easily arise that could put anyone of us in that receiving line. That really opened our eyes and touched our hearts.” Group photo of the participants in the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Drive G2 Creative Inc. Greater Milwaukee Foundation Heuler Tile Co., Inc. High Velocity Communications Inc. Heartfelt Holly Days Craft Fair Illinois Tool Works Foundation JD Logistics Inc. JX Enterprises Kohl’s Distribution Center 4 Continued on Page 6 It all started five years ago when a group of eight families from the neighborhood were sharing a Thanksgiving meal. Each person at the table was asked to offer up a blessing for which he or she was grateful. When they realized how many things they could be grateful for, the group decided to share their good fortune with those less fortunate. Rebro adds, “We all wanted to give back to the community and we all thought it could also be a valuable lesson for the children to learn.” The Roberts Group Continues Its Support Barbara Thompson and our friends at The Roberts Group continued their generous support by creating and paying for three ads to be run in both the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Waukesha Freeman newspapers in November and December. The ads initiated the new marketing effort to educate the public by emphasizing what is fact and what is fiction regarding the issue of hunger in Waukesha County. One ad emphasized the need for diapers at The Food Pantry and the response was immediate. “We have witnessed a significant increase in the number of food contributions that include disposable baby diapers. Many times a donor arrives with diapers alone. It is rare that we have this amount or variety of sizes available to distribute. The Roberts Group ad really hit the mark!” said Mary Baer, FPWC Board Member. Upon seeing the ad, one gentleman drove off to his local Sam’s Club and purchased a whole flatbed cart filled with boxes of diapers valued at $1500.00. While waiting in line, another customer asked why he had such a haul of diapers. When the gentleman told him of the ad and how it motivated him to act, the customer quickly handed him a $20 bill and asked him to put the money toward additional diapers. Student Woodworker Donates Skills It’s nice to learn that young people are giving back to their community. A perfect example is Andrew Klain, a junior at Catholic Memorial High school. One Sunday, while attending a service at St. Leonard’s, he saw a flyer for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County and called to offer his handiness. Within two weeks he researched the project, drew up plans, purchased the supplies and built two beautiful brochure racks, two bookshelves and a table for the registration area. The brochure racks, built to display twice as many brochures, are placed to provide clients all types of information regarding other assistance in the area. The bookshelves and table help client registration run smoothly. All the projects were completed prior to last fall’s Open House and really helped to ‘spruce up the place.’ Andrew has been woodworking since he was young, doing odd projects around the house. This is the first time Andrew has worked on a project for the community, but it probably won’t be his last. Andrew now understands how giving back to the community can be easy if one chooses areas of one’s interests & skill – a great life lesson for everyone. Kudos to Andrew! High school student Andrew Klain with one of the distribution racks he built and installed at the FPWC 5 Waste Not, Want Not - Innovative Program Taps Major Food Resource Medical Associates of Menomonee Falls, Ltd. Mitzvah Fund – Waukesha Co. Community Foundation Mount Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Congregation Pro Health, Inc. Quad/Graphics, Inc. Sam’s Club #8164 Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Signature Lighting, LTD. Telecom Pioneers Wisconsin Chapter 4 Three Pillars Senior Living Communities USABDA-Mil Waukee Chapter Usinger Foundation, Inc. Veterans of Foreign Wars- Post 8320 Brookfield WPSD-TV Waukesha County Deputy Sheriffs Assoc. Waukesha County Social Services Employees Waukesha West H.S. National Honor Society Waukesha Family Practice Center Waukesha Olde Car Club Wauwatosa Savings Bank Westwood Aluminum Casting Inc. World Class Wire & Cable, Inc. Zion Presbyterian Church 6 The Food Recovery Program, one of the programs of the Food Pantry of Waukesha County, will be celebrating its 6th anniversary in November of this year. A task force appointed by the Nutrition Coalition of Waukesha County began this innovative program. UW Extension, Waukesha County food pantries, Waukesha County Recycling and Solid Waste, Environmental Health, and Senior Services all provided representation to look at solutions to two ever-increasing issues: 1) that one in twelve households in Wisconsin have an inadequate supply of food, and 2) food waste is the second largest component in Wisconsin’s landfills. Further research by the task force confirmed that much of the food deposited in the landfills was actually high-quality food and would often be disposed of because of lack of a convenient and reliable system by which to fully utilize edible products. To that end, area restaurants, growers, purveyors and manufacturers were contacted to determine interest in participating in a local food recovery or gleaning program. The survey was coupled with information about the process and legality of donating edible, excess food. The results were extremely positive and led to the task force seeking funding from the Non-profit Management Fund to hire a consultant to assist with creating the structure of the program. The result: The Food Recovery Program of Waukesha County! Additional funding was sought and obtained from the Community Services Block Grant to assist with staff and material costs associated with the program. The first Food Recovery Coordinator was hired in November of 2002. During the first year of operation, the program gleaned food as diverse as “soup to nuts.” Donors included local and regional food producers, manufacturers, caterers, growers and retail organizations. The varied and delicious items were shared with Waukesha County pantries, shelters, and meal programs. The program has grown to include more than 100 donors that have provided food to more than 60 agencies. Volunteers assist with food pickup and delivery to keep program costs low. The Food Pantry of Waukesha County is committed to continued support of the program and has demonstrated that support by expanding the capacity of their on-site walk-in freezer, commercial cooler space, and off-site dry storage. Additional information about appropriate food and safe handling practices can be obtained by contacting Karen Tredwell at 262-542-5300. Essential Donation from Hunger task force At the end of February, The Pantry’s food supplies were beginning to dwindle so we approached our neighbor Hunger Task Force, Inc. The food bank and advocacy group provides all of its services at no costs to pantries & meals sites. Within two days we received 18 pallets of non-perishable food! The supply of soups, tuna, vegetables, rice and pasta significantly infused our offerings. We thank Hunger Task Force for their generosity and ongoing partnership. A Season of Giving Indeed! Donors continued to bring in home grown vegetables from their gardens until the first freeze. Pantry clients really appreciate including the fresh items in their diets. One farmer got help from local Scout troops to reap a trailer full of fresh potatoes delivered to FPWC at the end of October. Potatoes are great for distribution due to their stable shelf life, but are also popular among clients since they are so versatile. Close to the holidays, several employee groups called to find out how they could help. Instead of purchasing gifts for fellow employees, they redirected money they would have spent on gifts and purchased items like hams and turkeys. One group brought in 30 hams! The Peterson Family of Muskego brought in dozens of turkeys as they do each year. So many congregations conduct food drives as a matter of giving thanks. One in particular, River Glen Christian Church, concentrates their efforts in collecting cereal for a number of weeks. This year’s drive, their third, generated Volunteers shown unloading a donation of fresh potatoes supplied by a local farmer 1200 boxes of cereal during December! The Red Circle Inn owners, Martha and Norm Eckstaedt, coordinated a beautiful tree lighting that raised $1876.00. Thanks to all of our friends and supporters in Nashotah! Lori Callen is generously donating her technical skills to keep FPWC’s Website up-to-date completely free of charge. Her efforts have been flawless! The Canadian Pacific Railroad’s Holiday The Peterson Family and their annual donation of turkeys Train arrived in Pewaukee on a blustery winter night in December to be greeted by an estimated 2000 people, the largest crowd on the tour according to CPR officials. Thanks to Wauwatosa Savings Bank for their event sponsorship. The national tour of the bedazzled train, which benefits local food pantries at each stop, has become a community tradition with its fourth annual stop in the Waukesha area. Dedicated staff Pallet of diapers and baby formula donated after ad paid and volunteers were on hand to collect for by The Roberts Group (see p. 5) 4,000 lbs. of food and $1900 dollars in donations. The Holiday Wreath Raffle raised an additional $500 dollars that night for a grand total of $2400 from the event. FPWC would like to thank the following companies for their contributions to this successful event. Many lucky recipients walked away with beautiful wreaths! A big thank you to all wreath donors Common Wealth Mortgage Group, Go Earth, North Shore Bank and florists Bluemels, The Front Porch, Magnolia Floral & Gift Shop, Mayflowers Florists, A New Leaf Floral Inc., Olde English Flower Shoppe and Rhodee Florist & Greenhouses, among others. Special thanks to Tess Meode for decorating 10 wreaths. Plant an Extra Row of Vegetables When planning your garden this spring, remember to plant an extra row of produce and bring the resulting bounty to The Pantry. Tomatoes and peppers are preferred due to their versatility, but clients will appreciate any fresh vegetable donation. Be sure to deliver your donation before distribution hours so it can be dispersed to clients that day. Help Us Get the Word Out - END HUNGER, START HERE Representatives of The Pantry appreciate any opportunity to share what is happening at the pantry. Staff members are available to speak at your congregation, school or business as well as to your community, service, employee or professional group. Contact Michael at 262-542-5300 and set up an appointed date and time. At every presentation, people discover something new about FPWC. 7 APRIL 20th Annual Boy Scouts of America’s Scouting Board of Directors for Hunger Drive Mary Baer Saturday April 5th Larry Bucholtz Linda Caldart-Olson, Vice President Susan Dwyer, Treasurer Leticia Hoisington Mayra Martinez Lisa Mautz Tina Neis, President The Fox River Scout Groups distribute grocery bags to residences throughout Waukesha neighborhoods on March 29th. One week later, the Scouts return to collect the food left out by generous donors. All proceeds benefit The Food Pantry of Waukesha County. Last year’s Scouting For Hunger Drive generated 12,000 lbs of food! Matthew Nelson May Tim Probst Stamp Out Hunger Brad Schimel Barbara Syrjanen, Secretary Steve Vangsnes Steven Youngbauer Staff Theresa Barndt Nancy Camara Saturday May 10th This one-day national drive is coordinated by the National Association of Letter Carriers and United States Postal Service. The Food Pantry and Salvation Army are the local benefactors. A week before the drive, residents will receive a plastic grocery bag with their regular mail. Residents are asked to fill the bag with non perishable food items and place it near their mailbox on Saturday morning to be picked up by Letter Carriers or volunteers. Judy Cesarec Michael Jonas Jerry Oven Karen Tredwell, Executive Director OCTOBER 30th Anniversary Gathering Sunday, October 12th 4pm to 7pm Holiday Train photograph credited to John Ernst It may be hard to believe, but the Food Pantry of Waukesha County will acknowledge its 30th year of service to the community with a unique event this autumn. Please save the date in your calendars and look for more event details to come. 215 w. north street waukesha, wi 53188 tel: 262.542.5300 | fax: 262.542.4177 e-mail: [email protected] web: www.foodpantryofwaukeshacounty.org Food and cash donations were collected when The Canadian Pacific Railroad’s Holiday Train rolled into town on December 6th 8