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!

How do you know when people need food?

Over 150 people representing 65 of our partner organizations who feed the hungry throughout the South Plains attended the South Plains Food Bank's agency conference yesterday. Most of the folks who attended are volunteers with their churches and agencies. First United Methodist Church graciously allowed us to take advantage of their wonderful new facilities.

Along with topics such as Food Safety, Pest Control, and Nutrition, we hosted a session on Customer Service. Representatives from United Supermarkets, NTS Communications, and Concho Valley Regional Food Bank talked about their approaches to customer care. The bottom line is to treat people the way you would like to be treated. Since so many of our partners are faith based, it seems they should have a leg up on treating people with respect and dignity.

Our partners do a great job of taking care of the hungry in the communities they serve. That's the strength of our network. Of course the question always comes up, do these people really need help or are they just scamming the system? A gentlemen from summed up his attitude with a comment I can identify with. " Then the husband comes in to ask for help, you know they need help." More times than not, I've heard men say something to the effect of if I didn't have children to feed, I would do without.

getting the job Done

Hollis Lynch called me early last year to tell me about his plans to move his real estate business from Las Vegas to Lubbock. His plans included giving back to the community by donating 5% of his sales to the South Plains Food Bank. It is a promise he made.

Hollis made the move to Lubbock last October and has been getting established. Hollis is as good as his word. He stopped by today to make his first donation to the South Plains Food Bank.

We visited about the South Plains Food Bank, our partnerships with other churches and hunger agencies in the region, and Food Bank programs. The South Plains Food Bank and our agencies serve over 18,000 people each week. We can only do that because people like Hollis care about others and are willing to combine action with compassion. Hollis is getting the job done for his clients and he is getting the job done for the hungry across the South Plains.

Thanks!

A new year blooms

The orchard crew is wrapping up their pruning at the George Elle Rotary District 5730 South Plains Food Bank Apple Orchard just in time. Spring has arrived and 2,500 trees are leafing out and putting on blooms. It's a beautiful time at the orchard.

Since January Tommy Durham and volunteers from the TDCJ Montford Unit have been working to get the orchard ready for this years growing season.

Poet John Leax summed it up:


"A small orchard gracing a hillside, pruned to bear, is a sign of man's caring.
It fits into a scheme of many hills and many orchards, a scheme of many men caring."



Well, maybe our orchard isn't on a hill side, but it is a scheme of many people caring starting with George Elle, Howard Mercer, Cliff Breaud and a host of Rotarians and others who asked the question, "Wouldn't it be great if we could provide fresh apples to the hungry."

George is no longer with us, but what a wonderful legacy he left behind. Barring hail storms, which we had last year, we could have 200,000 pounds of apples to help feed the hungry throughout the South Plains. Harvest starts in late July!

What's in a food box from the South Plains Food Bank?

This afternoon, I received a call from a donor. He had just received our most recent newsletter. While he supports the South Plains Food Bank he wanted to see what people receive when they get a food box from us. He asked me to send samples but I thought a few pictures might do instead.

Normally we provide a box of dry goods, a box of frozen goods, plus any bread, produce, and dairy products we have received. We try to provide a variety of items that allow people to prepare a healthy, well balanced meal. OK, maybe the popcorn isn't part of a well balanced diet, but it is also fun to provide some snacks that folks can enjoy at home.

Some of the food comes from local food drives, such as the U-Can Share Food Drive, some comes from local grocers who donate food and perishable items, and some comes from the USDA TEFAP Commodity program. Here's a picture of the contents of a food box. Each food box is different but contains the same basic mix of items.

Everyone who receives a food box has been screened for eligibility by one of our agencies. The agency gives them a voucher which can be redeemed at the South Plains Food Bank for a food box. We work with about 230 different agencies throughout the South Plains. Not all them use vouchers. Some get food through the Food Bank and make their own food boxes.

As you can see, I am not much of a photographer nor a food stylist. But I hope you get the picture.

People can help fight hunger in America with donations of time, food or money

Below is an op-ed piece that appeared in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal on Sunday, March 25. It is a follow-up on the results of "Hunger in America, 2006," a nation wide look a hunger. The Study was conducted by America's Second Harvest, the Nations Food Bank Network. As a member of Second Harvest, the South Plains Food Bank participated in the study.

Hunger on the South Plains, 2006

How would you define the American Dream? For most folks, “The American Dream” revolves around opportunity and self-sufficiency, the ability to be in control of our destiny, the ability to provide for one’s self and one’s family. Fundamental to our dream is economic security.

For most Americans, economic security means being able to afford and save for big dreams — a vacation, new car, a house, or college tuition for the kids. For a startlingly high and growing number of our neighbors, however, economic security means meeting much more basic dreams and needs – such as a regular supply of groceries.

What’s so disquieting about these starkly contrasting experiences of people within every one of our communities in the United States is the scale; according to the results of a new major study by America’s Second Harvest —The Nation’s Food Bank Network, more than 25 million people rely on emergency food assistance through the America’s Second Harvest Network in order to make ends meet. That represents eight percent more people than in 2001, when America’s Second Harvest last studied those seeking emergency food assistance from its Network of 45,000 emergency food distribution agencies.

Locally, more than 90,000 individuals across the South Plains were helped last year by the South Plains Food Bank and our network of churches and social service agencies. In that number are 22,000 children and 12,000 seniors. Many of the 90,000 people we serve – about 33% -- come from households with at least one working, wage-earning adult. And as much as one-third or more are forced to make agonizing choices between eating and basic necessities, like heat, rent or medical care.

The study, Hunger in America 2006, which is the largest, most comprehensive study ever conducted on the charitable emergency food distribution system in the United States, also showed that hunger does not discriminate. It is present in every one of our communities around the country – small and large, urban, suburban and rural. It is present on the South Plains. Of the 90,000 neighbors in our region receiving emergency food assistance from the South Plains Food Bank network, 28 percent are white; 19 percent are African American; and 45 percent are Hispanic.

The solutions to ending hunger on the South Plains are within reach. But we must take proper steps to seize them. Our compassion is unlimited, but our resources are not. That is the reality we have to face. So how can we leverage our resources?

The federal government plays a decidedly critical role in providing food for low-income Americans. Thirty-five percent of the clients in the America’s Second Harvest Network report that they are enrolled in the Food Stamp Program and the majority of children in households seeking emergency food assistance are enrolled in the National School Breakfast program and School Lunch Program.

That’s good news. But, even as this nation approaches record levels of participation in the Food Stamp Program and our charitable emergency food distribution network delivers more food than ever before, clearly what we’re doing as a nation to address hunger is not enough.

We need to make sure that every person who qualifies for existing public benefits knows about them and gets them. Our study shows that fewer than 4 million of the 25 million people we serve receive these benefits.

We also need Congress and the Administration to protect the federal safety-net nutrition programs, including the Food Stamp Program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and Women, Infants and Children, as it considers the reauthorization of the 2007 Farm Bill.

Every American can join the hunger movement in their community by being engaged with the South Plains Food Bank and its agencies through giving time, food or a financial donation. Voluntary support is critical to service delivery: about 75 percent of food pantries and 65 percent of our soup kitchens rely entirely on volunteers and have no paid staff. While it is no secret that our society relies heavily upon the charitable sector to ensure that none of our neighbors go to bed hungry, the critical role that volunteers play in making this process happen is often overlooked.

“What amount of hunger is acceptable in our community?” you may ask. The answer of course is “No amount.”

We know we may never succeed in wiping out hunger completely – but we truly fail only when we stop dreaming and stop trying.

What's for dinner?

Saturday was a busy day for my daughter, Grace. She had to go to two birthday parties. Such a hetic day! By the time evening rolled around, she was dragging. She came up to me and asked, "Dad, can we have some Breedlove Soup tonight?"

Since she was four or five years old, I've used Grace as a guinea pig to see how she likes the blends that the team at Breedlove Dehydrated Foods has come up with. I figure that if she likes it, anyone will. Grace has always been happy to share her opinion. For Grace, Breedlove's Vegetable Blend has become a comfort food.

One cup of vegetable blend and five cups of water got us started. We added some salt and other seasonings. Then I looked in the refrigerator to see if we add some other vegetables we could had to the mix.

I'm not the only one who embellishes. As we have shipped Breedlove to other parts of the world, it is fun to hear what local families do to adapt our blend to their tastes. Quite a bit of our vegetable blend has been distributed in Indonesia through USAID through the International Food Relief Partnership Program. USAID has put together an Indonesian recipe page for Breedlove product.

Thirty minutes later, we had soup!

Over the past year, Breedlove has shipped more than 165 million servings of our vegetable blends to feed tsunami victims in Southeast Asia, hurricane victims along the Gulf Coast, poor families in Mexico, children in Nicaragua, and a host of other people facing hunger throughout the world.

Like any parent, I want only the best for my daughter. Grace enjoyed her soup. It gives me pause to think of other parents throughout the world struggling to provide the best they can for their family. Somewhere else today, perhaps another family is sharing a bowl of soup made with our Breedlove Vegetable Blend. I hope they too find nourishment and comfort.

Leadership Lubbock volunteers making boxes! 

Leadership Lubbock volunteers at the South Plains Food Bank 

Leadership Lubbock Volunteers 

Lower Income Group has to sit on the floor at the Leadership Lubbock Hunger Banquet 

Leadership Lubbock Hunger Banquet

The current Leadership Lubbock class stopped by the South Plains Food Bank today to volunteer and to have lunch. Leadership Lubbock is a program of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. For the past thirty years, this program has provided an opportunity for Lubbock Leaders to learn more about their community. Today, they were learning about several of Lubbock social service agencies, including the South Plains Food Bank.

Today's class came expecting to volunteer, which they did, and to have lunch with us. Of course no one told them it was a Feast or Famine Banquet. As our guests arrived they were give a fate card that designated them as either upper income (15%), middle income (25%) or lower income (60%). The percentages represent the percent of the world's population that fit into each of those categories. The upper income group had nice five course meal. The middle income group had a hearty meal of beans and rice with corn bread. The lower income folks were fed soup and crackers.

The lunch of course is a metaphor for how food and other resources are distributed around the world, not in a necessarily equitable way. Economic forces beyond individual control rewarded some and moved others out of the middle income group into the lower income group.

On the whole, the lunch succeeded in introducing this Leadership Lubbock class to the issue of hunger. Each year, the South Plains Food Bank and our network of agencies serves more than 90,000 people. Hunger exists. Fortunately, there are people in our community who join us to serve the hungry by providing food, donating time and by sharing the stories of the hungry with others.

Our banquet today was modeled after the Oxfam Hunger Banquet. The San Francisco Food Bank also offers on online version of Hunger 101, an interactive look at hunger.

After lunch, we put the group to work marking cans, bagging peaches, and making boxes. Michelle, the lady in charge of making food boxes for us, said they were great. Then she asked me why they couldn't stay all afternoon!

I thought the story about Leadership Lubbock would end here. However not long after they left us, a middle aged woman stopped by the South Plains Food Bank wearing a tee-shirt with an "interesting" message. She quickly explained that the shirt was given to her by a local shelter and is not her choice of apparel. Simply put, it is all she has to wear.

A victim of abuse that left her disabled and now a cancer victim, she is beginning life again. Between rent, deposits and medicine, she has no money for food. Life has not been kind or fair. But then that was part of the message of today's hunger banquet.

We may not correct or solve all the issues facing this sweet woman. But today she will have food. Perhaps she received some of the cans marked by our Leadership Lubbock volunteers. Maybe her box included a bag of frozen peaches. One thing is not in question. She has 50 new friends she didn't have before lunch.

Thank you Leadership Lubbock. You made a difference today.