IN THIS ISSUE: Letter from Development Director . Meet SharonCommunity Events Recap . How Do We Distribute So Much Food?

A newsletter of the Capital Area Food Bank of TexasHUNGER HEROES

DONATE ONLINE AT AUSTINFOODBANK.ORG WINTER 2012

The mission of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger.

In the past 12 months, 14,000 volunteers donated more than 91,000 volunteer hours. That’s the equivalent of over 43 full time employees making sure that food is safely captured, inspected and distributed to our clients.

Have you ever considered volunteering with CAFB? There are so many ways to help such as sorting donations, serving clients, teaching classes, becoming an ambassador, working special events and more. Youth are also welcome to volunteer at the Food Bank! We accept volunteers as young as 8. Any individual youth volunteer between 8 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older. Visit austinfoodbank.org for more information and to sign up online.

HOW CAN WE DISTRIBUTE SO MUCH FOOD?

14,000 Volunteers =

91,000 Hours

= (43 full-time employees)

Drawings created by CAFB’s CHOICES Nutrition Class participants.

COMMUNITY EVENTS RECAP

For more ways to get involved with the Food Bank, please call Mark Jackson at 512-684-2529 or email mjackson@austinfoodbank.org.

Dear Hunger Heroes,

The end of the year is an interesting time for the Capital Area Food Bank. The holiday season, filled with family meals and celebrations, is a wonderful opportunity for our supporters to reflect upon the need for our services. It’s these special occasions, when food is such an important part of the festivities, that we are reminded of the sense of security and happiness that comes from a meal with loved ones. But as a Hunger Hero, you know that food insecurity is a year-round issue that doesn’t disappear when the holiday decorations get packed away in the garage.

Thank you for taking action. Your gifts keep plates full all year long.

Sincerely,

Mark JacksonDevelopment Director

MEET SHARON

TURNING HUNGRY HOLIDAYS INTO HAPPY HOLIDAYSNational Instruments generously sponsored our “Turn Hungry Holidays in Happy Holidays” campaign this fall by making a matching gift challenge to the Central Texas community, agreeing to match donations up to $25,000. Eager to double their gift, our supporters met the challenge.

National Instruments and their employees believe in the power of philanthropy. They contribute both locally in Central Texas and internationally. In addition to our holiday campaign, we are proud to partner with them to provide nutritious after school meals through our Kids Cafe program year round.

RANDALLS TURKEY DONATIONRandalls donated 1000 turkeys this November to help provide a nutritious Thanksgiving meal for struggling Central Texans. Pictured right: Emily DeMaria, Community Relations Director, Joanna Linden, Chief Development Officer, Connie Yates, Randalls Director of Public Affairs, Hank Perret, President and CEO.

THE AUSTIN EMPTY BOWL PROJECTThe Austin Empty Bowl Project is an effort by Austin area potters to fight hunger. Always the Sunday before Thanksgiving, this annual family-friendly event invites you to select your favorite bowl from thousands of locally crafted ceramic bowls, have it filled with gourmet soup and bread, and listen to live music while enjoying your lunch. Your $20 donation helps sponsor the Capital Area Food Bank’s Kids Cafe Program. This year, we raised $62,000!

LEGACY OF GIVINGOn Wednesday, November 23rd the Food Bank was host to one of our favorite traditions, A Legacy of Giving’s annual food drive. The ALOG food drive is special because it’s the combined work of over thirty schools pitching in to learn about philanthropy and donate food and coats to Central Texas families in need. We collected over 43,000 pounds of food to provide to our neighbors this holiday season.

The children collect food for weeks prior to the drive at their schools in pods that are set up for donations. The week before the event, the pods are transferred to the parking lot of the Food Bank where we rope off the entire parking lot for the day’s festivities. With a live DJ, hundreds of pizzas donated by the Town Lake Chapter of the Links, school children and Food Bank staff, the day makes for a festive kick off to the holiday season.

We interviewed participating student Olivia Glode from St. Gabriel’s about her experience collecting donations for this year’s drive. It was Olivia’s second year at the event and she said she was excited to see how many cans her school collected. “I’ve learned that it’s really good to help others,” Olivia said when asked about her experience with A Legacy of Giving and Capital Area Food Bank, “and I need to do it more often.” When asked if she wants to continue her own philanthropy after St. Gabriel’s she was very enthusiastic, “Yes! It’s fun to help,” she says — a message we know a lot of children took away with them that day.

By no fault of her own, Sharon has been laid off twice this year. First, in February, she was laid off when the bank she was working at was bought out. She got a job at a daycare, but they lost funding from the state and she lost her job on August 26th.

Sharon applied for SNAP benefits, and she’ll get them this week. Next week is her last week of unemployment checks. While the unemployment has been helpful, it’s a mere fraction of what she used to make. She says that they were really doing fine before — she donated $50 a month to charities through her work. She didn’t even know that places like this existed before a few weeks ago. She was thankful when a friend told her about St. John Community Food Center.

So Sharon is looking for work – any kind of work. She says that ideally, she’d work at a bank again, but she’s not picky. She just needs a job – and a paycheck.

Sharon’s eighteen-year-old daughter Jameisha just graduated from high school. She loves music and wants to go to Austin Community College, but they are waiting for financial aid assistance. Hopefully she’ll be able to start up in January.

Until she gets back on her feet, Sharon is thankful that places like this exist, and that people she doesn’t even know have given so she doesn’t have to go hungry.

“Thank you for your donations! I used to be the one donating!”

“Until she gets back on her feet, Sharon is thankful that places like this exist, and that people she doesn’t even know have given so she doesn’t have to go hungry.”