It is cold and snowy in most of Idaho, but things are already heating up at the Foodbank. Take a look at our upcoming events and our calendar. You might see something you could help us with. We would certainly appreciate it.
This is the January edition of Idaho Foodbytes, The Idaho Foodbank's electronic newsletter, Volume VII, Number 1.
-- David Proctor
January Contents
1. CBS 2 Food Drive Will Run February 11 - March 16
2. Lewiston Landscape: Foodbank Loses a True Friend and Partner
3. Canstruction® Will Be Back at the Mall in March
4. Pocatello Perspective: Sportsmen Hunt Up $7,000 in Three Events
5. Centennial Sets Record with Winter Food Drive
6. Mayors' Survey Finds Hunger and Homelessness Up Again
7. Children in Food-Insecure Homes at Risk for Developmental Problems
8. Free Cookbook Can Help Feed Idahoans
9. Letter to the Foodbank: Please Help My Family
10. Feinstein Announces 11th Annual $1 Million Giveaway
11. Gallery of Giving: Regence BlueShield of Idaho
12. Gallery of Giving II: Gem State Disc Golfers
13. Facts of the Month: Hungry Children
14. Quote of the Month: Sitting Bull
15. The Foodbank's 2008 Calendar
If you would like to donate in Jeri's name, just use this link...
Second Annual
We are happy to announce that CBS 2 will once again partner with The Idaho Foodbank in order to provide food and nourishment to hungry Idahoans. Last year, thanks to tremendous community support, the first CBS 2 drive collected a total of 28,863 pounds.
This year, the CBS 2 Food Drive will be held Feb. 11 – March 16. All of us in the Treasure Valley will be able to donate non-perishable food items and/or cash at area Banner Bank branches, Bronco Motors, Treasure Valley YMCAs and any Idaho Youth Ranch location.
On Friday, Feb. 29, CBS 2 will hold a day-long Drive, Drop and Donate event in the CBS 2 parking lot located at 140 N. 16th in Boise, easily accessible for people who live, work and play downtown.
"The Drive, Drop and Donate event is such an easy way for citizens of this community to be proactive in keeping the Foodbank stocked. Here at CBS 2 we feel very fortunate that we’re able to provide an opportunity to help fight against hunger," said Bob Thomas, KBCI-TV Vice President and General Manager.
On Saturday, Feb. 23, CBS 2 will sponsor a night with the Idaho Stampede during the game with the Anaheim Arsenal. Stampede fans will be able to donate either two cans of food or two dollars and receive a companion ticket with the purchase of a ticket.
This is an especially important food drive because it comes after the holidays when food supplies are down. We are most grateful to the staff and management at CBS 2 for their compassion and dedication.
Lewiston Landscape 
Foodbank Loses a True Friend and Partner
The Idaho Foodbank lost a very special friend and an important partner last year, but Jeri Daggett managed to touch us all with one last donation that none of us will forget.
Jeri, who managed the New Hope Food Bank in Clarkston, Wash., died unexpectedly on April 11. Without her, New Hope couldn’t continue and closed its doors. The New Hope board of directors contacted us in Lewiston and offered to donate all their remaining funds, which they estimated would be about $2,000. It was something Jeri would want, the board members agreed.
On Jan. 23, Jeri's husband Ervin, who worked side by side with Jeri, and Board President Shirlene Hodges presented Chuck Whitman, the Foodbank’s Director of Northern Idaho Services, with a check for $4,736 to help support our Lewiston facility's Mobile Pantry system.
The donation was especially important to Chuck, who had become close friends with Jeri and Ervin through the Foodbank and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
"It's hard to thank someone who gives you such a gift from the heart, especially when you too are involved," said Chuck. "Jeri and Ervin were one of those couples that, if you are very lucky, you might get to know once in a lifetime. They are noted for being probably the most giving and involved people in the valley area. They went without so others could have. I miss Jeri on a personal level, not only her smile and hugs, but I miss her example of what giving and involvement really mean."
The Lewiston Mobile Pantry currently serves four counties and 400 families per month, and it's still growing.
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Canstruction®, the design and construction industry’s exciting three-dimensional food drive, will be back at the Boise Towne Square mall in March. This food drive, now in its second year, is something that must be seen to be believed. More to the point, it is a food drive you will want to see. How about a Yellow Submarine (above left) or an Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors (above right) – all made from hundreds and hundreds of cans of food? Those are just a few of the winning ideas from last year's national competition. What will happen in Boise, when a group of construction experts mix imagination, skill and lots and lots of cans, is anyone’s guess. Which is exactly what will make this event so much fun. The planning results of all this work will all be on display in Boise at the Towne Square mall from March 8-15, and you will be able to vote for your favorite structure with cans of food. Be sure and check the calendar below for all the deadline dates. When it's all over, all the cans come to the Foodbank for distribution to hungry Idaho families. Talk about win-win. Canstruction® is an international community service project of the design and construction industry. Since its inception, 10,000,000 pounds of food have been donated to aid in the fight against hunger. More than 100 Canstruction® competitions are scheduled across the country in 2007-2008. This one will be the second for the Boise chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction, whose members have already been working for months to make this work. We can’t wait! For information, contact the NAWIC Boise Chapter #245, PO Box 8451, Boise, ID 83707-8451 or at this link.. |
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Pocatello Perspective
Sportsman’s Warehouse kicked off its month-long food drive competition on Nov. 12 with a two-hour live broadcast on KUPI radio. The prizes included $1,000 shopping spree in each store, and the store with the fewest collections also gave a $500 shopping spree to the entrants of the winning store. Best of all, the losing store was to treat the winning store employees to a dinner at Texas Roadhouse. The competition was fierce, especially on the last day when the store managers began to call in favors. Rules were simple: For every five pounds of food or $5 customers were given a chance to win the shopping sprees, and for a limited time with each donation customers received a $10 gift card to Sportsman. Pocatello, the newest store in the Sportsman’s group – open less than a year – won the contest, but really, everybody won. Collections at both stores resulted in $3,736.00 in cash and pledges and 2,720 pounds of much needed food. The event ended with another two hours on KUPI radio. Sportsman’s Expo On Jan. 12, Bish’s RV Center in Pocatello and Western Sportsman Magazine generously sponsored an indoor Sportsman’s Expo and a raffle fundraiser for Foodbank. Representatives from most wildlife federations were on hand as well as several vendors of sporting equipment. During the January 12 event there were hunting and fishing demonstrations and even a zoo animal touch and feel. Raffle prizes included a rifle, shotgun, bow and federation memberships. More than 300 people attended the event and together they raised $1,390.00 for the Foodbank. A thank-you to Dave Langston of Western Sportsman who put this together and to Bish’s RV Center for the indoor Expo Hall. Sportsmen Against Hunger The fun and games moved back to the Sportsman’s Warehouse on Jan. 8, where a Foodbank fundraiser was disguised as a poker game. The result was a $2,200 donation, enough to pay the shipping and handling costs to acquire $22,000 worth of food. The "poker players" had to collect 11 stamps by visiting that many hunting, fishing and outdoor booths sponsored by wildlife groups and Idaho Fish and Game. With those stamps, players could buy into the game for $10 (one hand) or $20 (three hands). The people who drew the best cards took the "pot." In this case the winners were J.D. Johnston, who walked out with a Benelli Nova shotgun worth $300, and Charles Bray, who won a $75 GPS system. "Sportsmen don’t always get a good rap, sometimes not even in the press," Sportsman’s Warehouse manager Roger Berends told the Idaho State Journal. "This shows we're human, and we care about our community." The store will definitely do it again next year, he said. Our thanks to everyone involved in these great events. Collectively they totaled $7,236 and 2,720 pounds of food, which means these efforts will mean a great deal to hundreds of Idaho families. For more information about our Pocatello facility, here is a direct link... |
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(Right) Jared Hessing enjoys his chance to move food to a collection point. Centennial High School's Student Council set a first-class example this winter of how to build partnerships that benefit all parties. And how to generate parties – the pizza and cookie variety. The result was a record-setting canned food drive and a good time had by all. The Meridian school's Council went all out for this year’s annual drive. Centennial students heard public address announcements, saw posters and saw Council members who paid classroom visits to generate excitement. Every day during fourth period, students took their canned food to collection points on the school’s two floors. Council members weighed it, sorted it and announced which class had donated the most that day. Some classes issued challenges, and a few teachers even offered extra credit if students brought in a minimum amount of food. At the end of the two-week drive, the fourth period class that brought in the most food earned a pizza party. Second and third place classes got cookie parties. The result was an excellent 14,750 pounds of food for hungry Idaho families. This is just one example of the more than 400 holiday food drives that occurred across the state. We are grateful to every one of them, small or large. At Centennial, thanks to the students, faculty and administration who helped this year. You did a fantastic job. And special thanks to the Student Council's Canned Food Drive Committee: Chair Brooke Millward and members Lauren Stanger, Josh Steineckert, Matt Hickerson, Jaclyn Coleman and Michaela Bateman. See you next year. Food drives don't have to be big or complicated. Here are a few hints on how to hold your own... |
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In Major Cities The number of people hungry and homeless increased in four of every five large cities surveyed in the annual US Conference of Mayors’ Hunger and Homelessness Survey. The 23-city survey, released in late December, found requests for emergency food were up 10% and in some cities were much higher. Thirteen of 19 survey cities reported they could not meet the demand for emergency food. In Los Angeles, over 30% of the pantries supplied by the LA Regional Foodbank had to turn clients away. In Detroit, emergency food requests shot up 35% over the 12-month period ending in October, and some emergency food assistance facilities have had to reduce their hours of operation "due to lack of resources." Across all cities surveyed, an average of 15% of families with children looking for emergency food had to be turned away. Nine in 10 of the cities sampled say they expect increases in food requests next year. Food pantries are tasked to serve more clients with the same amount of resources they had six years ago, said an official in Los Angeles. "Twenty-one percent of overall demand for emergency food assistance goes unmet." Economic issues such as unemployment and poverty along with high housing and medical costs were cited most often by responding cities as the major causes of chronic hunger. Next on the list were the foreclosure crisis, the high prices of food and gasoline and the lack of affordable housing. Decreased social benefits such as public assistance and the eroding value of food stamps were also listed as particularly acute problems. Lack of donated food and commodities and insufficient funding were listed as the most important reason for turning away the hungry. |
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Free Cookbook Can Help Feed Idahoans Barilla, the maker of Italian pastas and sauces, has joined The Idaho Foodbank and America’s Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network for the second year in a row in the fight against hunger with The Celebrity Italian Table cookbook. Beginning in February, Barilla will allow the public the opportunity to download The Celebrity Italian Table cookbook from their website, free of charge. For every download, Barilla will donate $1 to America's Second Harvest or The Idaho Foodbank up to $100,000. You may have seen actress Marisa Tomei promote the cookbook on the Today show this week. With the help of renowned Chef Mario Batali and home-entertaining expert David Tutera, Barilla has developed six three-course meals inspired by celebrities such as Tomei, Debra Messing, Stanley Tucci, Chris Daughtry and Natalie Portman. |
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Children in Food-Insecure Homes at Risk for Developmental Problems Authors of a new study investigating the link between hunger and development found that federal food programs like WIC and the Food Stamp Program are effective ways to ensure that children in food-insecure homes avoid health, development and behavior problems. For a more detailed article on this study, just use this link... |
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Letter to the Foodbank Please help. My daughter and her family struggle just to scrape up enough for rent, let alone be able to buy food. Her husband works long hours and he was just informed that because of a missing certificate his pay will be reduced significantly until the dispute is resolved. His wages support a family of five. I am in California so my help is limited, though I did pay the car payment and the rent last month. In 2000, my oldest granddaughter had open-heart surgery at 3 months of age. In April of 2001 my daughter was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare neurological cancer. Then my granddaughter had to be rushed to Salt Lake for a pacemaker because Boise does not have the facilities to perform the procedure. Because of these health issues my daughter was fired from her job at a local hospital because she missed so much work. The children have no health insurance because their income is over 300.00 a month and he is not eligible for insurance until he has been employed for a year which will not be until April. The medical expenses have strapped everyone. They don’t ask for anything but I am asking for your help. They could use some food to hold them over for the holidays. Can you help them please? Desperate Grandmother Carla Bridgedale |
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Feinstein Announces 11th Annual $1 Million Giveaway
There is much more information at the Feinstein web site, right here… |
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Another way to give is to use the Foodbank's virtual food drive. Just click here for a look... |
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In Idaho during the years 2003-2005, there were 79,000 children – 21.24% – who were food insecure, or unsure of their food supply. These are the most recent statistics available, and they rank Idaho as the sixth worst state in the nation for childhood hunger. Source: America’s Second Harvest – The Nation's Food Bank Network |
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Care to lend a hand in the battle against hunger? Here's the link to our volunteer page... |  |
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February 9 - Start of Feeding the 5,000 Families annual drive in Pocatello. Theme this year: "I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food." Opening event is Community of Faith Concert at Central Christian Church, 7 p.m. Your time and skills are like gold to us. Please volunteer now. Click here for information... |
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Thank You! The Idaho Foodbank is a network of 200 non-profit agencies statewide, is an affiliate of America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network and is proud to be supported by several United Ways in Idaho. For the second consecutive year we have been awarded the coveted four-star rating by Charity Navigator and judged to be the most efficient non-profit organization in Idaho. That means your donations go further at the Foodbank than at any other non-profit in Idaho. Please consider helping us feed hungry Idahoans by donating online today. You can use the handy form at the bottom to forward this edition of Idaho Foodbytes to any of your friends who want more information about hunger and poverty in Idaho, want to know more about the Foodbank or would enjoy photos of recent Foodbank events. To see our past newsletters and get much more information about who we are and what we do, check our award-winning web site: http://www.idahofoodbank.org (First place, Idaho Press Club 2005). You are also welcome to stop by our three warehouses: Boise, 3562 S. TK Avenue; Lewiston, 3600 E. Main; and Pocatello, 919 S. 2nd Avenue. If you would like to receive our free print newsletter, Food for Thought, email Shellie Harvath at sdharvath@idahofoodbank.org . Your e-mail address will be used only by The Idaho Foodbank. It will not be sold or loaned to any other organization. This link will take you to our secure donation page... |
Thank you for supporting The Idaho Foodbank in the fight against hunger. Your donations of time, food and cash meant that with the help of more than 200 partner agencies your Foodbank could distribute 4.8 million pounds of badly needed food to Idaho families in 2006 and 60 million pounds since 1984.
Sincerely,
The Team at The Idaho Foodbank
