SERVINGS
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SUMMER ISSUE 2018
EastTexasFoodBank.org/DonateNow
SERVINGS
You can help feed hungry children this summer When that last school bell rings and summer vacation begins, low-income children can no longer rely on their weekday free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch. Imagine the anxiety that can bring for the 1 in 4 East Texas children who live with food insecurity. Summer is a time when children should have the opportunity to play and grow. They should not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. Addressing summer hunger is a high priority for the East Texas Food Bank. That’s why we bring our Summer Food Service Program to more than 70 sites in low-income communities. Along with a nutritious meal, children enjoy supervised activities that are fun and safe, including literacy and nutrition education opportunities. Last year, we provided over 118,000 meals through the program.
Your support helps us distribute fresh fruits and vegetables and other staples to families like Julius’ (read his story page 3).
We hear from many low-income parents, like Irene, who tell us school vacations put an added burden on their ability to provide enough healthy food for their families. During those times, these families rely more than ever on the food they receive through our mobile pantries or partner agency distributions.
During the summer, when the need to address the issue of childhood hunger increases, our donations often decrease. For every $1 you give, we can provide food for 8 nutritious meals to our neighbors in need this summer. Please take a moment to return the enclosed reply slip or give online at EastTexasFoodBank.org/DonateNow. Thank you for helping us fight summer hunger in East Texas.
N e w s f r o m t h e E a s t Te x a s F o o d B a n k EastTexasFoodBank.org/DonateNow
Honor a loved one with a graduation gift that helps fight hunger During this season of graduations, celebrate your loved one’s achievement by giving a gift that will help the East Texas Food Bank fight hunger this summer. Tribute gifts are a special way of marking an occasion and making a difference for struggling children, families and seniors in our community. As an acknowledgment of your gift, the East Texas Food Bank will mail a personalized card to the person you designate. To make a special tribute gift, use the enclosed return slip or go online at EastTexasFoodBank.org. Thank you for caring for neighbors in need as you celebrate your loved one’s achievement.
Connect with us!
Please charge my gift on my credit card: □ VISA □ MC □ AMEX □ DISC
m I want to become a Meal-A-Day donor with a monthly gift of $_________. My first gift is enclosed.
CARD NUMBER
NAME
NAME ON ACCOUNT
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE NUMBER
In our family, my husband works washing semi-trucks. The work is okay, but it’s hard for us to make ends meet because he doesn’t get enough hours. One of our biggest challenges is being able to keep up with paying our rent. And when there isn’t much work, providing enough food for the children is hard.
Irene and her youngest daughter come to one of our mobile pantries to help feed their family.
I want to say thank you to the people who support the East Texas Food Bank. I’m grateful for the food you give us. We hear from many parents like Irene who tell us the hardest time of year to provide enough food is during school breaks. Through your continued generosity, we can ensure our Summer Meal program is reaching more children in low-income neighborhoods across East Texas. Your support also allows us to help people like Irene who live in rural areas to have more access to nutritious food through our Mobile Pantry program or one of our partner agencies. Just $1 provides 8 meals, so please give today!
INSIDE EXP. DATE
CITY STATE ZIP
SIGNATURE
Please make your check payable to:
Give online at EastTexasFoodBank.org/DonateNow
EAST TEXAS FOOD BANK 3201 Robertson Road Tyler, TX 75701-2532
My name is Irene. A friend told me about this mobile pantry in our town. My daughter and I came to see what food we could get for our family. Although we’ve lived in the area for 10 years, this is the first time I’ve come to get food from the East Texas Food Bank.
“ When the children are on vacation from school— that’s the hardest time of year.” —IRENE
Thankfully our older children get to eat breakfast and lunch at school. That’s a big help for us. When they are on vacation during the holidays and the summer, that’s the hardest time of year. It’s a challenge to provide enough food to meet their daily needs.
To charge your gift by phone, call 800.815.FOOD.
Enclosed is my gift of: □ $150 □ $100 □ $50 □ $25 □ Other $______
In the rural town where Irene lives, the East Texas Food Bank brings a monthly Mobile Pantry distribution that provides access to fresh produce and other staples for our hungry neighbors. During the summer, this can make a real difference for families who need to provide many more meals a week for their school-aged children.
You help us when we’re struggling
MY SUMMER GIFT—$1 provides food for 8 meals YES, Dennis, I want to ensure local children and families have healthy food this summer.
Thank you for helping me feed my children during the summer
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Your donation is tax-deductible as permitted by law. The East Texas Food Bank will send you a receipt Connect with us! in gratitude for your kindness to the individuals and families in East Texas who rely on us for food.
An encouraging word from the CEO
Page 3
Stretching retirement income to feed our family
Page 4 Help meet the need this summer
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An encouraging word from the CEO Dear Friend of the East Texas Food Bank, This is an exciting time for all of us to see our dreams becoming a reality. At the heart of our expansion is the need to increase our capacity so we can be on our way to closing the meal gap in the 26 counties we serve. In order to do that, we need to grow from providing 22 million meals annually to 40 million meals by 2025. With your support, and the opportunities this new expansion provides, we believe that’s possible.
“ The work we’re The stories we share in this newsletter doing together also remind us that makes a profound the work we’re doing difference in the together makes a lives of real profound difference in the lives of real families families.” like Irene’s (see cover) and Mary’s (page 3). While it’s exciting to see the changes taking place at our warehouse, every day we’re working to provide food to families who need it most, which your support makes possible. Along with distributions through our partner agencies and mobile pantries, our annual Summer Meal Program moves beyond our usual food distribution model. We provide weekday meals at over 70 sites for children to help them get enough to eat when they no longer have access to school meals. That program relies on the collaborative partnerships we’ve developed that include providing educational and recreational activities for children who attend.
EastTexasFoodBank.org/DonateNow
Our blueprint to fight hunger This year we broke ground on a capital improvement project called More Space. More Meals. that will help us continue to meet the growing need for food assistance in our 26-county service area. The expanded building will increase our distribution capacity, improve workplace and food safety, increase community engagement and promote client empowerment. We anticipate the building will be complete by the end of 2018. Some highlights of the expansion include: • A Volunteer Center to create a safer, more efficient work environment for volunteers to pack fresh food for distribution. • A Nutrition Education Center that will help us address the health crisis by providing offices for nutritionists and a demonstration kitchen to host classes for neighbors in need. • An expanded cold dock to increase our capacity for receiving retail store donations and other fresh foods. • Warehouse improvements that build storage capacity and streamline production. With this expansion, and the generosity of friends like you, we believe we can provide 40 million meals a year by 2025. Thank you for investing in this mission with us.
We would like to thank our East Texas Food Bank Board of Directors
We are so grateful for your willingness to invest in our mission. Your support allows us to provide food that’s needed for today, work toward solving the problem of hunger tomorrow, and help us respond to disaster-related food crises. Thank you for the many ways you care for your East Texas neighbors.
David Apperley
Jay Jelinek
Carol Bradley
Jeff Johnston
Herbert Buie
Rosemary Jones, Secretary
Gratefully,
John Gaston
Edgar Burton Ken Cobb Jim Daughtry Gregg Davis, Chair
Cathy Schreiber, Treasurer Mark Scirto
Leslie Harrison
Michael W. Stevens, Immediate Past Chair
Diane Heindel
Howard Tagg
Ann Howell
Bob Westbrook
Verna Hall
Dennis J. Cullinane, CEO
Bill Mohl
Bryan Jacobe, Chair-Elect
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SUMMER ISSUE 2018
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You help us stretch our retirement income to feed our family I’ve been coming here to get food for the past two years. It helps feed my husband, my teenage son and my grandson. My name is Mary, and I’ve lived in the area about thirty years. My husband was a truck driver, and I worked in a sewing factory. When they closed the factory I lost my job. I opened a daycare in my home and took care of children in the neighborhood for about 14 years. About three years ago I had a stroke, and couldn’t run the daycare anymore.
You help us provide what we can’t afford My son is 15. I adopted him when he was a baby. He needed me and I guess I needed him, too. It’s not easy raising a teenager when you’re my age, but I get some support “ I mostly cook from my church. During the week I also watch vegetables, but my grandson because sometimes those his mother is working and going to school.
are hard to afford.” —MARY
Mary provides meals for her grandson during the week while his mother is at work.
Living on Social Security and trying to raise a family means our finances get pretty tight. We rent our home and have a car, but to make ends meet, you have to know how to stretch those few dollars.
I appreciate the milk, cereal and other staples we get from here to help feed my family. I like cooking everything, but I mostly cook vegetables. Sometimes those are hard to afford. I’m good at stretching out the food we get. I came from a big family, so I know how to survive! I really do appreciate the people who support the East Texas Food Bank. You’re not just helping me, you’re helping a lot of people in this neighborhood—so thank you!
Agency Spotlight
The Dream Center: Distributing food with dignity and compassion Four years ago when the Longview Dream Center moved into their new building, the number of families coming to receive food doubled. As one of our partner agencies, they serve 600-800 families a month as a clientchoice pantry.
“The East Texas Food Bank has been our biggest advocate through all the ups and downs of running a nonprofit,” says Shonna. “They are instrumental in what we do.”
“The need is so large in Gregg County,” says Shonna Barlow, Executive Director of the center. “A lot of people we see are in hopeless situations. They come in here and get some clothes and food and we let them know someone cares.” The food pantry is open late two afternoons a week for monthly food distributions. They also distribute a senior box program to people like Mary (see above) and twice a month host the East Texas Food Bank’s fresh produce distribution. Ninety-five percent of all the food they distribute comes through the East Texas Food Bank.
“ I think we underestimate what a $10 or $20 gift means...It can be the difference in someone getting fed.” —SHONNA
Every gift matters When Shonna left her job to come and volunteer at the food pantry, she didn’t know that she would end up as Executive Director. “I was one of those people that always wanted to serve, but I didn’t know how. I had such a deep tug on my heart,” says Shonna. “What has surprised me is how easy it is to help somebody. It’s just about making yourself available, committing to it and then receiving the blessing you get back from it.” Shonna is grateful for those who financially support the East Texas Food Bank because she says it truly makes a difference. “I think we underestimate what a $10 or $20 gift means,” Shonna says. “It can be the difference in someone getting fed.”
SERVINGS
4
SUMMER ISSUE 2018
EastTexasFoodBank.org/DonateNow
SERVINGS
You can help feed hungry children this summer When that last school bell rings and summer vacation begins, low-income children can no longer rely on their weekday free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch. Imagine the anxiety that can bring for the 1 in 4 East Texas children who live with food insecurity. Summer is a time when children should have the opportunity to play and grow. They should not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. Addressing summer hunger is a high priority for the East Texas Food Bank. That’s why we bring our Summer Food Service Program to more than 70 sites in low-income communities. Along with a nutritious meal, children enjoy supervised activities that are fun and safe, including literacy and nutrition education opportunities. Last year, we provided over 118,000 meals through the program.
Your support helps us distribute fresh fruits and vegetables and other staples to families like Julius’ (read his story page 3).
We hear from many low-income parents, like Irene, who tell us school vacations put an added burden on their ability to provide enough healthy food for their families. During those times, these families rely more than ever on the food they receive through our mobile pantries or partner agency distributions.
During the summer, when the need to address the issue of childhood hunger increases, our donations often decrease. For every $1 you give, we can provide food for 8 nutritious meals to our neighbors in need this summer. Please take a moment to return the enclosed reply slip or give online at EastTexasFoodBank.org/DonateNow. Thank you for helping us fight summer hunger in East Texas.
N e w s f r o m t h e E a s t Te x a s F o o d B a n k EastTexasFoodBank.org/DonateNow
Honor a loved one with a graduation gift that helps fight hunger During this season of graduations, celebrate your loved one’s achievement by giving a gift that will help the East Texas Food Bank fight hunger this summer. Tribute gifts are a special way of marking an occasion and making a difference for struggling children, families and seniors in our community. As an acknowledgment of your gift, the East Texas Food Bank will mail a personalized card to the person you designate. To make a special tribute gift, use the enclosed return slip or go online at EastTexasFoodBank.org. Thank you for caring for neighbors in need as you celebrate your loved one’s achievement.
Connect with us!
Please charge my gift on my credit card: □ VISA □ MC □ AMEX □ DISC
m I want to become a Meal-A-Day donor with a monthly gift of $_________. My first gift is enclosed.
CARD NUMBER
NAME
NAME ON ACCOUNT
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE NUMBER
In our family, my husband works washing semi-trucks. The work is okay, but it’s hard for us to make ends meet because he doesn’t get enough hours. One of our biggest challenges is being able to keep up with paying our rent. And when there isn’t much work, providing enough food for the children is hard.
Irene and her youngest daughter come to one of our mobile pantries to help feed their family.
I want to say thank you to the people who support the East Texas Food Bank. I’m grateful for the food you give us. We hear from many parents like Irene who tell us the hardest time of year to provide enough food is during school breaks. Through your continued generosity, we can ensure our Summer Meal program is reaching more children in low-income neighborhoods across East Texas. Your support also allows us to help people like Irene who live in rural areas to have more access to nutritious food through our Mobile Pantry program or one of our partner agencies. Just $1 provides 8 meals, so please give today!
INSIDE EXP. DATE
CITY STATE ZIP
SIGNATURE
Please make your check payable to:
Give online at EastTexasFoodBank.org/DonateNow
EAST TEXAS FOOD BANK 3201 Robertson Road Tyler, TX 75701-2532
My name is Irene. A friend told me about this mobile pantry in our town. My daughter and I came to see what food we could get for our family. Although we’ve lived in the area for 10 years, this is the first time I’ve come to get food from the East Texas Food Bank.
“ When the children are on vacation from school— that’s the hardest time of year.” —IRENE
Thankfully our older children get to eat breakfast and lunch at school. That’s a big help for us. When they are on vacation during the holidays and the summer, that’s the hardest time of year. It’s a challenge to provide enough food to meet their daily needs.
To charge your gift by phone, call 800.815.FOOD.
Enclosed is my gift of: □ $150 □ $100 □ $50 □ $25 □ Other $______
In the rural town where Irene lives, the East Texas Food Bank brings a monthly Mobile Pantry distribution that provides access to fresh produce and other staples for our hungry neighbors. During the summer, this can make a real difference for families who need to provide many more meals a week for their school-aged children.
You help us when we’re struggling
MY SUMMER GIFT—$1 provides food for 8 meals YES, Dennis, I want to ensure local children and families have healthy food this summer.
Thank you for helping me feed my children during the summer
Page 2
5N/18 FB_48_EMNL_690
Your donation is tax-deductible as permitted by law. The East Texas Food Bank will send you a receipt Connect with us! in gratitude for your kindness to the individuals and families in East Texas who rely on us for food.
An encouraging word from the CEO
Page 3
Stretching retirement income to feed our family
Page 4 Help meet the need this summer