A note from 2-1-1

Kendra Jackson, the Area Information Center Manager for 2-1-1 Texas South Plains, sent us the following note. 2-1-1 provides information and referrals to people in need across the South Plains.

I wanted to send on a call we just got from Gordon and Juanelle Smith. Both are elderly and disabled Juanelle is going through chemotherapy right now.

They received food from the Food Bank earlier this week. Gordon was SO thankful. He said they hadn't had a good meal in awhile and it was nice to have so much food. You could just hear the happiness in his voice!

It is rare that we (at least here at 2-1-1) hear how people were helped, or how thankful they are for the help. I had to pass it on... THIS is the reason we are here, and the reason we stay.

As the Summer begins, notes like this remind me of two things. First, the needs of the hungry remain constant during the Summer. Second, we could not meet those needs if it weren't for our network of donors, volunteers, and great partners like 2-1-1.

Kitchen Confidential- a little story

This is a photo of my son, who is a great cook (like his mom). Last year he was an amateur chef for Kitchen Confidential.

Kitchen Confidential is a bus tour of fabulous kitchens in Lubbock. Each of the five homes on the tour feature a chef or two- pro and am, wine and/or coffee tastings, beautifully decorated dining and breakfast tables, fresh flower arrangements, and an astounding assortment of wonderful food to sample. All of the considerable funds raised are used to support the Kids Cafe program.

This year we invited some of our Kids Cafe kids to come to the Kick Off party. At first they were pretty awed by the lovely big home they were visiting. Me, too. Then they relaxed and reverted to their natural state- running, playing in the game room, and stuffing their faces. Me, too.

What a contrast to the homes they had come from- working parent or parents, not enough food or money to go around, and an uncertain future- more immediate- an uncertain tomorrow. One kid couldn't come because his mom had forgotten and left him home alone with little brothers and sisters.

Kids Cafes do a little bit to help these situations. We entice kids to come to safe places to eat a balanced meal with caring adults around.

Years ago when I was in the field of drug and alcohol abuse prevention, it was researched and found to be true over and over: children who choose not to use drugs do so because of the consistent presence of a compassionate adult in their lives- someone other than a stressed-out, overworked parent or grandparent or aunt.

Consider becoming one of those adults. Or send us money to open more Kids Cafes. Or buy a Kitchen Confidential ticket next year. Thanks.

Apple Orchard Update!

A stop by the South Plains Food Bank's apple orchard this morning showed our apples are on their way.

Each year presents the orchard with its own set of challenges. Last year, it looked like a bumper crop going into the Memorial Day week end. Then came a catastrophic hail storm that reduced our yield from an expected 150,000 pounds of apples to 30,000 pounds. The apples that survived were blemished by the hail. But the folks that received the apples in their food boxes last fall were grateful.

This year's crop is overcoming critical sub-freezing weather in December that apparently damaged some buds and sixty mile an hour winds in mid-April that knocked off a lot of blooms. In spite of it all, it is wonderful to walk among the trees and see our apples growing. With luck and grace, we should begin harvesting our Galas in late July or early August.

Today was my daughter's last day to attend Roscoe Wilson, her elementary school. Next fall, she's off to middle school. Gail Tutino, one of her favorite teachers, gave her a blurb attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson entitled "Success."

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

The Orchard is a great place to reflect on these thoughts. Thinking about the volunteers who help us at the orchard and the people who will be enjoy our apples this summer and fall, I know it's going to be a successful year for the orchard.

Helping the Poor

Several years ago while Carolyn Lanier was still the Executive Director for the South Plains Food Bank, she got together a group of community leaders to ask for their help on a project. Carolyn asked each of us to introduce ourselves and say something about why we came to the meeting.

As we went around the room, each of us said something about the organizations we represented and our particular role in efforts to feed the hungry. Bob Cass, then the City Manager of Lubbock, was among the attendees. Bob quipped that he was there because, "Carolyn lacks the power to tax."

Obviously, his answer stuck with me. Charities, such as food banks, as well as local, state, and federal governments all have vital roles to play when it comes to feeding the hungry. Because of the grass roots nature of food banks and the churches and social agencies we partner with, we are usually quick to respond to the needs of the hungry and offer a degree of flexibility that is sometimes lacking in government response. It might be tempting to ask, why not let charity do it all?

Mark Rosenman takes on this issue in his opinion article in the May 4, 2006 edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. "Helping the Poor Takes More Thank Charity" examines the unique roles played by charity and government. As Rosenman points out, "charitable contributions would have to grow 30 times faster that usual to make up the difference if government spending on social causes were eliminated."

The future lies in charity and government working in partnership to achieve the common goal of serving the poor and feeding the hungry. Working together allows us to build on the strengths and resources of one another.

David Loves to Blog

I am at the food bank to post my mail and make copies when I make a casual mention to David Weaver about a check I received in the mail today for the GRUB Program. Without even waiting to hear the end of my comment he interrupts me and tells me to write a BLOG about it. If you are checking the food bank BLOG site with any regularity you will realize that David loves to BLOG! So at his insistance here is my BLOG for today:
I recieved a check today in the amount of $20 to go towards a GRUB Scholarship. Every summer we look to local foundations and local donors to help us raise funds to support our summer GRUB program. During the summer we hire approximately 15 teenagers from our volunteer GRUB program to work on the farm. The lucky teens chosen for the summer program work 25 hours a week for minimum wage at the farm from 7:00 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday for 11 weeks. In addition to the early work schedule these young people do all of the manual labor on our 5.5-acre, chemical-free farm growing produce for distribution through the food bank and for our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Share of the Harvest Program. It costs approximately $1,800 for each teen we put through our summer program. Besides the hard work they perform they are learning life skills, job skills and leadership skills.
So...back to the $20 check - I mentioned to David that the $20 check I recieved today meant as much, if not more to me than if I had recieved a check for a full scholarship ($1,800) because I knew $20 from this particular individual was a good portion of her monthly budget. The fact that she sent me that check was a great validation to me and for my GRUB program. I have high hopes that I will recieve checks for $1,800 for full GRUB scholarships, but today's $20 check will have a special place in my heart. Thanks, Jenifer

Cadillacs and Pick-Ups at the Food Bank

There’s an old joke about a judge who is attends a costume party as a law book. On his way home he is arrested and booked into the local jail. Then everyone realizes he is a judge. The moral – don’t book a judge by his cover.

On occasion, people in the community say something to me to the effect that our food box recipients drive nicer cars than they do. Admittly, I have noticed that some people we help will drive a Cadillac – of course it may be a fifteen year old Cadillac. (If nothing else, it’s a testimony to the overall quality of the car.)

These observations came to mind last week when I heard Bob Hartsook talking about trends in fund raising. He referred to “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. The authors take a look at the social and economic characteristics of millionaires in the U. S. Not the mega wealthy, but people who have amassed a net worth of one million dollars or more… people who may be living next door to you. However because of their life style, you would never know their worth.

Bob asked the audience to guess what kind of car was most commonly driven by these next door millionaires. We guessed a Cadillac, a Lexus, a BMW, a Buick. We were all wrong. The car most often driven by these folks – a used Ford pick-up!

The point is that we can’t always judge a persons situation in life by the cars they drive or the clothes they wear. It’s something to think about the next time I see a Cadillac or an old pick-up pull into the parking lot at the South Plains Food Bank. As a matter of fact, there are two Ford 150's that just pulled up. I hope we treat them like a million.

This Saturday fifteen members of the GRUB (Growing Recruits for Urban Business) Program volunteered at the Arboretum. This was a workday sponsored by the Lubbock Council of Garden Clubs as a way for garden club members to get to know the teens involved in the GRUB Program. We had a wonderful time and accomplished lots of much needed clean-up at the arboretum. To view photos of our fun morning go to: http://www.lubbockgardenclubs.org/grub/index.htm

Everyone invloved in the workday had a great time!
Jenifer