letter from the executive director

Board of Directors
Mary Baer
Larry Bucholz
Linda Caldart-Olson, President
Leticia Hoisington
Dani Jason, Youth Representative
Michele Marsh
Lisa Mautz, Treasurer
Tim Probst
Mary Jane Reichart
Brad Schimel
Jane Schneider
Kim Seeberg
Barbara Syrjanen, Secretary
Steven Youngbauer Vice President
Staff
Theresa Barndt
Charlotte Borchert
Nancy Camara
Judy Cesarec
Michael Jonas
Jerry Oven
Karen Tredwell, Executive Director
Season of Giving Drive at V. Richard’s Plaza
Now through November 30th, donate food or cash at any of the
merchants in the plaza at Bluemound and Calhoun Roads.
Food For Families (FFF) Campaign
Donate food at local grocery stores during November and December
and the food stays in the area to help your neighbors by being distributed
by The Food Pantry of Waukesha County. FFF is generously sponsored
by Johnson Controls.
Community Food & Fund Drives
Drives are coordinated by all types of schools, universities, community
organizations, schools, retailers, companies and social groups. Ninety
percent of the food The Food Pantry distributes comes from community
drives. Donate generously and often.
Holiday Tree Lighting
The owners of The Red Circle Inn, Martha and Norm Eckstaedt,
coordinate a simply beautiful tree lighting each year to benefit The Food
Pantry. The event is open to the public with a suggested admission of
non-perishable food items. This year the event will be held on Monday,
December 1st. Visit www.foodspot.com/redcircleinn for more details.
Neighbor Helping Neighbors Drive
The 7th annual food and fund drive is planned for Saturday, December
13th (end) 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.
Thousands of dollars and pounds of food have been generated from this
‘neighborly’ drive. For more details visit www.tallin.com/neighbors.
30th Anniversary photos credited to
Juan Carlos Medina
215 w. north street
waukesha, wi 53188
tel: 262.542.5300 | fax: 262.542.4177
e-mail: [email protected]
web: www.foodpantryofwaukeshacounty.org
Kirk Tuson is the owner of STAY LITE and one of the event cosponsors
Falll 2008 newsletter
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Friends of The Food Pantry,
As we enter this time of Thanksgiving
and have recently acknowledged the Food
Pantry of Waukesha County’s (FPWC)
30th year of service, never has there been a
more appropriate time to say “thank you” on
behalf of the thousands of people who have
been helped through The Pantry’s programs.
I am constantly amazed and touched by the
ongoing outpouring of care and concern
shown by our donors to the people coming
through our doors to receive food.
The Board, staff and volunteers of The
Food Pantry are also grateful for the trust
that you put in us – to be the stewards of
your many gifts to the FPWC. During
this most recent fiscal year, which ended
September 30th, 24,982 families were
served with 1017 being newly registered
families. The year before, 24, 325
families were served with 970 being
newly registered families. This past year
approximately $1.5 million in general
groceries were distributed, including
purchased food valued at $164,693.00.
None of this effort would have been
possible without your support.
Now, our work continues and we know
that we need you more than ever. In
September, 6,709 people received food
at The Pantry. This was an almost 20%
increase higher than August. October
numbers remain high at 6709. In
September, 115 new families were
registered, 130 in October.
registration process and client info updates,
statistics show that many of the clients
have held jobs. Low wages are often cited
as the reason for seeking assistance from
the FPWC. The food supplied by the
FPWC is intended as a supplement and
helps families to use their cash assets for
housing, childcare, transportation and other
obligations. Recent new client registrations
indicate a new trend in need for our services.
Many new participants have been laid off
from good paying jobs with no assurance of
being called back in the near future.
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 ensure that we can continue to meet the
increased need, we have had to ask for help
from our colleagues in the fight against
hunger. Recently, a call to Hunger Task
Force (HTF) was answered by a generous
donation of 40 pallets of much-needed
food – provided at absolutely no charge to
The Food Pantry. This donation was made
during a week when four pantries in other
counties of southeastern Wisconsin also
asked HTF for help and received food.
To eliminate hunger in
Waukesha County.
We have also had to reduce the amount
of food given to each family when they
visit the Pantry. While this practice often
occurs at the end of summer when our
shelves are low of supplies, we are usually
able to return to full allotments in October.
We now find ourselves in a position where
those reduced amounts are still necessary.
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.
We know that with the proper
information, our donors will respond and
continue to help us in our fight to: END
HUNGER – START HERE.
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.
Through years of tracking the client
8
1
Who’s Who at the food pantry
30th Anniversary:
Celebrating a
Community That Cares
Over three hundred friends of The Food Pantry of Waukesha
County (FPWC) gathered to acknowledge the agency’s thirty
years of service to Waukesha County residents at The Country
Springs Hotel on Sunday, October 26th. The event titled
‘Celebrating A Community That Cares’ featured six food
stations, headed by local chefs who offered different dinner
course items. Displays highlighting FPWC programs, created
and donated by Unisource Worldwide, Inc., were positioned
at each food station. A video presentation, spearheaded by
volunteer Dave Sherman and donated free of charge, was shown
periodically throughout the event. Guests mingled freely,
sampled delicious food and shared stories from The Pantry’s
past. Sponsorships (solicited pre-event), ticket sales and
donations generated approximately $55,000 in funds.
Current Board President Linda Caldart Olson stated, “What
a relaxed, fun, first-class party. So many guests made an effort
to say how much they enjoyed the format and the chance to
move around the room and visit with people they had not
seen in a long while. And the FOOD - all the chefs should
be commended!” Guest Dave Schultz from The Waukesha
Community Foundation stated, “With this dinner, The Food
Pantry has set a new standard.” Other comments from departing
guests, “Everything looked elegant, but appropriate for the Food
Pantry,” and, “I have been to a lot of events and if this wasn’t the
best, it was close to it!”
Top left: FPWC staff: (l-r) Jerry Oven, Nancy Camara, Theresa Barndt, Charlotte
Borchert, Judy Cesarec, Michael Jonas and Karen Tredwell; Top center: Longtime FPWC
supporters Florence Melster and Doreen Constable; Top right: Jeff Oberholtzer, the owner/
chef of Generations at the Five Points, Karen Tredwell and Adam Hoffman of Generations
Bottom:Volunteers Woody & Arlene Goranson and 30-year-volunteer Rose Emanuele
2
Could you please tell us a little
about yourself?
My husband Tom, and children,
Shannon (age 4) and Kieran (age 2),
live in Lisbon in Waukesha County.
I currently work at ProHealth
Care as the Director of Financial
Services. In this position, I work
closely with management at both
Waukesha and Oconomowoc
Memorial Hospital on financial
related activities such as strategic
planning, productivity analysis,
Sue with children Shannon and Kieran.
budgeting, etc. In this position,
I am also involved with analyzing
community benefit programs
and the needs of Waukesha County and how ProHealth Care may play a role in
supporting the community. I feel this activity fits very nicely with my involvement
on The Food Pantry’s board.
When did you decide to make this type of work your career?
I was raised in Brookfield and knew from very early on that I wanted to follow in
my father’s footsteps and become an accountant. This path led me to attend UW
– Eau Claire to receive a BA in Accounting and to then to Madison for my first
job in public accounting with McGladrey and Pullen. My desire to return to south
eastern Wisconsin led to a job change and an auditing position with KPMG. After
years of public accounting, I decided I was ready for a new career challenge so I took
employment in industry to continue my emphasis in healthcare which led to my
current position with ProHealth Care beginning in the year 2000.
What effort are you most proud of regarding your work with The Food Pantry?
That would have to be the creation of a Finance 101 educational session for the
board. My objective was to take detailed financial statements and audit standards
and present this information in a clear and concise manner for the non-accountant
members of the board, challenging projects at best since so many people have an
aversion to numbers and spreadsheets! Having an opportunity to use my skills and
experience to ensure that the board has a clear understanding of the organization’s
financial position and asset management makes me feel that I have played my part
in providing The Pantry’s services to the community
What aspect of the Food Pantry’s mission has the most significant meaning to you?
When the community is in a time of need or crisis that’s when The Food Pantry’s
volunteers and donors truly impress me. For example, when the community was
informed of the low levels of food supplies before last Thanksgiving, the phone began
ringing off the hook with people making financial contributions, while others were
in the parking lot dropping of car loads of turkeys. The past few weeks have caused
challenges in Waukesha County with the extensive flooding. The Food Pantry and
donors all came together to open up the doors to flood victims during this time of
need. The coordination between all parties when there is a need is amazing.
Why We Do What We Do
This is a portion of a letter
recently received by Karen
Tredwell:
“I wanted to take a moment to
thank you for your service. I
believe I did speak with you at
one point, outlining my situation….This situation created
quite a burden on my family,
and I turned to your service… I
had suggested the food pantry
to many people and while difficult, I couldn’t let pride prevent
me from utilizing this service
as well. My son and I stopped last
night for a few items and I am
amazed at the dignity provided
by your volunteers. It was
also nice to visit with the other
patrons of the food pantry as
well. I met a wonderful man,
a WWII veteran in his 80s, who
looked no older than his 60s. I also met a Hispanic woman,
who through broken English,
complimented my son on his
shirt. Secretly, I was glad there
was a bit of line, so I had a
chance to talk with people. :) A
great experience...
Again, my situation is already
getting better. The assistance
of the Waukesha Food Pantry
has been wonderful, and I
thank you for this help.“
Editors Note: This article was not included in the last newsletter due to space limitation. And
although Sue Dwyer recently departed FPWC’s Board of Directors, the decision was made to
run the article in honor of her long term contributions. Sue Dwyer was a board member since
2002, held the office of Treasurer and served on the Executive and Finance Committees.
7
keeping things fresh
Recent Food Recovery
Program Donors
Aldi’s Stores in Waukesha County
All Occasions Catering
Brookfield Suites
Big Apple Bagel-Sunset
Brownberry-Brookfiefld
The Food Pantry of Waukesha County (FPWC) announces the names of
newly elected officers to the Board of Directors for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
The new officers are President Linda Caldart-Olson, a community advocate,
Vice-President Steve Youngbauer of Sodexo, Inc., and Treasurer Lisa Mautz
of KPMG. Barbara Syrjanen of the Waukesha School District will return
for a second year as Secretary. Newly recruited Board members include Larry
Bucholtz of Cooper Power Systems, Mary Jane Reichart of ProHealth Care
Women’s Center, Kim Seeberg of Unisource Worldwide, Inc., Jane Schneider
of Schneider Consulting, Michele Marsh, a community advocate and Youth
Representative Dani Jason of Waukesha West High School.
“During this, The Food Pantry’s 30th year, I am eager to work with these dedicated
volunteers and to continue our high standards of service provided to those in need
from throughout Waukesha County.” Caldart-Olson said.
FPWC would like to thank departing board members, Tina Neis of Waukesha
State Bank and Susan Dwyer of ProHealth Care, for their contributions as
President and Treasurer respectfully.
BKT Sentry-Oconomowoc
Bubbs Catering
(Green) Thumbs Up!
Cousins Subs-Fox Run
Many more gardeners and farmers in
the community are donating surplus
seasonal produce. This past harvest
season generated more fresh produce
donations for clients than any prior
year. Clients truly appreciate the tasty
and healthy variety of produce. The
quality of herbs, onions, cucumbers,
summer squash, zucchini and varieties of tomatoes that fill our shelves are
impressive. Later in the season, volunteers noted a second wave with an influx of beautiful root vegetables, squash,
potatoes, grapes, apples, plum and pears. It is important to note that all of these
perishable donations can extend our non-perishable food inventory. Since the
fresh produce is used first while at its peak form, The Pantry can stretch its
resources. Kudos go to all of you thoughtful donors with ‘green thumbs’ for helping others in your own special way!
Cousin’s Sub Stores (6 locations
Valentine Family owned)
Ellen Zilli’s Catering
Gagliano’s Market
Holsum Bakery-Waukesha
Karl’s Country Market
Little Caesars Pizza-Oconomowoc
Panetta’s Catering
Pritzlaff Wholesale Meats, Inc.
Schlotzskys Deli-Oconomowoc
Thunder Bay Grille
Panera-Delafield
Pizza Hut-Summit Avenue
V. Richards
Waukesha Noon Lions Club
6
Endowment Fund Available for
Contributions
The Board of Directors of The Food Pantry created an endowment fund last
year to help support FPWC programs and services. By partnering with the
Waukesha County Community Foundation, a permanently endowed fund was
established and named the Food Pantry of Waukesha County Fund. Only the
earnings from the fund will be returned to The Food Pantry annually to continue
to meet the needs of the hungry in Waukesha County. If you are interested in
contributing to the endowment fund, all gifts are tax deductible. Please contact
Karen Tredwell (262-542-5300) or Dave Schultz, President of the Waukesha
County Community Foundation (262-513-1861). You can help end hunger
today and plan for continued anti-hunger efforts for the future.
This 30th Anniversary event would not have been possible
without the significant and thoughtful gifts of the following
sponsors and contributors: Title Sponsors
RUBY, INC.
STAY LITE LIGHTING, Inc.
Food Station Sponsors
Country Springs Hotel & Convention Center
Waukesha Memorial Hospital, ProHealth Care
Weldall Manufacturing, Inc.
Board of Directors of the Food Pantry of Waukesha County
Two Anonymous Donors
Chefs and Restaurants
Chef John Mollet of The Union House
Chef Dan Strackbein of The Rochester Deli
Chef Louis Danegelis of Lee John’s Catering
Chef Jeff Oberholtzer of Generations @ the Five Points
Executive Chef Dean Schmitz of the Black Trumpet & Clarke
Hotel
Executive Chef Dean McArthur of the Country Springs Hotel
& Convention Center
Community Sponsors:
Air Tech Mechanical Services, Inc.
Anthony & Andrea Bryant
Castalloy Corporation
Cooper Power Systems
Datasyst Engineering & Testing Services, Inc.
HUSCO International, Inc.
Kettle Moraine Ambulance Service
KPMG
Landmark Credit Union, New Berlin
Piranha Promotions
Peterbilt Wisconsin & Illinois
PR Management Services, LLC
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
The Schroeder Group, S.C.
Jim and Karen Tredwell
Waterstone Bank
Waukesha State Bank
Drs. Thomas & Beth Wittmann
Video Presentation Contributors
Special thanks to Paul Kaplan, Kimberly Kane, Dave Sherman,
Civilian Edit and 5th Floor Recording
Program Materials and Displays
Special thanks to Kim Seeberg and Unisource Worldwide, Inc.
Media Sponsor
Special thanks to The Roberts Group
Top: Former and current Board members Fred & Barb Syrjanen with event
co-sponsors Jake & Gay Ruby; Volunteers Sharon Lombardi and Marianne
Gilpatrick; Waukesha’s Mayor Larry Nelson; Attendees Joan Fumall, Leornard
Kratz, volunteer Dorothy Bettinger, Ron Fumall (former FPWC staff ) and Cathy
Bellovary (former FPWC Executive Director); Bottom: Austin Mautz with
Board members Lisa Mautz and Tim Probst
3
New Staff Member Revitalizes Program
Order up! In July, Charlotte Borchert joined the FPWC staff in a part-time
position overseeing the Food Recovery Program. Charlotte, a long-time
FPWC volunteer, has used her extensive sales experience to revitalize
the program. In the short time she has been on board, she increased
donors to the program, significantly increased incoming food donations
and the number of local agencies that benefit from the surplus food.
Understand that the bulk of the food received from the Food Recovery
Program is perishable, so whatever food items that cannot be utilized for
Food Pantry clients must be distributed in a timely manner to maintain
the quality. Charlotte has proven herself to be a valuable asset to food
pantry operations. A longtime resident of Waukesha County (14 years)
Charlotte is married to Larry and the mother of four – Joanne (a grade
school teacher), Renee (an engineer), Margrit (a college student) and
Michael (a senior in high school).
A novel approach to generating food for The Food Pantry of Waukesha County
(FPWC) has been implemented by Cross of Life Church (COL). Promoted as a sale of
30th Anniversary Bags, church members could select items from order forms listing the
items most needed to virtually ‘pack a bag’ for FPWC. Members made their selections
from the list, added up the cost and wrote a check for the amount needed. Cross of
Life Church worked with the BKT Sentry Food Stores in Waukesha since they have a
partnership with The Food Pantry. All of the grocery items ordered by church members
were purchased, at cost, through BKT Sentry. (BKT Sentry regularly provides preferred
pricing for The Food Pantry and also provides ongoing food donations.) The drive was a
success with 336 bags of groceries ordered for The Food Pantry. Some church members
did their own shopping with 42 additional bags of groceries being dropped off at the
church. In addition, a cash donation of $237 was raised by the Sunday school classes
that held a donut and hot cider sale. Nancy Camara (FPWC staff ) Charlotte Borchert (new FPWC staff ) and volunteer
Emily Lorenz
What drew you to work at FPWC?
As a Girl Scout leader I took my troop for a tour of the pantry in 1993 where I saw caring people volunteering their time for a common goal
to help people in our community. In 2003 my work schedule opened and I had the opportunity to volunteer at The Pantry on a regular basis.
I have been part of the incredible Thursday afternoon shift of The Pantry ever since. Now, I love being a part of the staff while staying active
through my volunteer time.
What aspects of the job interested you?
My career path has been in outside sales, and the Food Recovery position was a perfect fit for me. I wanted to find a position where I
could make a difference in our community and in the lives of the people I met through my volunteer time at The Food Pantry. With the
contacts I have made with grocers, small business owners, and corporations throughout southeastern Wisconsin, working in the Food
Recovery department at the Food Pantry of Waukesha County allows me to continue those relationships, while building the base of donors
contributing to the many agencies and pantries served through this program in Waukesha County.
What aspects of the job are you most excited about?
I enjoyed touring and meeting the directors of the over 70 agencies and food pantries that are served through this program. Recently, we
were able to bring hundreds of pounds of salmon to the meal programs in our area and plenty of tasty ice cream and fresh fruit for the littlest
ones at daycare centers in the county. Matching faces and names to the corresponding agencies really made this part of my job much more
personable. There is a lot of joy in distributing all this newly found food to people in need in our community.
What accomplishments do you feel have been the most beneficial to FPWC?
I have always been a “goal setter” with regards to my account work in previous positions that I have held. I enjoy connecting with large
corporations throughout our county, bringing them into the family of giving, and helping the scores of families and individuals touched in
some way by the awesome people with caring hearts and tasty food provided by the hundreds of people working together through the Food
Pantry of Waukesha County.
Crisp & Snappy Video Created
A beautifully conceived and professionally executed video that wonderfully embodies the heart of The Food Pantry was created by a group of
very talented people. Dave Sherman, longtime Food Pantry volunteer, used his marketing expertise and industry connections to spearhead
the project. He enlisted the support of Paul Kaplan (camera work), Kimberly Kane (voice talent), Civilian Edit and 5th Floor Recording
(equipment and facilities). With each participant donating their time, the video was produced at almost no cost to The Pantry. Although
the video was first presented at the 30th Anniversary event, it was conceived to be a component of The Food Pantry’s long term marketing
efforts. The video can now be viewed on The Food Pantry’s website, www.foodpantryofwaukeshacounty.org.
“Dave has incredible insight of The Food Pantry’s mission and, once he signed on to the project, he just ran with it.” said Michel Jonas,
FPWC’s Associate Director. “Collaborating with Dave and his colleagues was a pleasure.”
4
On recent visits to Cross of Life, Karen Tredwell had an opportunity to address the
congregation during a service as well as a number of Sunday school classes and an adult
forum. It gave Tredwell a chance to thank Cross of Life for the many ways they have
supported The Pantry through the years in addition to sharing news from The Pantry. Tredwell was warmly welcomed; the adult forum even presented a birthday cake to celebrate
The Food Pantry’s 30th Anniversary! (A church member jokingly confided that they are
often known as “Cake of Life.”) Cross of Life has initiated many creative ways to provide
support to the Pantry; a previous peanut butter drive featured a life-sized Mr. Peanut. A
diaper drive staged as a competition between the various Sunday school classes resulted in
hundreds of disposable diapers arriving at a time when the Pantry was in dire need. Cross of
Life members assured Tredwell of their continued support of The Food Pantry’s mission to
“increase awareness of hunger in the community and promote collaborative action to provide
food to those in need”. Indeed they have – their actions speak volumes!
Fundraiser Scheduled in Memory
of a Special Someone
Support The Food Pantry with Pick ‘n Save
Pick ‘n Save grocery stores
donate millions of dollars back
to their respective communities
each year. The Food Pantry
of Waukesha County can get a
percentage of those donations
if you designate The Food
Pantry as your beneficiary.
Then, every time you make a
purchase and use your Pick ‘n
Save card, a percentage of your
purchase will help feed those
in need. It is simple and takes
just a minute or two. During
your next trip to Pick ‘n Save,
stop at the service counter and
inform the customer service
representative that you’d like
to participate in their “We Care
Program.” Complete the form
and designate The Food Pantry
of Waukesha County (#918490).
Good Harvest Market has generously donated space to hold a fundraiser created and
implemented by Dawn Smith-Lewis. A variety of donations have been gathered for a
drawing to be held on Saturday, November 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Good Harvest,
1850 Meadow Lane in Pewaukee. The event will take place from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00
p.m. Tickets are priced at $2 and $5 each, for two different tiers of items available, with
free tickets given for purchasing blocks of 20, 30, 40 and 50 tickets (in either price range).
The more tickets you buy, the more you save! Tickets can be purchased that day and you
are not required to be present to win. Items featured include a signed Packer football,
massage certificates, restaurant certificates, Wisconsin Athletic Club membership, a
beautiful dollhouse & furniture and many assorted gift baskets and themed packages. All
proceeds will benefit The Food Pantry.
The event is unique in that it is a labor of love created by Smith-Lewis in memory of
her mother, Barbra Raschig. Raschig was a passionate volunteer and supporter of a
food pantry in her own community. Raschig also founded an organization that obtained
and donated teddy bears that were given to help comfort children when under care in
ambulances or at local emergency rooms, clinics and hospitals. After Barbra’s untimely
death in November 2007, Smith-Lewis was determined to keep her mother’s vision alive
by becoming a food pantry supporter herself.
Please visit Good Harvest on November 22nd. Do some early holiday shopping (or keep
some of those goodies for yourself!) Call 414-588-9115 for more information.
5