the children's hunger project news oct 2015
DESCRIPTION
Each week on Friday, The Children's Hunger Project helps as many needy elementary school kids as possible to carry food home in their backpack. This kid-friendly food is easy for kids to handle since no cooking is required. On Monday, the kids return to school with a better and healthier foundation for learning.TRANSCRIPT
Youthful volunteers at a recent food packing event demonstrate
you're never too young (or old) to help prevent weekend hunger
To restore hope and to nurture the minds and hearts of hungry children in Brevard County by providing them with
food assistance in a dignified and respectful manner,
thus giving them a reason to believe
What if everybody in North
Brevard joined together for 40
days with one purpose?
Through October 31
MORE>>
GFWC Viera Woman’s Club
Par-Tee and Golf Tournament to
benefit our charity.
October 23 and 24
MORE>>
Satellite Beach Founder’s Day
and Marketplace.
November 7
MORE>>
BMTA Musicthon at the Merritt
Square Mall supports our kids
December 5
MORE>>
Save the Date!
April 23rd, 2016
MORE>>
Management Team 2
Hunger Summit 3
Volunteer News 4
Volunteer Angels 5
Recent Events 6-9
Golf Tournament 10
1855 W. King Street · Cocoa, FL 32926 · 321-610-1900
[email protected] · www.thechildrenshungerproject.org
October 2015 · Issue 1
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one”
Mother Teresa
Because of you, fewer kids in our own
back yard are going hungry on weekends!
Cynthia retired after 37 years as Lead Project Manager -
Network Services Division with AT&T. She then embarked on her second career - volunteering in South Florida with several non-profits assisting military service members and
their families. Relocation to Melbourne two years ago prompted her to
seek work with a non-profit that closely aligned with her passion to help those in
need. Startled upon learning of the child hunger problem in Brevard County, she was
instantly drawn to The Children’s Hunger Project as a volunteer and now as Office Manager. Cynthia comes from a family of educators, and is a grandmother to five school age children. She understands the challenges of keeping children
educationally motivated and realizes nutrition plays a vital role.
Executive Director … Robert Barnes
Director of Operations … Alice Healey
Office Manager … Cynthia Thompson
Sherry Burklew
Alice, a Central Florida native, comes to the charity with a
strong background in business management, and is active with Brevard County charities.
Ms. Healey serves on the boards of three local charities. She was a 2012 Volunteer of the Year, a nominee for the “Women in Excellence Award” through the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, and has worked with the Police
Foundation of Melbourne, as well as Junior Achievement. Alice works with executive director Bob Barnes in all aspects of the charity. Of
particular emphasis is her connection with Brevard Public Schools to provide packages of food each Friday to children who are undernourished.
CYNTHIA THOMPSON OFFICE MANAGER
ALICE C. HEALEY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Because of you, fewer kids in our own
back yard are going hungry on weekends!
Bob spent his four-year Air Force tour with Armed Forces
Radio and Television. Following his honorable discharge,
his multifaceted career encompassed becoming a radio announcer, an advertising representative, and manager and
owner of radio stations in California, Ohio, and Tampa, Florida. Mr. Barnes “tried to retire” in 2001 but it didn’t work out.
Rather than stay retired, Bob heeded the words of Mother Teresa,
"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one". Bob realized that providing nutrition to kids who are hungry and undernourished
in Brevard County is a passion of his. He brings his skills in marketing, promotion, business development, and community service. Mr. Barnes is one of the founders and Executive Director of The Children's Hunger Project.
BOB BARNES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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WEBSITE MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY
PROUDLY DONATED BY SITES BY SEQUOIA
Web Development And Marketing For The Space Coast
Delores Spearman
Karen Montas
Larry Ciaccia
Malak Hammad
Samuel Jordan
Andy Anderson
Christine Canavan
David Cohen
Javier Molinares
Jean-Yves Clerc
Jeff Salter
Lorraine Jones
Phyillis Rhinehart
Richard Charbonneau
Robert Johnson
Sarah Anthony
Sean Phelan
Stephanie Haridopolos
Stephen Lacey
We could not succeed without the support of the religious community. It is for that reason that we invite
religious leaders to the annual Child Hunger Summit. When a congregation hears their religious leader tell
them that there are children going hungry in their own back yard, it impacts them deeply. A powerful group of
knowledgeable speakers provided a fast-paced explanation of the hunger and malnutrition problem that exists
among children in Brevard, as well as the devastating results from a scholastic standpoint.
We deeply appreciate the support of the religious community, Panera Bread, Project Hunger, United Way of Brevard, FLORIDA TODAY and Hometown News
Hunger Summit photographs courtesy of Cathy Heinz Photography
Participants learned that many kids in North
Brevard do not eat regularly. Children are
on a waiting list for food to get them
through weekends. Bob Barnes, founder and
executive director of The Children’s Hunger
Project, said that 48,234 packages of food
were delivered during the 2014-2015 school
year. This program “allows us peace of mind,”
said Barbara Martin, the assistant principal at
Riverview School in Titusville. “This project
has brought the community together. It’s not a
hand-out. It’s a hand up.”
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Want to make an impact on hunger in Brevard?
We need people with good office skills to volunteer at our office in Cocoa. Research, typing and follow up phone calls are
time-consuming, but critical, aspects of our charity. Click to learn more.
You can be a valuable asset to our kids. Contact us
IF YOU HAVE A BACKGROUND OR EXPERIENCE IN WRITING GRANTS, PLEASE JOIN
OUR TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS AND GUIDE US IN GRANT SOLICITATION AND WRITING.
ARE YOU A BUSINESS OWNER OR MANAGER? CAN YOU LOAN US ONE OF YOUR
OFFICE STAFF FOR FOUR HOURS WEEKLY ON A REGULAR TIME AND DAY EACH
WEEK FOR A YEAR?
HELP NEEDED (STRONG PEOPLE) LOADING OUR TRUCK WITH FOOD ON TUESDAYS
RESERVE YOUR SPOT AT A PACKING EVENT PLEASE EMAIL [email protected]
FOR AVAILABLE PACKING DATE OPENINGS
Because of you, fewer kids in our own
back yard are going hungry on weekends!
48,234 packages of food were delivered during the 2014-15
school year to local elementary schools, so when kids in
need left school on Fridays, they had some measure of
nutrition for the weekend. This exceeded our previous
year’s record by more than 10,000 packages. The food
packages empower children to feed themselves, no matter
the family circumstances.
According to executive director Bob Barnes, “The total
represents the financial generosity of the community combined
with the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who are always ready
to do the work needed to help our local kids. Our partnership
with United Way and Project Hunger, plus the ongoing delivery
support of the Central Brevard Sharing Center, enables us to
address the growing and critical problem of Brevard’s kids being hungry and undernourished.”
Brevard County educators are especially appreciative of food packages that are provided by The Children’s Hunger
Project. When kids come to school hungry, the jobs of teachers are much more difficult. Poor nutrition leads to a
weaker immune system, difficulty in learning and paying attention in class. Under-nourished kids are sick more often
and have lower academic achievement.
Volunteer Tim Brown supporting our kids
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My name is Lynne Hunter, I’m the coordinator of the wonderful people who volunteer time
to deliver packaged food to schools throughout Brevard County each week.
My husband and I are both long time Florida residents and moved to Indialantic in 1999.
We’ve been married for forty six years, and have two children. We have traveled to so
many wonderful places in the last 10 years but our new adventure keeps us closer to home.
Our son and daughter each had a baby girl - our first grandchildren - during the past year
so we are experiencing new grandparent joy!
With a degree in elementary education from the University of Florida I’ve taught in both
Miami and here in Brevard County. I spent about 7 years here working as a substitute
teacher. I enjoyed being able to work with the children without all the other burdens that
teachers deal with every day. I am keenly aware of how what happens in the home has a
great influence on what happens in the classroom. The children who come to school in the morning from a home with a
nurturing environment have a positive attitude, ready to meet new challenges. A child who is hungry or tired or worried
is at a disadvantage before the first bell rings on Monday morning. When I first heard of The Children’s Hunger Project, I
knew I’d found a way that I could continue to help children in a truly meaningful manner. I’ve seen the effect hunger has
on children's lives and am proud to be involved with an organization that provides such a vital service.
My name is Paula Dawson and I have volunteered with The Children’s Hunger Project for
over a year. Born in Pennsylvania, I lived in New York and Ohio, and graduated from Kent
State University. My husband Dick and I have been married for 52 years and have three
wonderful children and three granddaughters.
My first career was as an elementary school teacher for 13 years. My second and final career
was in the restaurant industry, in which I spent 15 years with Olive Garden Restaurants help-
ing them grow from one restaurant into a major corporation. I retired in 2001 as the Senior
Vice President of Operations in charge of 103 restaurants.
I have spent the last 13 years traveling, entertaining and cooking for family and friends. I love
spending time with my family, especially my three beautiful granddaughters.
I knew I wanted to get involved in something worthwhile. Given my background in schools and food, The Children's Hunger
Project was a great fit! I volunteer two days a week, helping in the office, doing everything from writing thank you letters to
our donors, to inventory. I served as Chairman of the Prize Procurement Committee for our first golf tournament and look
forward to beginning work on the second annual tournament in the Spring of 2016. I love being able to help children, and
making an impact in my own back yard. The Children’s Hunger Project is a wonderful organization!
Lynne Hunter
Food Delivery Coordinator
Paula Dawson Office Volunteer
The commitment and dedication of our volunteers are critical to our kids
and our everyday operations.
In this month’s issue we are featuring Lynne Hunter and Paula Dawson.
Lynne is responsible for staffing and communication with our volunteer
school delivery drivers. Paula is Cynthia’s go-to person for office help and
she cheerfully accepts all tasks from letter writing to making phone calls.
Lynne and Paula are both familiar faces at many of our special events, helping
with setup, breakdown and through sharing our story with the public. We are blessed to
have these volunteer angels as part of our organization.
Because of you, fewer kids in our own
back yard are going hungry on weekends!
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Volunteer Leader:
Sharon from Oklahoma
Volunteer young adults:
Grace from Ohio
Abby from Florida
Adrienne from Georgia
Kaitlin from Louisiana
Briggs from Louisiana
Noah from Oklahoma
The Catholic HEART Work Camp volunteers, sponsored by Melbourne Catholic High School,
arrived early one day in July to clean our entire building, including the windows (there are a lot
of windows). They also assembled shelving that they donated! Thank you for all your hard work.
The Salon Professional Academy declared War on Hunger partnering with The Children’s Hunger Project to
help feed local children at risk of hunger. During September and culminating on the 27th, the Academy had
special fundraising efforts. Said owner Kristen Kohl, “For $150 you can sponsor a child and make sure they get
a package of food each weekend during the entire school year.”
Did your get your selfie with an orange thumbie? We’d love to add your photo to our Facebook page. All proceeds
from The Salon Professional Academy’s War on Hunger go directly to food for elementary school kids supported by
The Children’s Hunger Project.
Because of you, fewer kids in our own
back yard are going hungry on weekends!
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Members of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office helped pack food for our kids. Thanks to everyone who participated.
The Children's Hunger Project is a 501(c)(3)
tax exempt nonprofit charity. We seek and welcome corporate and individual donations that will enable us to
feed hungry children on weekends.
Opportunities to make a difference during Breast Cancer Awareness month:
PANERA BREAD IS GOING PINK October 9th.
Pre-order your Pink Ribbon bagels. Click for details
American Cancer Society's Making Strides
Against Breast Cancer Walk October 24th. Learn more
In addition to raising awareness of the plight of our kids during the
Brevard Women’s Expo, a part of the proceeds from this excellent
event benefits our charity. The impressive entertainment agenda
included painting classes with Art More Place. Those who enrolled
in the classes explored their creative side and contributed to The
Children's Hunger Project.
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Every Thursday, Rachelle and Fran Litzenberg can be found volunteering at a two hour food packing event for The
Children’s Hunger Project with their son, Samuel. “I like that this cause serves people in the local area, children in this
area,” said Samuel Litzenberg, 12.
“When you are a child and you are hungry, there isn’t a darn thing you can about it,” said
Fran Litzenberg.
“We’ve seen other children at these events who had never even considered that there could
be a hungry child in their own school or neighborhood.”
Samuel has been so inspired by the experience that he is trying to raise awareness
among his peers about the local child hunger problem. He even shared information
about our charity with his Boy Scout troop. “It is important for children to understand
that other people don’t have what they have. That’s a lesson this volunteer opportunity teaches,” said Rachelle Litzenberg.
Click here to read more of the FLORIDA TODAY story
Click here to see what
others are doing to help
our kids. Share this
newsletter and our story
with others.
Addison Gaffney has a big heart. She asked those that were coming to her 9th birthday party to bring
food for our kids instead of gifts for her. How wonderful if we all could think that way.
In a recent FLORIDA TODAY story by Sara Paulson, Addison outlined how she feels about helping
others. “I like helping people more than I like getting stuff. I like making people happy.”
Addison learned about our efforts to feed hungry children from her mom and dad—Kristin and Adam
Gaffney, who are involved with many causes in the community. Kristin is aware that Addison’s friends
are excited about what she has done and some may do the same. “I hope that’s what it does,” said Kristin. “We’re all about
paying it forward. I’m so proud of her that she wants to do stuff like this, and that she’s excited to help others.”
“What’s really neat is she’s recognizing now at school, there are three people in her class that got the donations this week, so it kind of hit home,” Adam said. In a few weeks, the entire Gaffney family will participate in a packing event at the Bruce Nelson
Child Hunger Center. The will experience the full scope of what we are doing. Addison has provided inspiration to all of
those who recognize that many Brevard County children are undernourished and coming to school hungry on Monday
mornings.
Click here for a list of our food items. Click here for the full FLORIDA TODAY story
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Because of you, fewer kids in our own
back yard are going hungry on weekends!
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Because of you, fewer kids in our own
back yard are going hungry on weekends!
Our packing facility was humming recently as dozens of Brevard Public Schools employees joined
new School Superintendent Desmond Blackburn in packing food for our weekend backpack program.
Click here to view the album on Facebook, and be sure to like our page.
The Children's Hunger Project is a
non-profit charity providing packages of
weekend food for kids who teachers know are
coming to school hungry
on Monday mornings.
Schools provide a free breakfast and a healthy lunch. But
many children who are eligible for a free lunch at school
go hungry on weekends.
$150 a year (or $12.50 monthly) provides a weekend food
package for one child during the
entire school year.
Shop in any Staples store or
online. Simply give them our
phone number 321-610-1900
and we earn Rewards points.
5% of your purchase will be
credited to us.
Sign in at AmazonSmile.com and Amazon will donate .5% of the price of eligible purchases to The Children's Hunger Project when you shop Amazon.
Bookmark the link and support our kids every time you shop at Amazon.
Our inaugural golf tournament was a complete success! Join us at our second tournament on
April 23, 2016. Sponsors are being sought. Email [email protected] for details To see photos of last year’s tournament, click here
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