Feedback Fall 2014

Fall 2014

austinfoodbank.org

Feeding a Brighter Future With your help, kids are eating and learning better.

Help Them Dream Big This School Year Change the lives of families in your community.

Investing in a Healthier Future for Our Kids The Community Eligibility Provision is changing the face of school lunch.

News from the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas

Feeding a Brighter Future Amie and her children are looking forward to a bright future thanks to donations like yours.

can make learning and social engagement more difficult. Grades and test scores fall while behavioral problems like tardiness, hyperactivity and bullying escalate.

“It helps that we are not just getting rice and noodles and things that are calorie rich but nutrient poor.”

Amie, food pantry client For children growing up in poverty, a good education is the best chance they have for a brighter future. With your help, we can ensure every child has a strong foundation to build a happy, healthy, productive life.

It may still be 100 degrees outside, but across Central Texas, children are trading in their flip-flops and pool toys for backpacks and notebooks. Whatever the weather may be, summer is coming to an end, and it’s time to go back to school.

Going back to school after months of sleeping in and playing outside can be tough.

But children facing hunger return to the classroom with challenges their peers can’t imagine.

Nearly 1 in 4 Central Texas children is at risk of hunger. The consequences of hunger are particularly devastating to children and ripple through their lives, affecting not only their health but also their future success.

Parents like Amie and her husband know how important good nutrition is for their children, but getting the healthiest food onto their table isn’t always easy.

When her husband’s small business failed, they spent almost all their savings trying to keep it afloat. Amie still works part time at Austin Community College, but her salary isn’t enough to make ends meet.

The family had to cut expenses wherever

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possible. They moved into a smaller house and started borrowing Amie’s mother’s car to save money. Now, they turn to a Food Bank food pantry to get groceries and help them stretch their food budget.

“We found ourselves in a position where we were really more broke than we were in college, and we have children now,” Amie says.

“It’s not always easy, but because of help like this pantry, we have been able to make it and keep things going.”

Amie tries to keep meals healthy with fresh fruits and veggies she knows will help keep her kids growing strong. She says the variety of nutritious foods she gets at the pantry is a big help.

“It helps that we are not just getting rice and noodles and things that are calorie rich but nutrient poor,” she says.

Studies show children who don’t get enough nutritious food have a harder time in school.

The physical and mental effects of hunger

Our nutrition educators know that families struggling to make ends meet often have to make due with cheaper foods.

That often means fewer nutrients but not necessarily fewer calories.

Nutrition Educator Anadeli Bautista shares her experience leading a group of seventh- through 11th-graders from East Austin College Preparatory Academy through the Food Bank’s newly revamped Power of Choice series.

“It is an easier method of recognizing our foods and portion sizes than having to take out our measuring cups and spoons at a restaurant.”

Anadeli, Nutrition Educator The new curriculum uses the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines as a foundation to inform participants in making healthy food choices.

The class starts with a worksheet to help participants use their age, gender and amount of physical activity to estimate how much fuel their1 tennis bodies ball need. This exercise

not only determines the number of calories they should have each day, but the number of servings from each food group.

Anadeli says the students at East Austin College Prep were open minded and eager to learn. They asked great questions like “why do males need more calories than females?”

The answer, Anadeli tells us, is muscle mass. Generally, males have more muscle mass than females, and muscle burns more calories than fat. So males typically have a higher resting metabolism.

The class also teaches healthy portion sizes using household objects for comparison. A one-ounce serving of pasta, for example, is roughly the size of a computer mouse. And a 1/2 cup serving of vegetables is about as big as a light bulb.

“It is an easier method of recognizing our foods and portion sizes than having to take out our measuring cups and spoons at a restaurant and measuring our foods,” Anadeli says. “We would look silly doing that.”

Of course, not everyone was convinced these portions would be enough. Anadeli shared some of the students’ more amusing complaints: “I’m not going to get full with that.” “I’ll be hungry all day.” “I’ll starve to death.”

“We have gotten used to the huge portion sizes of our foods,” Anadeli says.

In fact, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, average American food portions have doubled or tripled over the last 20 years.

But rest assured, when you choose the right foods, these smaller portions are plenty 1 small fruitand productive life. to fuel a happy, healthy (1/2 serving fruit)

PROPER PORTION SIZE

“It’s not always easy, but because of help like this pantry, we have been able to make it and keep things going.”

Amie, food pantry client

How many servings of vegetables does it take to fill up a light bulb?

1 deck of cards

1 computer mouse

1 light bulb

3 ounces of steak

(3 ounces of protein)

1/2 cup cooked pasta

(1 ounce grain)

1/2 cup vegetables

Volunteers help clients shop at a food pantry.

1 golf ball

2 tbsp. peanut butter

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UPCOMING EVENTS Gospel Brunch

Every Sunday, 11:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. Strange Brew Austin Coffee, Austin, TX

Join the Purgatory Players Sundays at Strange Brew for “gospel music for the nondenominational folk.” This event is free and open to the public. Donations to support the Food Bank are accepted at every show.

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1. Shoot Out Hunger The fifth annual Shoot Out Hunger clay shooting competition, hosted by the American Society of Industrial Security Austin Chapter, raised $10,000 for the Food Bank.

Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival

2, 14. Summer Meals That Matter Kick-off

Local government, nonprofit and business leaders served chef-prepared meals to 65 students at El Buen Samaritano, a Food Bank Partner Agency.

Sunday, August 24, 12:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Fiesta Gardens, Austin, TX

If you want to beat the heat, you’ve got to eat the heat! One of the largest hot sauce festivals in the world, Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival brings together hot sauce and music lovers to support the Food Bank.

Just bring three non-perishable food items or a $5 donation to join in the fun. For more information, visit: austinfoodbank.org/hot-sauce-festival.

3, 10, 16. Keep Austin Weird Festival & 5K

The self-proclaimed “slowest 5K on the planet” and outrageous summer fun festival raised 1,758 meals for Central Texans facing hunger.

4. H-E-B Help End Hunger

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KEYE-TV and Randall’s raised food and funds for the Food Bank with their 2014 Food for Families Food Drive.

6,13. Cars & Coffee

Advocate. Donate. Volunteer.

Austin-area car buffs gather at the Oasis on Lake Travis for the monthly Cars & Coffee event, benefiting the Food Bank.

All September long, we’re spreading the word and mobilizing the community to fight hunger in Central Texas. Send a letter to the editor of your local paper. Host a virtual food drive.

Volunteer at a mobile food pantry. There are lots of ways you can help.

Visit austinfoodbank.org/ham to learn more.

November 8-15 Barton Creek Square Mall, Austin, TX

H-E-B raised $155,000 for the Food Bank with its annual Help End Hunger tear pad fundraising campaign.

5. KEYE-TV & Randall’s Food for Families

September is Hunger Action Month

CANstruction

Thank YOU for Helping Fight Summer Hunger!

7, 15. Walmart

Walmart donated $75,000 to help fund our mobile food pantries so we can reach more Central Texans where they need us most.

8. C3 Presents

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C3 Presents helped us honor longtime volunteer leader Ben Rivera with a three-day pass to the Austin City Limits Festival this October.

9. EZ Corp

EZ Corp employees donated $500 to the Food Bank and volunteered in product recovery, helping inspect and prepare food donations to go to the folks who need them.

Austin-area architects, engineers and builders showcase their talents by creating giant sculptures made of canned food items.

Visit Barton Creek Square Mall the week of November 8 to see the amazing structures on display. At the end of the week, all of the food used for the structures will be donated to the Food Bank. For more information, please visit austinfoodbank.org/canstruction.

11. Young African Leaders Initiative

Members of the Obama Administration’s Young African Leaders Initiative volunteered in Product Recovery. The emerging entrepreneurs learned all about how the Food Bank is fighting hunger in Central Texas.

12. BBVA Compass

BBVA Compass employees donated their time and treasure to the Food Bank.

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Investing in a Healthier Future for Our Kids Steve Wertz Volunteer Leader of the Quarter

By Kathy Green, Senior Director of Advocacy and Public Policy As we prepare for the new school year, we are reminded of the profound effect proper nutrition can have on a child’s success. We know healthy food is vital to children’s physical and mental development, and kids who face hunger often suffer serious consequences – more school days missed, lower grades and test scores, more discipline issues – that

“When more children eat well, everyone benefits. This is an investment worth making.” impact their future earning potential and ability to participate fully in society.

With this in mind, the Capital Area Food Bank is making child nutrition a priority, advocating for healthy school meals and the funding to support them. In the past year, we worked with hunger advocates across Texas

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and the U.S. to pass two provisions that will ensure access to school meals for more of the children we serve, starting in the 2014-2015 school year.

A new state law will ensure more Texas children start each day with a healthy breakfast. Under the new law, any school where 80 percent or more students qualify for free or reduced-price meals must serve free school breakfasts to all students.

At the federal level, the Community Eligibility Provision will allow schools in high-need areas to provide free meals to all students under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. Families don’t have to fill out lengthy applications for free or reduced-price meals, and schools save time and money with less administrative work.

In both cases, it’s up to individual school districts to decide whether they will take advantage of these provisions. We’ve been working with partner organizations to educate school district staff, parents and community members and encourage all eligible districts to participate.

When more children eat well, everyone benefits. This is an investment worth making.

The Food Bank would like to congratulate its Volunteer Leader of the Quarter, Mr. Steve Wertz. Since 2010, Steve has volunteered over 800 hours at the Food Bank. Steve began as an administrative volunteer before he decided he wanted a more physically active volunteer role and began to volunteer in product recovery.

He was nominated as a Volunteer Leader in 2012 and happily accepted the promotion, going above and beyond by committing to two days a week in product recovery.

As a Volunteer Leader, Steve is helpful and courteous with volunteers and always eager to help. Ellen Weaver, product recovery assistant, says, “I’ve only known Steve for a brief span of time, but within that time he has demonstrated excellence in leadership, accountability, and a determination to fulfill the mission of the Food Bank. The Food Bank and the product recovery team are quite lucky to have the presence of a hard worker like Steve.”

In addition to his role in product recovery, Steve has volunteered for many years at Austin Reggae Festival and Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival. He’s not afraid to fundraise and “foodraise” (his term). Steve says that he likes to see the whole process of food banking, from the time the food leaves a donor’s hand to the time it is sorted and headed out the door to folks who need it.

When asked what one of his favorite things is about volunteering at the Food Bank, he said, “It’s a fun atmosphere to interact with people you may otherwise never meet, all while providing an important service to the local community. Often times you’ll meet other volunteers again outside of the food bank who will remember you and that usually gives you chance to follow-up with them to find out that that they had a worthwhile, enjoyable experience as well.”

Help Them Dream Big This School Year We need your help to feed our hungry neighbors in Central Texas as children and families get ready for the school year to begin.

As summer winds down, the Capital Area Food Bank is already busy making sure families and children remain nourished as they prepare for the coming school year. Tens of thousands of hungry families and individuals are reaching out to our 300 partner food pantries, soup kitchens and community resource centers for help. You can ensure that families like Cecilia’s won’t be turned away.

“Thank you for standing with us in the fight against hunger.”

Cecilia doesn’t have a job right now. She stays at home to take care of her three children, Lupita, 3, Martin, 8, and Jose, 10. Her husband works in maintenance, but it’s hard to keep food on the table with his limited

income and the rising cost of living in Austin.

Thankfully, they are able to access healthy food at a Food Bank food pantry when they are really struggling.

Last year, we provided access to 24.5 million meals for hungry families, but it wasn’t enough.

Please help make sure hungry families like Cecilia’s have access to healthy meals now, as our children are striving to be their best and brightest at school this fall.

What do Cecilia’s children want to be when they grow up? “Police!” Jose exclaims immediately.

“Martin, too, wants to be a police officer,” he continues. “And Lupita a teacher.”

Cecilia nods in agreement, looking at her children with pride.

You can provide the nourishment Lupita, Jose and Martin need to work hard and dream big this school year. Every $2 you give to the Food Bank provides five meals for those in need. Will you make a gift today to help keep healthy food on the table for families like Cecilia’s? Right now, you can fulfill a hungry neighbor’s most basic need: food.

A donation of $50 ensures that more than 125 meals will be shared with our neighbors who need them most.

Thank you for standing with us in the fight against hunger. You are changing the lives of the most vulnerable people in our community.

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CAFB Board of Directors Mike Tomsu, Chair Vinson & Elkins LLP Heidi Baschnagel, Vice Chair National Instruments Corporation Melissa Mitchell, Treasurer CPA Terry G. Knighton, Secretary Applied Materials, Retired Austin Community College Melissa Anthony Sinn anthonyBarnum Public Relations Matt Dow Jackson Walker LLP Kenneth Gladish, Ph.D. Seton Foundations Joyce Mullen Dell, Inc.

Laurie Rice 3M Hon. Jeff Rose Texas Third Court of Appeals John Sanchez Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Clint Scott CLS Partners Sheldy Starkes, MBA, PMP Booker, Starkes & Patodia, Inc. Leslie Sweet HEB Grocery Company, LP Catherine P. Thompson Motion Computing, Inc. Jason Thurman PlainsCapital Bank Mark J. Williams

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Email: communications@austinfoodbank.org Read it online Download & subscribe to CAFB publications at austinfoodbank.org Subscribe to our blog blog.austinfoodbank.org

Regardless of our age, most of us remember the excitement of heading back to school each fall. I sure do. For me it was always a time filled with new possibilities. I looked forward to learning new things, making new friends and facing new challenges.

In a way, our work at the Food Bank reminds me a lot of those times. With so many Central Texans facing hunger, our challenges are many as we constantly strive to turn our everyday learnings into more efficient ways of fighting hunger. But we couldn’t do it without the support of dedicated friends like you.

Your help means that families like Amie’s, featured in this issue, have nutritious meal options at a time when family budgets are stretched to the limit by extra expenses like classroom supplies and clothes for the kids. As a result, families are often forced to make tough budget choices, cutting back on food. Sometimes it’s the parents who sacrifice and do without nutritious meals; sometimes it’s the whole family. Either way, hunger casts a shadow over a time that should be filled with promise. And when you think about it, when one-quarter of Central Texas kids are at risk of hunger, we’re not only jeopardizing their health and learning potential—we’re putting the future of our community on the line as well.

You’re making a difference in the lives of thousands of kids and families by taking some of the worries about hunger off their plates and replacing it with the nutritious food they need to start the new school year in a healthy and productive way. Thank you for making back to school a time of excitement, anticipation and new possibilities for all.

Twitter @cafbtx

Our Mission: To nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger.

Capital Area Food Bank of Texas 8201 S. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78745 | (512)282.2111 Color printing generously donated by Ginny’s Printing, Inc.

Hank Perret President & CEO

A member of

Thank you for fighting hunger Strong, Healthy Kids Sponsor

Special Thanks to Our Summer Meals That Matter Sponsors

Strong, Healthy Kids Sponsor

Food for Families Sponsor

Food for Families Sponsor

Nourishing Neighbors Sponsor