Serving Hope FALL NEWSLETTER | 2021
Inside This Issue Donor Spotlight: The Vincit Group Page 2 Covenant Life Worship Food Pantry Page 3 Volunteer of the Quarter: Don Popovich Page 3 “I Felt My Prayers Were Answered.” Ferdinand Page 4 Employee Spotlight: Pedro Avila Page 4
“A special thank you to community partner The Vincit Group.” Continued on Page 2.
A Letter From Melissa
Dear Friends of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank,
Board Of Directors
As school doors open to a bustling new year, children are returning to the classroom to continue to learn and grow. But, growing up means so much more than just going to class. In our community, 39,940 children, that’s 1 in 6 children, live in a home without enough food to eat. This means every day is a struggle because hunger affects the way children learn and grow.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Melissa Blevins President and Chief Executive Officer James L. “Jim” Catanzaro, Jr., Chair Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C. Mercedes Bartow The McCallie School Jennifer Cookston Baylor School Megan Flynn Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Phil Harris Intersign Corporation Peterson Hostetler UBS Financial Services Frank Hughes SmartBank Maeghan Jones Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Martha Leiper Unum Betsey Kirk McCall Seven States Power Jennifer McIntyre Raymond James & Associates Rob Reagan Text Request Murphy Sauceman BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Tracey Smith Mutual of America Celeste Bandy Weaver Ringgold Telephone Company Daniel Yim Kobayashi Consumer Products, LLC
2009 Curtain Pole Road Chattanooga, TN 37406 (423) 622-1800 www.chattfoodbank.org
Northwest Georgia Branch 1111 South Hamilton Street Dalton, GA 30720 www.chattfoodbank.org
The Chattanooga Area Food Bank helps to provide nourishing, easy-toprepare food so kids can focus on learning, and not a grumbling belly. Every Sack Pack, School Mobile Pantry and Family Bag make a difference in the lives of our neighbors. But, we don’t do it alone- with generous support like yours, our volunteers and Community Partners standing beside us, families can breathe a little easier knowing their children will return to the classroom with a full belly, ready to learn. As a volunteer loaded food boxes into a car at a Mobile Pantry, a young boy said, “Dad, are we going to eat today?” The man began to cry and simply said “Yes.” While some things remain uncertain, the one thing we know wholeheartedly: Our mission to end hunger cannot be achieved without your support. It is because of your generosity that a family ate dinner tonight. It is because you care that a child went to bed tonight without a grumbling belly. Thank you for being an integral part of the Food Bank family and helping us ensure every child and their family has the nourishment they need.
With Gratitude,
Melissa Blevins President and Chief Executive Officer
Donor Spotlight:
The Vincit Group
Community partners, like The Vincit Group, help the Food Bank achieve its mission of solving hunger through their gracious support of time and resources. Their support this past year has included volunteering in our Chattanooga warehouse, collecting donations through community fundraisers, providing financial support and donating items for the day to day operation of the warehouse. The Vincit Group’s wide-ranging support illustrates how our communities are better served when we work together to achieve a common goal and for that we are most grateful!
Partner Agency:
Covenant Life Worship Center and Dalton Walmart store #669 Food. Something that most of us take for granted. However, for William Venable, Walmart #669 store manager in Dalton, GA, he knows it’s not something everyone has access to. Nearly five years ago Covenant Life Worship Center and Dalton Walmart store #669 partnered with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank to bring a much-needed food pantry into the community once a week. As an Agency Partner, the Food Bank connected Covenant Life Worship with the Dalton Walmart to pick up retail products that were still in great shape, but not saleable. Pastor Bob Cheli of Covenant Life Worship shared his vision and passion for helping the needy with his friend William, Walmart store manager. “Bob was always telling me how special it was, and asking if I wanted to come and help out at the food pantry,” says William. He was working lots of hours, newly married and busy with family and friends. “I just never made time to volunteer,” he said. Then, Pastor Bob became sick and the food pantry had to close, and shortly after Christmas Bob passed away. “I was so upset that something that meant so much to my friend was now closed.” So, William and his wife requested to get the pantry going again and run it, in honor of his friend. Since February 2021, when the Covenant Life Worship Food Pantry reopened, they have served 100’s of families, seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities and health problems. “My life has been changed by the people I meet through the pantry. I’m giving them a bit of security, but I’m the one that is truly blessed- it’s a rewarding feeling when I’m doing something that makes such an impact on someone,” says William. He now shares stories and communicates the trickle-down impact that Walmart & the associates have on the families in the community in his team huddle meetings. He now sees many Walmart associates volunteering, and sharing their own eye-opening experiences. “I may not be able to change the world, but I do have the ability to change the world of my community,” William says. “It just takes a little bit of time to make a difference and impact someone’s life.”
Volunteer of the Quarter:
Don Popovich
After Don Popovich retired in 2020, he was looking for an opportunity to help serve the Chattanooga community. He decided that the Chattanooga Area Food Bank would be a good place to help others. Over the last 15 months, Don says that his eyes have truly been opened to the need for hunger relief locally. He says, “I have enjoyed the experience and would encourage others to come out to support our neighbors”. Don is one of the many volunteers that chose, in the midst of the pandemic, to come and offer his support. Don volunteers more than once a week in our Emergency Food Box area.
“I Felt My Prayers Were Answered.” Ferdinand
For years, Ferdinand worked as a housekeeper in the hospitality industry. But after tourism shut down in response to COVID-19, Ferdinand was furloughed. The other members of his household — all of whom worked in hospitality as well, were also out of work. Suddenly without income, Ferdinand found himself not knowing how to provide for his household of four, which was soon to become five. “We were panicking. We started putting our savings towards rent, knowing there would be little left over,” said Ferdinand. “We were even more scared because my daughter is pregnant, and getting nutritious food is critical to the baby’s health.” But his fears soon turned to hope. He heard about a food distribution on social media. Knowing this could be a shot at relief, he and his wife visited the distribution.
Employee of the Quarter:
“We were in awe. The variety of fresh produce, meat, eggs, bread and dairy — this was the kind of nutritious food my daughter needed,” describes Ferdinand. “I felt my prayers were answered. We were in tears.” While his tears were hidden behind his sunglasses, Ferdinand’s gratitude illuminated in a way that everyone could see. In times of uncertainty, he teaches us to choose gratitude over shame. “My family is grateful and not ashamed,” reminds Ferdinand. “It has been a blessing to have those feelings during a time when we were mostly feeling panic, doubt and hopelessness. We are overjoyed, and that excitement has carried us many days.”
Pedro Avila
As the Agency Relations & Programs Manager for Northwest Georgia, Pedro oversees the Food Bank’s network of partners in our 9 northwest Georgia counties and works closely with these partners to increase capacity and maximize hunger relief efforts in this region. He provides orientation and training, responds to questions and requests for support while ensuring compliance with the USDA and Feeding America guidelines. In addition, Pedro works with community leaders to identify community-based solutions to increase food distribution by identifying strategies and programs to best meet their unique community needs. He says, “I enjoy working alongside my agencies to help them find new ways to reach the people in their communities who need our support the most”. When he isn’t working, Pedro enjoys watching movies, playing futbol, running, spending time with family, watching UFC fights and stand-up comedy. Ginger Gibson, Director of Agency & Government Relations, says Pedro is the ultimate team player. He is always happy to help his co-workers on the Agency/Programs Team and beyond – whether it’s picking orders in the warehouse or training new staff. She says, “Pedro goes above and beyond to support our northwest Georgia partners in the fight to end hunger. You can often find him helping with mobile pantries afterhours and on weekends. On the lighter side, Pedro loves playing soccer and being known around the office as the ultimate jokester!”