hcfb ndn - november 2014

1harrychapinfoodbank.org / HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK

FIGHTING

FEEDINGHUNGERHOPE

(239) 334-7007 | harrychapinfoodbank.org

This section is generously underwritten in part by the Community Foundation of Collier County

2 HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK / harrychapinfoodbank.org 3harrychapinfoodbank.org / HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK

WHY WE’RE NEEDED

OUR HISTORY

Nine-year-old Martha stood in line with her mother and baby brother, waiting as the families in front of them inched

forward. As a landscaper, Martha’s father does not earn enough to cover all of the family’s living expenses. Sometimes, Martha confessed, she gives her parents her small allowance so the family can buy food. “We don’t make enough to be able to feed our children,” Martha’s mother said before receiving bags of fresh vegetables, juice and meat that would help get them through another month.

Since 1983, the Harry Chapin Food Bank has served children and families like Martha’s—our neighbors who struggle to put food on the table.

The food bank has evolved over the years from collecting and providing canned goods and other nonperishable food to a vital

community-supported organization that serves many of our most vulnerable neighbors.

In 1994, we moved into a small Fort Myers-based warehouse and changed our name to the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida in honor of the late singer, anti-hunger advocate and friend of one of our founding members, John Poelker.

In 2008, at the start of the Great Recession, we expanded our reach even more. We moved into a 50,000-square-foot warehouse in Fort Myers, and began collecting food from farmers and retail stores to provide fresh fruits, vegetables and frozen meat. We also launched a mobile food pantry program in Collier County with the support of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. In 2012, we opened a warehouse in Naples to serve Collier County clients more directly.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank is the only food bank serving Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee

counties. Each month, we help feed about 30,000 children, seniors and other Southwest Floridians through a 150 partner-agency network that operates soup kitchens, pantries and other feeding programs.

Our clients are people you would not think struggle to put food on the table. They are our neighbors, our coworkers, the little boy in your child’s classroom and the older couple you see sitting at the bus stop outside your gated community.

n 40 percent of our clients are children.n 10 percent of our clients are seniors.n 63 percent of client households lack

consistent access to and adequate amounts of nutritious food.

WHO WE ARE

To overcome hunger in Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, Glades and Lee counties through education and by working in a cooperative effort with our affiliated agencies in the procurement and distribution of food, equitably and without discrimination.

OUR MISSION

– Harry Chapin, the late singer, hunger-relief advocate and Congressional

Gold Medal recipient

James, 54 and a laborer who lives in Collier County, also has turned to the Harry Chapin Food Bank and its partner agencies for help. “When I do get hungry, I know the kids are hungry …. I do whatever (I can) until the food bank comes through. It’s a blessing that the food bank comes here,” James said during a weekly food distribution at partner agency Grace Place for Children and Families in Golden Gate.

“To know is to care. To care is to act.

To act is to make a difference.” The Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed 18.7 million pounds

of food and other grocery items, including almost 6 million pounds of fresh produce, throughout Southwest Florida. Valued at $32 million, this food equals approximately 15.5 million meals for people in need. (Fiscal Year: July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014)

TOTAL FOOD DISTRIBUTIONAll 5 Southwest Florida Counties: Fiscal Years 2009 – 2014

9.6 millionpounds

12.5 millionpounds

15 millionpounds

16.6 millionpounds

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

18.7 millionpounds

2013-14


WHAT WE DO: FRESH PRODUCEWHAT WE DO: MOBILE PANTRY

It’s a simple fact: Children in households with limited or no access to fresh, nutritious food struggle to grow and learn.

They are more likely to become sick, miss school and fall behind. That’s why the Harry Chapin Food Bank has made such a big push to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to the youngest among us who are at risk in our community.

We acquire fresh produce through various sources including: } Local growers and packing houses } The Florida Association of Food Banks} Sister food banks in the Feeding America

network, the nation’s largest anti-hunger organization } Local retailersThe Fresh Produce Rescue program provided

children and families in Southwest Florida with almost 6 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables last fiscal year. Clients in Collier and Lee counties received 1 million and 3.8 million pounds of that produce, respectively.

HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANKFRESH PRODUCE HISTORY*

1,977,000 pounds

2,395,000 pounds

3,931,000 pounds

4,838,000 pounds

5,948,000 pounds

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

A truck pulls into the parking lot. The driver and volunteers open the truck’s rolling side doors and unpack the boxes

and bags of rice, beans, fresh corn and peppers on to tables. A few yards away, a line of 300 families stretches down the parking lot. Babies in strollers and young children standing with

their parents or grandparents wait patiently as groups of them are waved up to the truck and food. Thanks

to the support of the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), all these families will receive the food they need to help them through a few days or even longer.

A mobile pantry, one of the Harry Chapin Food Bank’s most popular, cost-efficient programs, can distribute up to 12,000 pounds of fresh, nutritious food—the equivalent of 10,000 meals—to about 300 families in underserved communities.

In Collier County, more than 63 percent of public school-age children qualify for free

or reduced lunch, making the mobile pantry program essential for the community.

NCEF, the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, recognized the need to fight childhood hunger in Collier County and generously decided to support the mobile pantry program. Each week, because of NCEF’s commitment, mobile pantries provide food to children and their families in Immokalee, Golden Gate and greater Naples. In fact, as a result of NCEF’s partnership with the Harry Chapin Food Bank over the past four years, 2.9 million meals have been distributed in Collier County.

MOBILE PANTRYFOOD DISTRIBUTION

Pounds of food provided to children and families throughout Southwest Florida

through mobile pantries last fiscal year

3.3 million

– Alejandro, kindergartner, Avalon Elementary School

The school operates a pantry for its

students and their families.

“I like vegetables because they are

healthy. It’s yummy in my tummy.”

– Bob Clifford, Chairman of the Board of Directors

of the Naples Children & Education Foundation

This partnership is indicative of NCEF‘s unique

approach, which emphasizes collaboration between

organizations and bridges public and private resources.

We’re honored to support the mobile pantry program

and help end childhood hunger in our community

once and for all.

‘‘

‘‘

5harrychapinfoodbank.org / HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK

*All 5 Southwest Florida counties


WHO ARE OUR PARTNERSWHAT WE DO: RETAIL STORE PICKUP

Some 133 billion pounds of edible food – almost one-third of America’s food –go to waste, the U.S. Department of

Agriculture estimates. Thanks to the support of area supermarkets and retailers, the Harry Chapin Food Bank saves millions of pounds of food in Southwest Florida.

Each week, the food bank collects and distributes frozen meat, dairy products, produce and nonperishable donations from Publix Super Markets, Walmart, Target, Winn-Dixie and other retailers. These contributions from 150 stores throughout Southwest Florida totaled 41 percent of all the food distributed last fiscal year.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank works with 150 Southwest Florida partner agencies that operate soup kitchens,

pantries, after-school feeding sites and other programs that feed children and families in need. Our partner-agency network helped us provide about 15.5 million meals last fiscal year. We partner with more than 25 organizations in Collier and South Lee counties.

n n n

PARTNER AGENCIES– Brian West, Publix spokesman

Feeding America told us in May of this year

that Publix exceeded the 100-million-pound mark for

the first five years of our partnership. We are very thankful for the work the Harry Chapin Food Bank

does in the community to serve those in need.

– Marjorie Kasell-Johnson, Executive Director,

Bonita Springs Assistance Office

Working-class families struggle every day to put food on the table

and often have to choose between food and paying

their light bill. More often than not, the light bill wins out. Through

our partnership with the Harry Chapin Food Bank, we help eradicate this problem by providing

nutritious meals to those that simply cannot afford to eat and pay their bills.

SOUTH LEE COUNTY} Bonita Springs Assistance Office, Inc. } Catholic Charities of Bonita Springs} Interfaith Charities of South Lee} Juan Diego Center } Liberty Youth Ranch} St. Matthew’s House} Salvation Army

‘‘‘‘

‘‘BY THE NUMBERS

– or 2.8 million meals – came from stores in Collier and South Lee counties

3.4 million pounds of that food

Total amount of food donated by grocery stores and retailers in Southwest Florida

7.6 million pounds

‘‘

COLLIER COUNTY} Amigos Center} Avalon Elementary School Pantry (North Naples United Methodist)} Bethel Assembly } Casa Maria Soup Kitchen} David Lawrence Center} Everglades Community Church} Family Resource Center/Catholic Charities} First United Methodist Church of Immokalee, Inc. } Grace Place for Children and Families} Guadalupe Social Services} Habitat for Humanity} Helps Outreach} Immokalee Multicultural Multipurpose Community} Integrity Church Naples} Jewish Family and Community Services of Southwest Florida} Mike Davis Elementary School Pantry } Mission Penial} NAMI of Collier County} New Hope Ministries} Renew First Assembly Ministries} St. Matthew’s House} St. Vincent de Paul} Tree of Life Church} Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church


HOW THE FOOD BANK WORKS

... AND IS DISTRIBUTED TO PARTNER AGENCIES...

FOODPANTRIES

SENIORPROGRAMS

CHILDREN’SFOOD PROGRAMS

HOMELESS SHELTERS

SOUPKITCHENS

RESIDENTIALPROGRAMS

AIDSPROJECTS

THE FOOD COMES FROM...

GROWERS

PRODUCERS

DISTRIBUTORS

RETAILERS

COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVES

Farmers donate fresh fruits and vegetables that do not make it grocery stores and other markets.

The food manufacturing industry donates food to Feeding America, which then distributes the food to its nationwide network of 200 food banks.

Food distributors transport donations to the food bank. Donations often are from throughout Florida, elsewhere in the country, or as far north as Canada.

Supermarkets and retail stores throughout Southwest Florida donate dairy, meat, fresh produce, bread and other food.

Businesses, community organizations, schools, churches and other supporters collect canned food and other nonperishables through food drives.

THAT PROVIDE FOOD TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED

Low-Income FamiliesSingle-Parent Families

Battered Women & ChildrenPeople Living with AIDS

Working PoorNatural Disaster Victims

Homeless

Look for us on:(239) 334-7007 | harrychapinfoodbank.org |


WHY WE GIVE: DR. WILSON AND JO ANNA BRADSHAW

Finding a cause you are passionate about is the first step in being philanthropic. Making the

decision to contribute to a nonprofit organization whose mission is one you believe in and one that supports the cause you are passionate about is the next step. The final, and probably the most important, step is identifying an organization that stays true to its mission statement while remaining ethically and fiscally responsible, and genuinely caring for those they serve. The Harry Chapin Food Bank exemplifies these values and more.

Nothing has been as rewarding as helping meet the most basic of

all human needs: providing food to those who are not always able to do so for themselves. By creating a legacy gift, we will continue to make a difference and have an impact for many years to come.

Leaving a bequest to the Harry Chapin Food Bank was an easy process. We are confident that our gift will continue to feed our neighbors in need in the future. Leaving the food bank in our will makes a statement about what we were passionate about and what we valued. Having made this decision now will give our family the insight they need to carry on our legacy of giving to the food bank.

It’s a jarring fact that Southwest Florida’s wealthiest county is also one of the areas of highest need for emergency food. In Collier

County, 26 percent of children and 13 percent of residents often do not know where their next meal will come from, according to Feeding America.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank opened a warehouse in greater Naples in 2012 to further support food distribution in Golden Gate, Immokalee and other Collier communities in need. The warehouse was pivotal to the food bank’s ability to increase food distribution by almost 21 percent last fiscal year.

Our goal is to distribute at least 3.1 million pounds of food—about 2.6 million meals—in Collier County this fiscal year. This will be possible because of the growing activity at our warehouse and because of a new refrigerated truck donated by the Naples Children & Education Foundation, founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. The truck delivers food to partner agencies and picks up donations from Collier grocers and retailers.

– Dr. Wilson Bradshaw, President, Florida Gulf Coast University, and Jo Anna Bradshaw, former Board Chair and Board Member, Harry Chapin Food Bank

WHAT WE DO: COLLIER AND SOUTH LEE COUNTIES

Number of Collier County children who often don’t know where their

next meal will come from

16,350

Number of Collier County residents who often don’t know where their

next meal will come from

42,980

BY THE NUMBERS

– Rev. Stephanie Munz Campbell, founder and executive director

of Grace Place for Children and Families in Naples, HCFB board member

I’m so impressed with the work of the food bank.

Particularly during the recession, I saw them

expand what they have to offer – especially fresh foods – and work closely

with partner agencies so each could do their

job better.

‘‘

‘‘Warehouse location:2221 Corporation Blvd., Naples, FL 34109

} 2.9 million pounds: Number of pounds distributed in Collier County in fiscal year 2014

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THE HARRY CHAPIN

FOOD BANK IN COLLIER COUNTY

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HOW YOU CAN HELP: EXPLORE HOW YOU CAN HELP: VOLUNTEER, DONATE

HOW YOU CAN HELPYou can help the

Harry Chapin Food Bank by volunteering, making a donation and learning more about how hunger touches so many children and families in Collier and Lee counties.

Scan to go to our website

Yes, I want to help feed children and families in need in our community.

Enclosed is my tax-deductible contribution of: $

q My check is enclosed. (Please make your check payable to: Harry Chapin Food Bank, 3760 Fowler St. Fort Myers, FL 33901)

q Please charge my gift to my: q Visa q MasterCard q American Express q Discover

Card Number:

Expiration Date:

Signature:

Billing Address:

Address:

City:

City:

I live there from: through:

State:

State:

Zip:

Zip:

Name as it appears on card (Please print):

CSV Code:

q Send me email updates (Please print email address. Email updates help reduce our costs):

q I am a seasonal resident. My other residence is:

If you prefer, you can donate online at harrychapinfoodbank.org

The Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The food bank’s federal tax ID is 59-2332120. A copy of the food bank’s official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state. For more information, contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs at 1-800-435-7352 or visit freshfromflorida.com.

WHY DONATE TO THE FOOD BANK

We are worthy stewards of your support. Charity Navigator, the national nonprofit watchdog organization, recognizes the Harry Chapin Food Bank as a 4-star organization. Metrics

include accountability, efficiency, transparency and cost effectiveness.

97% of each dollar donated goes to

programs

2% goes to fundraising

COST EFFECTIVENESSHow donations are used:

1% goes to administrative

costs

=

WHAT YOUR MONEY CAN DOWe can take each $1 you donate and provide $6 in food value.

HOW YOU CAN VOLUNTEER AND LEARN MORE

WHO ARE OUR VOLUNTEERS

CONTACT US TO DONATE, VOLUNTEER OR SCHEDULE A TOUR

} Host a food drive.} Sort and pack food at our Naples or Fort Myers warehouse.} Help at a mobile pantry or other off-site event.} Tour the food bank.

They are people who want to make a difference by helping feed our neighbors in need. They are people like you. In fiscal year 2013-2014:} More than 4,200 people volunteered with us.} Collectively, they provided 50,200 hours of service} That’s more than $1,132,000 in in-kind service.

Miriam PereiraDevelopment [email protected]

Tanya PhillipsVolunteer [email protected]

(239) 334-7007

PLEASE JOIN US …..NOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY, NOV. 26

} Publix Super Markets is once again supporting the Harry Chapin Food Bank through the “Food for Sharing” food drive. Publix customers can help the food bank and ensure that our neighbors in need receive food for the holiday by purchasing a bag of food at any Publix in Southwest Florida. Ask for more details at your local Publix.

SATURDAY, JAN. 17, 2015} 7th Annual WINK News Feeds Families Hunger Walk at 9:30 a.m. Miromar Outlets, 10801 Corkscrew Road, in Estero. Get your company, club and community involved. Become one of our dedicated sponsors or form a team and register today at harrychapinfoodbank.org. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.

SATURDAY, JAN. 24, 2015} Empty Bowls: Naples is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cambier Park on Park Street in downtown Naples. Donate $15 for a handcrafted bowl filled with delicious soup and a side of bread from local restaurants. Visit emptybowlsnaples.org for more details.

EMPTY BOWLS

WINK NEWS FEEDS FAMILIES HUNGER WALK


LETTER FROM BOB AIKEN: PRESIDENT & CEO, FEEDING AMERICA

14 HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK / harrychapinfoodbank.org

In the “land of plenty,” it’s hard to believe that there are so many of our neighbors who are struggling with hunger. They are our friends, co-workers and even family. They live in the suburbs and in

urban areas. And they look like you and me.Hunger is a serious problem in America.At Feeding America and our network of food banks – such as the

Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida – we are working to help solve hunger and help to make sure that the 49 million people (including 16 million children) in America who are food insecure have the food they need.

We do that by providing food for families in need, operating programs and services that help improve food security in the communities they serve, advocating for policies that protect food-insecure

people, and educating the public about the problem of hunger.And together we provide food to more than 37 million people each

year, but we know that the need is greater. To give you some idea of what we are up against, Feeding America provided 3.2 billion meals for families facing hunger.

However, in order for every person in the United States to have three meals a day, every day for one year, it would take an additional

8.5 billion meals – far more than the Feeding America network is currently able to provide.

But to make an impact on hunger and close that gap between the number of meals we provide, and the number of meals needed by families facing hunger, we will have to take a more holistic approach to solving hunger.

We need to be able to feed people today and improve their chance of having a more food-secure tomorrow. We’ll have to work together – individuals, corporations, charities and government – to make sure our families have the food they need to thrive.

It is these people and partners who make our work possible. We need them to help us solve hunger in local communities and across the nation, and we need you.

Working together, we can solve hunger. Join us and help us make the number of people facing hunger in America zero.

Sincerely,

THANK YOU

BOB AIKEN

AL BRISLAINPresident & CEO

NOELLE MELANSONBoard Chair

MARIANNE PICCIRILLICollier County Outreach Manager

BOB AIKENPresident & CEO

For many, it’s hard to imagine there actually is hunger in Southwest Florida. Sunshine…. Beaches…. Boating…. We call it paradise, and for many of us that is not far from the truth.

Unfortunately, we have neighbors who are elderly, disabled or barely eking by on a part-time job, especially during the off-season.

Many of the clients we serve in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and other Southwest Florida communities are living on fixed incomes or fighting to stay afloat after their savings were drained during the recession. They are making difficult choices:

n The child who looks forward to returning to school on Monday because she knows she will get a nutritious breakfast and lunch

n The disabled father having to swallow his pride and ask for food so his kids can eat

n The many families who found out one or two “life events” such as illness or loss of employment could result in a rapid downturn of their circumstances

n The senior forced to decide between going without a healthy diet or cutting back on essential medications

n The family facing a Thanksgiving without hope or joy because a turkey and trimmings are a luxury they can’t afford

Can you imagine how a child, a senior, or a parent could, through no fault of her own, find herself in need of help? Can you imagine that it is possible to play by the rules and still find yourself and your family unable to pay your rent and feed your children?

Now...Imagine a mother serving dinner, not worried that the fresh vegetables on her young son’s plate mean she can’t afford to pay the rent. Picture a little girl in school eagerly learning to read, write and count because her belly is full. Envision two little boys joyously smiling because their family gets to have Thanksgiving...

You can turn this imagination into reality. With your support, we can make real progress toward creating a hunger-free community this holiday season and all year. The food is available. We have the expertise. And we live in a community that cares enough to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need.

Sincerely,

Noelle Melanson, Board Chair Al Brislain, President & CEO Marianne Piccirilli, Collier County Outreach Manager

“Imagine there’s no hunger” – John Lennon

Harry Chapin Food Bank Board of Directors

Noelle Melanson Board ChairRay Pavelka

Board Vice ChairCraig Folk Treasurer

Kristina Rodriguez Board Secretary

Dr. Brian N. SchwartzJan-Erik Hustrulid

Rabbi Jeremy BarrasJohn Belisle

William M. “Bill” DillonDavid Fry

Maura MatzkoRev. Stephanie Munz Campbell

Bianca RossP. Keith Scoggins

Kenneth (Ken) O’DonnellAnne Rose

Harry Chapin Food Bank Collier County Advisory Committee

William M. “Bill” DillonDr. Thomas Felke

Yale FreemanTom JacksonNichole Jayne

Gordon MaltempoJoe Manhart

Noelle MelansonAl Moscato

Rev. Stephanie Munz CampbellMarianne PiccirilliP. Keith ScogginsCarolyn Tieger

Jaime WeisingerTeresa Weyer

Tom Whitecotton A member of

Partner Agency

16 HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK / harrychapinfoodbank.org

for all you do to help feed children and families in need.

To our supporters in Collier and South Lee counties,

THANK YOU

These names were published with the permission of the donor. Donations were for fiscal year 2013-2014. For privacy purposes, no individual donors are included. We apologize if any of our valued supporters were inadvertently omitted from this list.

ArthrexBank of AmericaBarron Collier FoundationBay Colony Golf ClubBond, Schoeneck & King, PLLCBreckenridge Golf & Tennis ClubBuchanan Ingersoll & Rooney/ Fowler White Boggs C&B FarmsChapel of Cypress CoveCollier County Bar FoundationColonial Country Club of Lee County Master AssociationCopham Family FoundationCopperleaf Charitable FundDeVoe Automotive GroupDryZoneDuane Hobby FarmsEverglades Farm EquipmentFarm CreditFlorida Gulf Coast UniversityGeneral Federation of Women’s Clubs Naples Women’s ClubGulf Citrus GrowersGulf Harbour Memorial FoundationHealth Management AssociatesHorizon Business ServicesItalian American Society of Marco IslandJamerson FarmsLadies Philoptochos SocietyLee Memorial Health SystemLipman Produce, Inc. Maddox ConstructionMarco Island Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa

Miromar OutletsMoorings Presbyterian ChurchMorgan StanleyNaples Children & Education FoundationNaples United Church of ChristNorth Naples United Methodist Church MissionsNorthern TrustPublix Super MarketsPringle Lane FarmsRichard M. Schulze Family FoundationRock Solid Sanibel Captiva TrustSlab 2 ShinglesSt. John’s Episcopal ChurchStantecStar Farms, Inc.Tamiami Ford TargetTemple Beth ElTemple ShalomThe Ethel & W. George Kennedy Family Foundation, Inc. The League Club, Inc.The Martin FoundationTGI Friday’sTroyer Brothers, Inc.United Church of MarcoUnited Way of Collier CountyUnited Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee CountiesVanderbilt Presbyterian ChurchWCI CommunitiesWINK News Feeds FamiliesWine Tasters of NaplesWinn-DixieWells Fargo

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hcfb ndn - november 2014

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distribution of food

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