Second Harvest North Florida Volume 2 • Issue 3 • May 2010 www.WeNourishHope.org
Feeding Hope
a newsletter for food industry donors
Donation ABCs: An alphabetical exploration of the many different kinds of products you can donate to Second Harvest.
S:
Samples: Does your company sample items through customer outreach? If so, what is done with inventory that is left over from sampling?
More than six billion pounds of fresh produce goes unutilized annually in our country.
SECOND HARVEST SEEKS FRESH FOOD TO MEET INCREASED NEED, OFFER HEALTHIER FOOD OPTIONS Feeding America recently reported that there are more than six billion domestic pounds of unutilized fresh produce annually, meaning that the potential for produce distribution by food banks beyond current output is staggering. For Feeding America’s six highest-volume commodities (potatoes, onions, apples, carrots, cabbage and sweet potatoes) 1.2 billion pounds grown in the United States are not harvested, and an additional 3.9 billion pounds of harvested produce are not sold. Today, the Feeding America network distributes approximately 350 million pounds of fresh produce per year. Fresh produce represents the most nutritious, lowest-cost and highest-volume potential food source for fighting hunger. Here at Second Harvest North Florida, we are working to incorporate more nutritious options in the product mix offered to our network members. We know that while all food offers people the ability to survive, nutritious food makes a positive difference in individuals’ health. We are developing relationships with the local agricultural communities, growers, produce shippers, brokers and packers to increase our overall donations of fresh fruits and vegetables. We’re learning more about the process of how produce gets from the seed to the fork and are expanding our produce
procurement efforts by partnering with the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), the Florida Farm Bureau, Society of St. Andrew and various agricultural trade associations. Some nutritional products we find will be used in food bags delivered to Shands Jacksonville’s OB/ GYN Clinic in an effort to lower our community's exceedingly high infant mortality rates. Overall, our goals are to increase the amount of fresh produce we receive to half of all incoming pounds and make this produce available to the more than 300 member agencies we serve in Duval County. We will accept any produce that is consumable but not necessarily salable. This includes "second quality" produce that may not be attractive enough for retail stores but is still perfectly safe to eat. As our industry partners, we value your ongoing support and encourage you think about the produce you may carry in your inventory that could be donated. Your donations of fresh food make a real difference in the lives of people in our community. For more information concerning fresh produce donations or to arrange a produce pickup at your location, please contact Melanie Wright, fresh food procurement coordinator, at 904.517.5562.
Seasonal Items: Does your company produce products or provide special packaging for holidays, seasons of the year, or other milestones? If you are unable to sell this product after the holidays, what do you do with the existing inventory? Short-Coded Product: Does your company run into situations where you can no longer sell your product to your primary or even secondary customers due to approaching code date expirations? If donating the product is an option, have you established extended use-by dates for your product line? If you have not, we can offer extended use-by date guidelines which other food manufacturers have established by product category.
20th Anniversary Jacksonville FOODFIGHT
Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:30–9 p.m. Touchdown Club East Jacksonville Municipal Stadium $60 General Admission $85 VIP Admission Taste the finest food and spirits from 50 restaurants and beverage distributors! Tickets: 904.739.7074 or www.jacksonvillefoodfight.org All proceeds benefit Second Harvest North Florida
WE STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET. I TRY TO FEED MY KIDS FIRST AND ME LAST.” “I WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO E HEY ARE CHILDREN AND MANY TIMES THEY CAN NOT CONCENTRATE ON THEIR STUDIES, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IN THE HOME.” “IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN [THAT WE HAVE TO USE T OOD BANK], ONLY WHEN WORK SLOWS DOWN. WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO AVOID IT.” “WE STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET. I TRY TO FEED MY KIDS FIRST AND ME LAST.” “I WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO DO NOT ALWA AVE ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT. THEY ARE CHILDREN AND MANY TIMES THEY CAN NOT CONCENTRATE ON THEIR STUDIES, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IN THE HOME. “IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFT
Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Jacksonville, FL Permit No. 1610
Second Harvest North Florida 1502 Jessie Street Jacksonville, FL 32206 www.WeNourishHope.org
What would you do if you had to choose between buying medicine for your child and buying food for yourself? The mission of Second Harvest North Florida is to distribute food and grocery products to hungry people and to educate the public about the causes and possible solutions to problems of domestic hunger.
CONTACT US
1502 Jessie Street Jacksonville, FL 32206 Main: 904.353.FOOD www.WeNourishHope.org
To learn more about how to donate food:
Elliot Darkatsh, Director of Procurement 904.517.5554 elliotd@WeNourishHope.org
To learn about volunteering: Leah Bezares, Office Manager 904.517.5550 lbezares@WeNourishHope.org
To make financial donations: Karen Rieley, CFRE Vice President for Advancement 904.730.8281 krieley@WeNourishHope.org
Target fights hunger in our community through donations, backpacks and volunteering Local Target stores are taking action and motivating employee teams with a three-pronged corporate strategy to fight against hunger. The company is expanding its local store donation program through employee education and accountability, which will translate into consistent increases in weekly food donations. They will be on track to donate over 1.5 million pounds of food just this year alone! Target is also contributing separate food donations to support the Backpack Program, which will provide children on reduced/free lunch programs adequate nutrition on weekends
and over school breaks throughout the 2010-11 school year. Lastly, the 14 stores located in Second Harvest's service area will be participating in quarterly volunteer events called Target's Day of Giving, at the food bank this summer. Target has sparked a relationship with Second Harvest that is going to make a powerful impact in many lives. We truly appreciate Target’s partnership, enthusiasm, and most of all, their compassion!
WESTRUGGLE STRUGGLETO TOMAKE MAKEENDS ENDSMEET. MEET.IITRY TRYTO TOFEED FEEDMY MYKIDS KIDSFIRST FIRSTAND ANDME MELAST. LAST.””“I“IWORK WORKWITH WITHCLIENTS CLIENTSWHO WHODO DONOT NOTALWAYS ALWAYSHAVE HAVEENOUGH ENOUGHFOOD FOODTO TOEAT. EAT.THEY THEYARE ARECHILDREN CHILDRENAND ANDMANY MANYTIMES TIMESTHEY THEYCAN CANNO N WE ONCENTRATEON ONTHEIR THEIRSTUDIES, STUDIES,BECAUSE BECAUSETHEIR THEIRPARENTS PARENTSDO DONOT NOTHAVE HAVEENOUGH ENOUGHFOOD FOODIN INTHE THEHOME. HOME.””“IT “ITDOESN’T DOESN’THAPPEN HAPPENOFTEN OFTEN[THAT [THATWE WEHAVE HAVETO TOUSE USETHE THEFOOD FOODBANK], BANK],ONLY ONLYWHEN WHENWORK WORKSLOWS SLOWSDOW DOW ONCENTRATE WE DO EVERYTHING EVERYTHINGWE WE CAN CANTO TOAVOID AVOID IT. IT.””“WE “WE STRUGGLE STRUGGLETO TO MAKE MAKE ENDS ENDS MEET. MEET.IITRY TRYTO TO FEED FEED MY MY KIDS KIDS FIRST FIRSTAND AND ME ME LAST. LAST.””“I“IWORK WORKWITH WITH CLIENTS CLIENTSWHO WHO DO DO NOT NOTALWAYS ALWAYS HAVE HAVE ENOUGH ENOUGH FOOD FOODTO TO EAT. EAT.THEY THEYAR A E DO HILDRENAND ANDMANY MANYTIMES TIMESTHEY THEYCAN CANNOT NOTCONCENTRATE CONCENTRATEON ONTHEIR THEIRSTUDIES, STUDIES,BECAUSE BECAUSETHEIR THEIRPARENTS PARENTSDO DONOT NOTHAVE HAVEENOUGH ENOUGHFOOD FOODIN INTHE THEHOME. HOME.“IT “ITDOESN’T DOESN’THAPPEN HAPPENOFTEN OFTEN[THAT [THATWE WEHAVE HAVETO TOUSE USETHE THEFOO FO HILDREN