Community Food Bank of San Benito County

Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

staff — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:54:30 +0000

A letter from Mary Anne Hughes, Executive Director:

Dear Friends:

While we are all making our plans for Mother’s Day, I’d just like to remind everyone of their chance to make a big difference for people in need on the day before.

Saturday, May 11th is the day for the 21st annual Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Letter carriers walk through the community every day, coming face to face with a sad reality for too many; hunger. Taking part in the food drive is easy. Your letter carrier will pick up your donations when they deliver your mail. All you have to do is leave non-perishable food items at your mailbox, and the letter carriers will do the rest. Best of all, the food collected will go directly to food pantries right here in San Benito County, helping our friends and neighbors in need. And the donations couldn’t come at a better time.

By springtime, our local food bank, like others are depleted following the harsh winter months and school assistance programs are not available for children. When we were growing up, Mom always told us to “eat!” Sadly, in these hard economic times, that is not always possible for everyone. Please help us and leave non-perishable food donations by your mailbox on Saturday, May 11th for the Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Mom would be proud and those in need will be very grateful.

Sincerely,
Mary Anne Hughes
Executive Director
Community Food Bank of SBC
Hollister CA 95023

BIRTH OF THE FOOD DRIVE

The NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is the outgrowth of a tradition of community service exhibited by members of the NALC over the last 124 years. Carriers who go into neighborhoods in every town six days a week, have always been involved when something needed to be done. Whether it was collecting funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), watching over the elderly through the Carrier Alert Program, assisting victims of natural disasters, or rescuing victims of fires, crime, and other mishaps, letter carriers are the eyes, ears, and often life savers, in the community. Over history, a number of branches collected food for the needy as part of their community service effort. Discussions were held by the NALC, USPS, and AFL‑CIO to explore a more coordinated effort. A pilot drive was held in October 1991. It proved so successful the parties worked to make it a nationwide effort. Food banks and pantries suggested that late spring would be the best time for the drive, since most of their food donations are received over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods. In addition, school breakfast and lunch programs are not available during the summer.

A revamped drive was organized for the second Saturday in May 1993, with a goal of at least one NALC local branch participating in each of the 50 states. The results were astounding. Over 11 million pounds of food was collected by over 220 union branches — a one day record in the United States. From Alaska to Florida and Maine to Hawaii letter carriers did double duty — delivering the mail and picking up donations. In 2012 NALC branches collected 70 million pounds of food for a cumulative total of over 1.2 Billion pounds — an awesome achievement.

We look forward to another record breaking 21st year in 2013 as we work to

Stamp Out Hunger in America!

Thank you! Amazing Community!

tajnid — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:26:36 +0000

We’ve talked before of how fortunate we are to live in a very giving community. Here in Hollister, CA we are an amazing community that gives not just in times of need and devastation, but from generous and caring hearts.

The NALC’s food drive came at time of great need for the food bank and our community joined in with the National Association of Postal Carriers for their annual food drive this past Saturday, May 12^th to bring in over 25,000 pounds of non-perishable foods to help us continue to offer aid to those in need here in our local community. Our thanks to our amazing postal carriers cannot be overstated – the amount of work they took on in addition to their normal load was appreciated! From the postcards delivered early in the week to the empty bags for our community to use to the thoughtful and personalized notes delivered in the mailboxes of those who gave – it was an amazing way to touch and support our community.

And to all in our community who participated we thank you as well! We are the Community Food Bank of SBC – we cannot meet our mission without the support of our community and we are so thankful for each of you! You definitely make our souls blossom ~ thank you.

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~ Marcel Proust

NALC – Letter Carrier’s Food Drive!!!

tajnid — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:49:17 +0000

It is that time of year – the Hollister Farmer’s Market is back downtown providing us with fresh and healthy foods, kids are itching to be out of school and they will be in the next few weeks, and the sun is teasing us with summer with her appearance every now and again. Along with these great things we, here at the Food Bank, also see some challenges. Food donations are down during this time of year and families with children who are on school breakfast and lunch programs begin to worry about how they will make it through the summer and be able to feed everyone.

Saturday, May 12th is the National Letter Carrier’s Food Drive – they do this each year and are an amazing group of people – just think of all the extra work they put in collecting food from each house in our community – and all you need to do it put a bag of food by your mail box. The letter carriers collect all these bags of food and deliver them to the Food Bank – it is an amazing feat and one that goes on all over the nation.

We need your help!

This food drive, along with other community donations will help us to help these families through the summer and help take one worry off of their plate.

Don’t forget!!

USDA – Do you qualify?

tajnid — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:47:07 +0000

Each week the Community Food Bank of SBC organizes and distributes bags of nutritious food for our members and once a month we are able to do an additional distribution with foods that we receive from the USDA. This distribution is in addition to our regular weekly distributions and anyone who meets the USDA guidelines is qualified to receive food from this distribution. Check out the link below and if you qualify, or if you know someone who qualifies, come down on the 2nd Monday of each month (our next USDA distribution is April 9th) between 10:00am and 1:00pm! If you are a volunteer be sure to mark every 2nd Monday as an additional day – we need all the volunteers out to help those days as well!! Meet the qualifications (http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/efap/res/pdf/Income_Guidelines_2011_English.pdf) and bring your proof of San Benito County residence to get your USDA food each month. If you are helping out a friend or family member and picking up USDA food for them be sure to fill out the alternate pick up request – these are in our office or you can get it at http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/efap/res/pdf/Alternate_Pick_ENGLISH2011.pdf.

What’s on Your Plate?

tajnid — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:07:58 +0000

Did you know? March is National Nutrition Month. “Enjoy your food, but eat less” – this is the message that the USDA is promoting with their “What’s On My Plate?” campaign during the month of March. Does the logo here look familiar? Take note and you’ll soon see it pop up regularly. The USDA has adopted this logo as a reminder to help Americans take notice and be aware of what is on their breakfast, lunch, and dinner plates and to enjoy their food, but to eat less of it! You can read more about this campaign on the USDA’s website at www.ChooseMyPlate.gov. As March kicks off we are all encouraged to turn to our own social media pages and share a post of what is on our plates! Community Food Bank of San Benito County is committed to providing healthy foods to our members and to working with our local schools to provide healthy foods to our kids; however without support and teaching from home kids are statistically more likely to choose less healthy foods. So during this month won’t you join us? Take a minute, post a picture of what’s on your plate!! Talk to your kids and promote those healthy foods and healthy serving sizes for you and for your family! What’s on your plate??

A Giving Community

Mary Anne Hughes — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:16:22 +0000

The teams showing support for this year's Chili Cook Off winner!

It is a fact. Here in Hollister, CA we live in a community that loves to give back. Just one recent example: today the San Benito County of REALTORS hosted a BBQ & Chili Cook-Off to raise funds in support of the Food Bank’s Holiday Food Drive. The Food Bank’s four judges were blown away by each of the six team’s culinary contribution and decided that if any of those chili’s were at a BBQ it would steal the show from anything else! Not only do they give back, but these people can cook!

Hollister Farmer’s Market & EBT . . .

Mary Anne Hughes — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:06:02 +0000

As we shared earlier this summer, this year the Community Food Bank of SBC has had the privilege of working with the Hollister Downtown Association and the Hollister Farmer’s Market to bring the availability of the CA Food Stamp EBT program to the street every week on Wednesday. In addition, through a partnership incentive with Fundamentally Fresh we have been able to offer an additional $5 token for each $10 charged to a member’s EBT card. This gives EBT card holders the ability to spend 50% more on fresh fruits and vegetables for their families each week as well as supporting our local farmers and our Farmer’s Market.

Since May of this year when the Farmer’s Market opened Community Food Bank of SBC has been able to help EBT members spend $1,170.00 in food stamp cash and $410.00 in incentive cash for a total of $1,580.00 with our local farmers. We still have another 4 weeks of our Farmer’s Market (through mid-September) and we hope to see these numbers increase significantly! This is a great way for EBT members to get fresh, local fruits and vegetables for their families.

Fact or Fiction?

Mary Anne Hughes — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:15:28 +0000

How well do you understand the food supplement programs offered through the USDA?? These are some valuable programs available for those in need. I am attaching a link to a great blog with helpful information! For example . . .

Is this Fact or Fiction? The majority of SNAP households do not receive cash welfare benefits.

This is FACT! Less than 10 percent of all SNAP households received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits and another 5 percent received State General Assistance (GA) benefits. About 24 percent of SNAP households received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and over 22 percent received Social Security.

Check out the USDA blog for more Fact or Fiction at http://blogs.usda.gov/2011/06/24/fact-vs-fiction-usda%E2%80%99s-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program/

EBT and our local Farmer’s Market

Mary Anne Hughes — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:25:56 +0000

The Community Food Bank of SBC is excited to be participating in the EBT program and being able to partner with our local Farmer’s Market to allow members of the SNAP program access to local fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables.

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that automates the delivery, redemption, and reconciliation of issued public assistance benefits. EBT is the method for distributing CalFresh benefits (formerly known as Food Stamps and currently known federally as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits), California Food Assistance Program benefits, and cash aid benefits. EBT is currently used in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. (http://www.ebtproject.ca.gov/)

So far this year we have far surpassed our goals for weekly redemption of tokens to be used at the Farmer’s Market and are pleased to know that this means more of our families and children are eating more fruits and vegetables and more local farmers are benefiting from this program. As the Farmer’s Market runs through September this year we are anticipating our street-level participation in this program being even more beneficial to our community by supporting the SNAP members and by bringing program funds to our local farmers.

For each $10 token purchased with an EBT card an additional $5 bonus token is issued to the program member to spend as well!

Come out Wednesday’s between 3:00pm and 7:00pm to 5th Street in Hollister and check out the wonderful selection and stop by our booth – we are located on the lawn in front of the Brigg’s Building!

Executive Director’s Report

Mary Anne Hughes — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:38:50 +0000

Mary Anne Hughes, Executive Director
Community Food Bank of San Benito County

The mission of the Community Food Bank of SBC is to provide food, nutritional education and advocacy for those in need within San Benito County through partner agencies and direct distribution.

The goal of the Community Food Bank is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in San Benito County.

What this mission statement means to me is that it is our responsibility to help our neighbors who are in need. While of course we are primarily committed to distributing food; we know that hunger does not happen in a vacuum. Something has happened to bring them to this point.

Many of our clients are dealing with job loss or a reduction in hours available to them to work; with disability and reductions in services; with illness and no medical insurance; with wounded pride and frustration at not being able to provide as they always have and with intense family stress.

Our advocacy includes, providing help with SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) and other applications and, referrals to the county and other organizations for rental, heat, and electric assistance. We can help with clothing and household needs from our Thrift Shop as well.

Our nutrition classes help educate those who may be living with diabetes, obesity or other illness to understand the need to cook and eat carefully to maintain their health.

All these things are why we have become a Food Bank and not only a Pantry Brown Bag Program. We are trying to serve not just the hunger but whole person/family. And why we are constantly looking for partners in our mission to bring pantries and our services to locations nearer to where our Clients live.