My First U-Can Share Food Drive

I have been the volunteer coordinator at the South Plains Food Bank since May. This week I was able to experience the U-Can Share food drive for the first time. I was amazed as to how much preparation went into the event. Since October, I have helped plan every detail of the food drive with the U-Can Share committee. I was so excited when it finally kicked off this week. Every night at six and ten o'clock, I would tune in to KCBD 11 to watch the live broadcast at United Supermarket to see how many pounds of food had been collected.
On Wednesday, I finally got to go out to the site. When we got there, my husband and I helped organize the groups of schoolchildren for the six o'clock news broadcast. All of the kids were so excited to be on the news and proudly annouced how many pound of food their school had collected. After the broadcast, Donna Chandler explained to us how everything was done at the collection site. As the sun went down and it got colder out, we huddled by the space heater and waited for donations. I was suprised by how few donations came in, but it was probably due to the cold weather! Overall, it was fun to be a part of the U-Can Share food drive. I was amazed by how the community came together and got involved.
Back at the food bank, its been pretty busy. Groups have been calling me every single day wanting to volunteer. Everyone wants to get involved, not only with the U-Can Share food drive, but also at the food bank. We have had school groups, church groups, and businesses out here volunteering every day, helping us prepare for Christmas. It has been a fun experience for me, and it is wonderful that so many people are willing to help out the food bank at such an important time of year!

A Thanksgiving Wish

In this morning's mail was a Thanksgiving card from Marlena, a sweet lady in our community who cares about the hungry.

I was sitting in my living room looking out the door when I seen a man walking the alley. He would stop at each dumpster along his way and see if there was something he could sell for money. But what broke my heart was when he emptied a trash bag and put something in his mouth.

I went to the kitchen and fixed up a plate. I walked up to him and said, "Here, I want you to have this." He said, "Thank you" and went on his way.

I hope and pray that one day NOBODY will have to go hungry.

Marlena

The note on the card read "May this Thanksgiving bring you a harvest of happiness!"

Volunteers to the Rescue!

If you have come to the South Plains Food Bank lately, you probably noticed it looks a little different. The past few weeks we have been remodelling our front office. We painted the walls, put down new tile, and even got new furniture. All this remodelling meant one thing- lots of moving to do. When we put in the new tile, every bit of furtinute had to be removed from the front office. We weren't sure how we were going to get it all done until Alpha Tao Omega, a fraternity at Texas Tech University, gave me a call. As luck would have it, they wanted to volunteer on the afternoon we were scheduled to begin moving out. That Friday afternoon, a group of fifteen eager college guys came to the food bank to help out. In less than an hour, the entire front office was bare. They moved every inch of furniture out for us, but they weren't done yet. Still wanting to volunteer for another hour, the group made a pallet of hygiene boxes and helped clean out the back warehouse. At one point I even saw a few guys helping to rip up the old flooring! They were a huge help to us. It was amazing to see how much a group of motivated and eager volunteers could accomplish in two hours. We truely appreiate volunteers like Alpha Tao Omega.

Target's "Day of Giving"

On Thursday, Target stores celebrated their annual "Day of Giving." Each year, Target stores across the nation spend their "Day of Giving" volunteering at local organizations to give back to the community.

Our Lubbock Target store decided to volunteer with the South Plains Food Bank. Six Target employees spent three hours at the food bank making freezer boxes and dry food boxes that will be distributed to the Lubbock community. They showed up Thursday morning ready to work hard, and proved to be a huge help to the food bank. They were able to make three full pallets of freezer boxes in three hours. This is approximately 216 boxes to be distributed. On average, the food bank is able to finish three pallets in a day.

It was nice to see hard-working Target employees use their free time to volunteer. They were eager to participate and not only volunteered, but were happy to do so. They came ready to help and had an upbeat attitude that carried through the food bank. We enjoyed having them out for their "Day of Giving," and always appreciate our helpful volunteers.

Can Can Fun in the Sun Food Drive!

Covenant Community Outreach and KLBK-TV helped us host our 7th Annual Can Can Fun in the Sun Food Drive last week, capped off with the Too Hot to Run in the Sun Non-Run.

The Covenant Crew helped us raise around fifty-seven thousand pounds of food! KLBK followed us from parking lot to parking lot as our volunteers set up shop at three two United Stores, Market Street, Wal-Mart, and K-Mart. Bodyworks brought their rock climbing wall out for people who donated cans to the drive. I noticed that mostly a younger crowd took advantage of their offer. After the climb, Keva Juice volunteers were handing out healthy smoothes to rock climbers and others who were supporting the drive.

A large crowd was not on hand for our non-run. But on the other hand, a bunch of folks sent in donations to stay at home Saturday and support the South Plains Food Bank by enjoying a lazy morning...

Windy morning at the Farm

It was a windy Friday morning at the Carolyn Lanier South Plains Food Bank Youth Farm where our GRUB Kids were taking a break. I asked them to get together for a group picture. Then they asked Jenifer Smith, the Director of the Farm, Orchard, and Garden Division to join the photo... on the ground.

















In spite of blistering hot days, wind, and a lack of rain, the Farm and Orchard are looking good. The Grub team is working to make sure we have food for the clients served by the South Plains Food Bank and our network of agencies.
Here are a few shots of how the vegetables are growing.

If you would like to see more photos, you can find more at flickr.com page.

Nutty Update

Here are some photos from Just Plane Nutty at Kastman Park this morning. Everyone was having a great time and... collected a bunch of peanut butter. I know the people we serve at the South Plains Food Bank are going to appreciate everyone's hard work.

Southwest Airlines is Just Plane Nutty!

Southwest Airlines and their Peanut Fares first took off thirty-five years ago this month. In celebration of the event Southwest and America's Second Harvest, the Nations Food Bank Network, are teaming up to "Spread the Luv" with a virtual peanut butter drive benefiting food banks in communities served by Southwest, such as the South Plains Food Bank!

Beginning June 1, Southwest Airlines invites you to visit southwest.com and click on the Spread the Luv button to visit the Virtual Food Bank where you can purchase jars (or even cases) of peanut butter to benefit the South Plains Food Bank. Contributions made locally will help us feed hungry families this summer. Southwest is matching all contributions made up to $35,000.

Employees of the local Southwest team are hosting "Just Plane Nutty Day" at Kastman Park (Lynnhaven Drive and South Loop 289) from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Donate a jar of peanut butter and you are entered in a drawing to win two round trip tickets to any destination served by Southwest. In addition, the first 75 kids will get a free Ident-A-Kid card. There will also be activities for the kids such as a bounce house and games.

Kids Lend a Big Hand

Yesterday I saw first hand how eager kids are to help others. We have many church groups that come out to the food bank to lend a hand, and yesterday Lakeridge Methodist Church paid us a visit. Far more fifth and sixth grade children showed up than was expected, and I was a little worried that the food bank would be unable to accomadate that many children! However, we managed to find a job for each child, and the kids were able to accomplish a lot during their short visit to the food bank.

The kids were split into three different groups. One group bagged egg puffs for our freezer boxes we distribute. The second group sorted and boxed hygene products. The last group marked and sorted canned foods to go into food boxes. I was amazed at how hard the kids worked and how much was accomplished. When they first arrived, they were all very excited about the jobs they would be doing and dove right into their tasks. They moved so fast and there were so many kids helping, they were only able to stay and help for a short time because we ran out of things for them to do! In the end, they were a huge help. They sorted and boxed the entire stock of hygene products that had been donated to us throughout the past three weeks. They also sorted two full bins of canned food, as well as bagged half a pallet of egg puffs.

At the end of their visit, the kids were all very excited about their accomplishment. I heard over and over again, "where does this food go to?" "who are we helping?" They wanted to have a sense of their purpose with their volunteer work. They all wanted to know exactly how many cans they had sorted, how many bags of egg puffs they had made, and how many hygene products they sorted. Kids are funny in the sense that they need a number to put with their efforts. They truely were a huge help to our food bank, and their hard work paid off!

Hunger Awareness Day 2006 in Lubbock

The South Plains Food Bank joined with America's Second Harvest Food Banks and hunger relief agencies across the country in honor of National Hunger Awareness Day 2006. The goal of the event is to increase awareness of the needs of the hungry in America. At the same time, it is an opportunity to recognize the partners and volunteers who serve the hungry in our community.

First United Methodist Church in Lubbock hosts the Second Helpings Soup Kitchen. Today we had a picnic complete with hot dogs, face painting, music and health screenings. Our local Albertson's stores provided hot dogs, chips, cookies and beverages for more than 250 people. In addition, 50 of their employees prepared and served the meal. They were joined by guest servers (and news anchors) from KLBK and KAMC. (I think they just liked the hair nets!)

Al Solis was our Chef for the Day, preparing 600 hot dogs. He told me he never wanted to see a hot dog again. Awesome enterainment was provided by "Rendition."

After it was all over, one of the "regulars" at the Second Helpings Soup Kitchen asked if she could say a few words. Speaking on behalf of the people who are served each day by Second Helpings and the South Plains Food Bank, she simply said, "Thank you. You have blessed our lives by making them better." Her comments touched us all.

Standing in Line to Help

This is Jack. He can stack. Which his grandmom thinks is very talented. Jack has ten grandparents- three full sets of grandparents and four great's. And all in the same town and all of us standing in line and taking a number to spend time with Stackin' Jack. And of course we see to it(along with his parents) that Jack has everything he needs and many other things he doesn't even know he wants.

Today I met with three women to discuss a new program for the South Plains Food Bank in partnership with the Junior League of Lubbock. It will be called Food 2 Kids and it will be about providing backpacks of non-perishable, healthy, easy to eat, no-cooking-needed foods. These backpacks will go home on the weekends and holidays with kids who are referred to us by school counselors, principals and teachers. No labels on the backpacks, just pick them up at school and bring them back to be filled again the following weekend.

Food 2 Kids is for children without the luxury of folks waiting their turn to provide them with food, clothes, and other necessities of life. Some have loving families, same as ours, some live in ways most of us can't imagine.

I am glad to have another way to give help to kids. As mentioned in a recent call to our offices by a school counselor, some kids are trying to take care of their families rather than the other way around. She told of three little girls saving half of their food from school lunches to take home to an out of work mom and a sick grandmother. That's not the right order of things, but it is what we hear and see in our community every day. Our kids need to stay kids not elementary-age caregivers.

They need people standing in line to help them and give them what they need.

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

Outstanding Community Service and a gold medalist...

This afternoon, the Lubbock Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications held their annual Celebrity Luncheon to celebrate the positive contributions and achievements of those people who make Lubbock and the South Plains such a great place to live. Breedlove Dehydrated Foods received the Louise Allen Award for outstanding community service in recognition of our response to hurricane victims last fall. In accepting the award, David Fish reminded the audience that Breedlove can respond because of the outstanding staff, volunteers, and donors who are dedicated to feeding the hungry at home and around the world.

Donna Chandler, the President of the South Plains Food Bank Board of Directors, was named a "Gold Medalist" for 2006. Gold Medalists are people who have worked over the years to improve the quality of life for a broad spectrum of people living in Lubbock. Donna personifies that description.

Donna is a great story teller. When she was recognized, she used a story to frame her accomplishments:

When I was a young girl I was fascinated by the Olympics. My dream was to be an Olympic diver and win a gold medal. But the facilities at the Idalou swimming pool were lacking for an Olympic hopeful. So, I moved on to other dreams. Maybe my 6th grade basketball team could be district champs. Well we weren't but we did beat Petersburg the last game of the year, and that was the next best thing to winning district.

As you can probably tell I have always been a very competitive person. I always strive to be the best and I never give up. Little did I know at that time that winning and being the best was not where I would find real happiness?

The real gold would be found in other things in my life. The unconditional love and support of my family, my relationship with God, and the opportunities that I have had working with others to make a difference in the community we live in. Whether it was sharing our story of adoption, serving on the PTA, teaching our 3year old Sunday school class, or working with the U Can Share Food Drive I have always loved being involved.

This is my 16th year to serve on the South Plains food Bank Board. It has been such a joy. The staff, board members, and volunteers are my inspiration. They all have an undying faith that things can be better for everyone. If they see a need, they try to find a solution.

Not only do they distribute food, they started Second Helpings so that hungry people could have a hot meal every day of the week, Produce for the Plains helps families have fresh fruits and vegetables. There are 13 Kids Cafes that make sure 100's of children don't go home hungry after school. The Grub Program teaches at risk teens responsibility and respect. Breedlove is simply feeding the world. Every time I enter the doors I am amazed at the volume of work that is being done, yet everyone takes the time to be compassionate and caring to those in need. Who wouldn't want to be a part of an organization like this?

Working as a volunteer has made me realize that God has given each one of us a gift, a talent. What we decide to do with that gift is our choice. I have found that investing my talent with others can make a difference in this community.

So, from the 8 year old little girl on the high diving board back in Idalou, feet together, hands together, knees shaking, dreaming of gold, I would like to say thank you to The Association for Women in Communication for this wonderful honor.

Sculptor Eddie Dixon summed up the day when he received his gold medal. "This is nice. All my friends tell me I have to be dead before I can receive any recognition as an artist." Fortunately, Eddie, Donna, Breedlove, and all the other honorees looked pretty healthy. Congratulationsions to all.

Lend a hand to support the Good Sam Act

The story of the good Samaritan tells of the kindness of a stranger to a man in need. The volunteers and donors who give time, talent, food and money are modern day good Samaritans. Last year, the Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Act (Senate Bill 94) was introduced in Congress as a way to encourage the good Samaritians in our midst to donate food to agencies -- such as the South Plains Food Bank and Breedlove Dehydrated Foods -- that are feeding the hungry. If passed this bill will be of great benefit to the farmers and food manufacturers who are already such generous donors. If would allow them to deduct some of the fair market value of the fresh produce and processed foods they donate rather than the actual cost of the goods. Under the Good Sam law, they might afford to do more!