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| Winter 2007 Newsletter | ||
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Articles: Agency Focus: Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center Hunger Has No Season Holiday Drives Teens Help Out Making the Holidays Happen Gift of Caring A Souper Start to a New Year |
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R egular Features:Did You Know? Food Facts Volunteer Focus Etc., Etc. |
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| Agency Focus: Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center | ||
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It’s a bustling Friday morning at the
Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center (CRC). A group of 10
volunteers gathers outside to unload food from the Foodbank truck, which
will replenish the food pantry shelves. Because it is the end of the week,
supplies are low, and everyone works to get items inside for sorting and
shelving. Within an hour, the shelves are full again. |
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"We do more than just give people abag of food," says client services director Angela Kypriotis. "We form relationships with people. We are in their neighborhood, and we care about the same issues. We are a true community center."All who visit CRC for assistance are given an assessment which focuses on five key areas: food, clothing, housing, health care, and social needs. If any of these are determined to be unmet, staff provides initial assistance and helps the client create a plan to meet those needs. In October 2007, 348 households were served, up from 214 in October 2006. The CRC takes special pride in assisting senior citizens in remaining independent and in their own homes. Last year, over 700 different seniors were assisted by CRC transporting them to area restaurants, grocery stores, and their medical appointments. Another program jointly administered by CRC and the City of Columbus provides emergency home maintenance and repair services to senior and disabled homeowners, so they can stay in their homes. To keep neighborhood kids safe and busy, CRC operates a very successful after-school program for elementary school children and a drop-in program for middle-schoolers. Mid-Ohio FoodBank provides the snacks. Lodia Maddox, a current volunteer who used to be a client due to trouble sustaining a job, works mostly with the after-school program. "Not only did CRC help me with food, but they also gave me motivation and self-esteem." She has since found steady work that also allows her time to volunteer. With winter approaching, many people in CRC's service area will have to make tough choices between paying for heat, food, and medicine. To help alleviate this burden, CRC operates a choice food pantry every weekday, where clients can choose items they need. CRC has been helping its neighbors since 1971, and with the community’s support, it will continue to do so far into the future. |
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| Hunger Has No Season | ||
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again, Kroger will be holding their “Hunger Knows No Season” campaign to
support local food banks and pantries. Kroger stores work hard to feed those
in need, making sure no one goes hungry for the holidays and restocking
pantry shelves for the long winter. This year’s program gives customers an opportunity to help those in need in their community. Donations can be made in $1.00, $5.00, $10.00, and $20.00 increments. Every penny donated will purchase needed food. |
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| Holiday Drives | ||
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Suggested food items include canned meats, canned
fruits and vegetables, chunky soups, and baking mixes. |
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| Making the Holidays Happen | ||
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Volunteers at the Urban Mission in Steubenville have a huge task before them.
They already help folks struggling to get by all year round, but this time
of year they also strive to make the holidays special for kids in their
neighborhood. In October, they invited low-income parents to sign up their children to receive special holiday packages. The 700 children under age 12 on their list will get toys and clothes, and the 200 kids between age 13 and 18 will get stockings with personal care items and small gifts. Making this happen is no small effort. The whole community signs up to collect items for each child. |
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The agency also provided 1,200 special grocery bags for Thanksgiving. According to Linda Smith, program director, “Most of these families have both parents working. It’s just that the wages and the benefits aren’t there.” Families in the area are facing further difficulties as there was a recent announcement that a local steel mill was laying off 250 employees. According to Ms. Smith though, “The people we serve try to stay positive.” | |
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Urban Mission’s food pantry serves about 800 families a month. They also run a soup kitchen that’s open three days a week, serving between 80 and 150 people. Many of their clients are senior citizens. Often seniors come in two by two - those with transportation offering rides to those without, or those who can’t afford to fill their gas tank. This December, pantry workers are going to be kept busy handing out food to all the families depending on Urban Mission to provide care and concern. |
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| Gift of Caring | ||
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You can make a gift in someone’s honor just by making a
donation to the Foodbank. We’ll be happy to send your friends and family a
letter to let them know. You can avoid the malls and gift wrap and spread
the cheer of knowing that the Foodbank will use your gift to feed more
families in need. Call us at (614) 274-7770 to make a gift. |
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| A Souper Start to a New Year | ||
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The Thirteenth Annual Souper Bowl of Caring challenges groups to collect donations for hunger organizations in their community. Last year thousands of groups across the nation raised $8.2 million for food banks, soup kitchens, and other helping agencies. We’re asking organizations and individuals to sign up for this special event. Past ways groups have raised donations to fight hunger include: Have a football party and ask attendees to make a donation. Get your religious organization’s youth group to collect dollar donations in soup pots during your weekend service. Have your service organization sell submarine sandwiches for folks to take home for the big game. Donate proceeds to the Foodbank. Collect donations at your workplace. Display a chart tracking which team’s fans have given more cans and money and encourage some sportsmanlike rivalry. Visit www.souperbowl.org for more ideas on how you can get involved, and call Claire Badger at (614) 274-7770 if you’d like to sign your group up to tackle hunger in our community. |
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| Regular Features: | ||
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Did You Know? |
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It’s not too early to begin planning your 2008 Operation Feed campaign! Sign-up now to make sure you are involved in all of the exciting Operation Feed activities including the kick-off scheduled for March 11, 2008. Participating in the campaign does more than help feed families in need. It’s also great for team-building and adding some fun to the workday. For more information contact the Foodbank at 614-274-7770 or e-mail operationfeed@ secondharvest.org. |
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| Food Facts | ||
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Kelloggs makes Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal. When they discovered that one of the cereal’s ingredients wasn’t certified organic, they shipped the whole load off to food banks all over the country. Mid-Ohio FoodBank received over 25,000 lbs. of cereal, and our volunteers have been working hard to repack and relabel it so we can give this mostly organic cereal out to thousands of local families. |
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| Volunteer Focus | ||
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There is no final exam, but they certainly earn a lot of
credit. |
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Alex DiBartola & Josh Jones, high school students from Worthington Kilbourne, volunteer during the Foodbank’s teen night. |
Teens help out by sorting food in our reclamation room. Reclamation is non-perishable food and other products that were damaged at the grocery store and taken off the shelves. Volunteers are trained by Foodbank staff to carefully inspect each item to determine its safety. Are you thirteen or older or know a student looking for an after-school activity to get involved in? Contact us at (614) 274-7770. |
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| Etc. Etc. | ||
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Proceeds from sales and sponsorships will benefit the Mid-Ohio FoodBank as well as local organizations including New Albany Safety Town and Adventure Playground, and New Albany Special Connections. Their cookbook, entitled A Signature Collection, was published in celebration of the group’s fifth year anniversary. For further information please contact: Cooking with Friends at (614) 775-9114 or visit www.nacookingwithfriends.com. |
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Mid-Ohio FoodBank w
1625 W. Mound Street w
Columbus, OH 43223 |
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There’s
still time to hold a holiday food drive! The Foodbank is always accepting
food donations. If your office or group wants to collect food to make the
holidays brighter for a local family, bring any food you collect to our
warehouse at 1625 West Mound Street Monday-Friday between 8am and 4:30pm. 
So
many companies are offering organic versions of the foods we eat everyday.
One company’s dedication to organic standards led to a huge donation to the
Foodbank.
