The Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) has welcomed bountiful

donations of spring produce this season, with an abundance

arriving freshly harvested from Sonoma County farms. Farmers

from Windsor’s Foggy River Farm and Santa Rosa’s

Jackson Family Wines winery farm have generously

donated portions of their spring crops to the REFB Kitchen Collective for use in our culinary creations, which nourish

our neighbors in need. Community gleaners have been equally

generous with harvests from local farms and neighborhood

gardens. To celebrate these local partnerships, the REFB is

following the path of spring produce, from local farms, into the

hands of local volunteer gleaners, to the REFB Kitchen Collective,

and into packaged, heat-and-serve entrées that fuel seniors and

families throughout Sonoma County.

This April, the REFB accompanied Healdsburg-based partner

organization, Farm to Pantry, to several farm sites and

neighborhood yards in Healdsburg and Geyserville where

volunteers were gleaning seasonal produce like grapefruit,

oranges, lettuces and leeks. Farm to Pantry gleans roughly

55,000 pounds of local fruits and vegetables annually, saving ripe

produce from rot and distributing it to the REFB and 21 other local

organizations serving low-income seniors and families. Farm to

Pantry volunteers gleaned some of the first ripe strawberries of

the season at Healdsburg’s Front Porch Farm in April,

along with hundreds of pounds of green garlic and spring leeks.

“This is about purposeful volunteer work with a human

connection,” said Carol, a Farm to Pantry gleaner. “I love having

the opportunity to preserve fresh, nourishing food for members

of our community who don’t always have access to it. This

produce is really life saving for some in our community.”Our Kitchen Collective Chef, Don Nolan, and his culinary team of

50 dedicated volunteers, used Front Porch Farm’s green garlic in

his recipe for sauteed Brussels sprouts with mushroom “bacon,”

which also highlighted donated organic speciality mushroom

varieties from Sebastopol-based Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. Front Porch Farm’s spring leeks were incorporated into

hearty calzones, which also featured freshly gleaned chard from

Bernier Farms in Healdsburg, donated Amy's Kitchen pastry flour and donated Clover Stornetta butter. These

local collaborations, which highlight the ways in which individuals

and businesses are working together to end hunger, provide vital nutrition to hundreds of low-income seniors and families.

From the REFB Kitchen Collective, roughly 4,000 completed entrées are packaged, sealed, frozen and distributed each

month. You can help sustain this innovative program and nourish our neighbors with locally sourced ingredients. Visit refb.org

today to make a donation.

For the last 30 years, the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) has worked to end

hunger in our community by making nutrition assistance available and accessible

to anyone in need of help. Each of our 12 innovative, direct-service hunger relief

programs distributes fresh produce and healthy staple pantry items, and many focus

on specific diet-related health issues and provide effective nutrition education.

Our Megan Furth Harvest Pantry

(MFHP) is one such program, ending

childhood hunger and reducing the

incidence of childhood anemia and obesity

by distributing produce rich in iron and

vitamin C and providing critical nutrition

education to families with young children.

This spring, REFB Program Coordinator,

Jorge Delgado, is providing a course on

food synergy at MFHP sites. His bilingual

nutrition lessons focus on the importance

of each food group, and how to properly portion and pair foods to create balanced

meals for growing children. One week’s discussion examined whole grains and

pairings with vegetable-based proteins, like those found in legumes and leafy

greens, which are often available at MFHP distributions. Another week focused on

healthy snacks. When apples were delivered to a MFHP distribution site, Delgado

discussed an usual pairing: apples and chocolate. With a bar of extra dark chocolate

broken into bite-sized pieces, he explained that the anti-inflammatory properties

found in apples, particularly in apple skins, work with the antioxidants found in

chocolate containing at least 70% cacao. The combination, he shared, helps promote

healthy blood flow.

“The nutrition lessons are empowering,” said Sofia, a MFHP food recipient and

mother of two. “Providing for my kids on a tight budget is a painful struggle. I can’t

afford the food I know my kids need to be strong. But Jorge’s lessons teach me

how to get the most nutrition out of the foods I get from the distribution, and how

to buy healthier foods even with a limited income. I feel like I’m getting the tools I

need to make sure my kids are healthy.”The REFB’s School Pantry program

also engaged local families in nutrition

education this spring. Dietetic Interns from

the Santa Rosa Junior College Nutrition & Dietetic Program spent two months sampling healthy

versions of common, kid-friendly foods

at School Pantry sites, like brown rice

pudding, made with skim milk, raisins,

and cinnamon. Bilingual recipes were also

available to help families experiment with

healthy cooking at home.

Help Sonoma County families discover new paths to nutrition. Donate to fuel our

hunger-relief programs for the next 30 years. Visit refb.org today.

REDWOOD EMPIRE FOOD BANK SPRING 2017

1

1 Charting New Paths to Nutrition

2 Doing All the Right Things

3 Geography of Hope

4 Geography of Hope, Continued

5 Annual Food & Funds Drive

6 The Path of Produce Raising Your Paddles to End Hunger

the redwood empire food bank

provides food and hunger-relief in

Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt

and Del Norte Counties. The REFB is a

member of Feeding America and the

California Association of Food Banks.

IN THIS ISSUE:

NewsfeedThe

65

Celebrating 30 Years of Ending Hunger & Feeding HopeCharting New Paths to Nutrition

The Path of ProduceFrom Local Farms, to Family Tables

REFB Dietetic Intern, Ana Oseguera, serves a tasty sample of brown rice pudding at a School Pantry site.

Since our Annual Food & Funds Drive (AFFD) kicked off last November, we

at the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) have witnessed an outpouring

of generosity from our giving community. From corporate leadership to

individual community organizers, Sonoma County hunger-relief workers

have secured food and funds that will nourish our community throughout

the year.

We are continuously inspired by 12 year-old Memphis Roetter, who

earlier this spring completed his Annual Birthday Food & Funds Drive. Over

three months, Memphis collected 8,900 pounds of non-perishable quality

foods at Oliver's Market Stony Point, and raised nearly $6,250 through

individual donations to support the REFB! Cliff Bar also generously

donated more than 5,500 pounds of nutritious Cliff and Luna bars to

support Memphis and his remarkable food drive. In total, this passionate

young hunger-relief worker provided more than 19,500 meals to our

neighbors in need - all in lieu of birthday gifts.

There has been no shortage of youth involvement in our AFFD this year. The boy scouts of America, Redwood Empire Council completed their annual Scouting for Food drive this spring, collecting enough non-perishable food to

provide more than 4,300 meals to families facing hunger. Twenty-five Sonoma County schools have also hosted food drives

since November, with Santa Rosa’s Roseland University Prep currently leading the pack! Roseland students have

collected over 7,000 pounds this academic year, resulting in more than 5,800 meals for our hungry neighbors.

Oliver's Market shoppers helped the REFB save supper over the winter months, one holiday bell purchase at a time.

Together, customers raised more than $8,800 through Oliver’s One Bell Saves Supper campaign, providing more

than 17,600 healthy meals to those experiencing food insecurity in our community.

Local Safeway and Lucky shoppers were equally generous

this past winter. Lucky customers provided more than 13,000

meals through $2 - $5 donations at check stands in the Lucky Give, Share, Care! holiday campaign. Safeway customers

who purchased $10 bags of healthy staple groceries to feed our

neighbors in need during the three months of the Safeway Feed the Need campaign helped provide more than 119,000

meals! And, both businesses will continue their leadership in

the fight against hunger this summer with the Safeway Bag Hunger drive and the Lucky Supermarkets peanut butter roundup, both of which will help close the summer

meal gap for local school-aged children.

Our AFFD corporate sponsors have all shown continued

dedication to ending hunger in our community. Many of our sponsors organize food drives and volunteer in the REFB

warehouse. Redwood Credit Union, for example, has donated more than 250 hours of volunteer service since

November, and collected over 16,000 pounds of donated, non-perishable food, providing 13,300 meals to those we serve.

“The impact the Redwood Empire Food Bank has in this community makes them an important partner for us as we support

other safety net issues, like housing and education, all with the ultimate goal of helping people live healthy, financially stable

lives,” said Brett Martinez, President and CEO of the Redwood Credit Union.

Between November 1, 2016 and April 1, 2017, our community collectively provided more than 717,400 meals through

donations of food and funds, helping to nourish a healthier Sonoma County. Interested in hosting a Food & Funds Drive at

your school, business, church, or social club? Signing up is quick and easy at refb.org/food-funds-drive.

Annual Food & Funds Drive Nourishing our Community Throughout the Year

The Redwood Empire Food Bank is deeply grateful to the generous Empty

Bowls Dinner & Auction sponsors, guests, artists, and volunteers who

together in a single night raised $595,000 to provide 1,190,000 meals to our neighbors facing hunger. It was an evening of community

connections and collaborations, with artistic demonstrations by father

and son woodworking duo, Jerry and Walker Kermode, ceramic designer,

Kenyon Lewis, potter, Nancy Morgan, and glass sculptor, Ryan Teurfs.

Saved, Simi, and Wild Horse wines, Lagunitas beer, and craft cocktails

created by John Zimmerman of Willie Bird’s Restaurant and Jason

Jorgensen of Alley 6 Craft Distillery were served alongside delicious

cheese from Carneros Caves, and scrumptious hors d’oeuvres created

by Bruno’s on Fourth. The Latin beats of Batachá set the mood for a

fabulously festive celebration of philanthropy. Empty Bowls continues to

embody the spirit of Sonoma County and our collective commitment to

ensuring that the nutritional bounty of our region is available to all who find

themselves in need.

Special thanks to our 2017 Empty Bowls Event Committee for their

dedication and drive, and to our Priceless Bowl Sponsors for their

incredible leadership in the fight against hunger: Bodean Company,

Exchange Bank, Friedman’s Home Improvement, and The Heck

Foundation. View all of our generous sponsors at refb.org and save the

date - Empty Bowls 2018 will be held on Saturday, April 28th!

Raising Your Paddles to End HungerThank You 7th Annual Empty Bowls Sponsors, Guests, Artists & Volunteers

6

Thank You to Our Generous 2016-2017 Annual Food & Funds Drive Sponsors:

A volunteer with REFB partner organization, Farm to Pantry, gleans first of the season strawberries at Front Porch Farm in Healdsburg. Just hours after being picked, these strawberries were delivered to the REFB.

A springtime bounty of freshly harvested green garlic and leeks is sorted at Front Porch Farm in Healdsburg before being delivered to the REFB.

A dish of Brussels sprouts with green garlic from Front Porch Farm and organic Sebastopol mushrooms is packaged for distribution.

A Megan Furth Harvest Pantry food recipient leaves a Roseland distribution site with red onions, celery, yams, bell peppers, tomatoes, apples, locally raised, Range to Table beef, and organic, whole grain sliced breads.

Founder and President of Oliver’s Market, Steven Maass, presents a check to REFB CEO, David Goodman, following Oliver’s One Bell Saves Supper campaign.

Hunger-relief advocate, Memphis Roetter, holds one of the many boxes of Cliff snack bars donated to his Annual Birthday Food & Funds Drive.

Kim Agrella learns she is the winner of the Empty Bowls local spirits raffle.

Local father and son woodworkers, Jerry (right) and Walker Kermode create stunning bowls for guests to enjoy during the Empty Bowls reception.

A child waits for his mom to load up on fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy staple groceries at a MFHP site.

VOLUNTEER TO END Summer HungerHelp ensure children have access to healthy lunch during the academic break.

ACT NOW.Learn more and sign up online at refb.org

432

I spend a good amount of

time talking with people

facing hunger. I ask each of

them about the path that

brought them to the REFB.

Their journeys are moving,

and I have yet to hear the

same story twice. For some

people, the assistance

we provide is just a stop

along the way. For others,

we provide a permanent

nutritional safety net.

Although their paths are different, there are a couple

consistent facets to their journeys. The first is that nobody

ever planned on seeking food assistance. The experience of

coming for food is universally dissonant. The food recipients

are surprised, upset, bewildered, frightened, and grateful all

at the same time. Over and over I hear people say that they

worked all their lives, even helped others through challenging

times, yet here they are, asking for help.

Perhaps the most profound observation from my

conversations has to do with the relationship between

myths and solutions. In our society, we have a well seated

myth: If you receive an education, get a job, and work hard,

everything will be okay. My conversations with people in

need of help have uncovered the fallacy of this myth. And,

when our societal solutions are based on myths, they are

guaranteed to be inadequate.

Many people do all the right things and still find themselves

in need of support. People lose jobs, people don’t earn

enough, people have disabilities, people divorce, spouses and

partners die, people simply live beyond their savings. In all of

these situations, we as a community should have a sufficient

quantity and quality of food available to help.

As polarized as these times are, we must agree on one thing,

people are in need of food for one of two reasons: decisions

they’ve made or circumstances beyond their control. In

either case, hunger cannot be the price they pay.

With gratitude,

David Goodman

Chief Executive Officer

Doing All the Right Things Increasing Produce VarietyTo Fuel our Community

For the last three decades, the Redwood Empire Food Bank

(REFB) has provided quality nutrition assistance to tens of

thousands of people seeking help. Seasonally fresh, vitamin-

packed produce is at the heart of our efforts to nourish our

community, and with each passing year, we have increased

the quality and quantity of the fresh produce we distribute.

Over the last year specifically, the REFB increased produce

diversity by more than 50%! Last spring, the REFB

distributed 17 produce varieties to program sites throughout

Sonoma County. This spring, we hit a new benchmark of 26 produce types! Fresh beets with greens were

added to weekly distributions earlier this year, contributing

to 22,500 meals between January and March. Also added

were fiber-rich eggplant, nutrient-dense Brussels sprouts, and antioxidant-rich cucumbers. The

REFB also saw an increase in the amount of fresh fruits and

vegetables distributed, with our total poundage of produce

increasing by 4%. The REFB distributed over 40,000

pounds of fresh cauliflower during the first three

months of the year, compared to 22,000 pounds during the

same time period last year. Tomatoes saw a dramatic

increase as well, jumping from 8,000 pounds last year to

close to 56,000 pounds over the last few months! And, this

summer we will be offering this abundance to our partner

organizations for free to ensure all our neighbors have the

healthy foods they need to thrive. Partner organizations like

Healdsburg Shared Ministries, Sebastopol’s

Food for Thought, Sonoma County-based

Catholic Charities and Boys & Girls Clubs,

as well as hundreds of others can access a bounty of free

seasonal produce in our Community Marketplace

throughout the summer to help bolster nutrition for our

neighbors in need.

Help us continue to expand and increase the diversity and

quantity of the fresh produce we distribute to families

facing hunger. Make a direct donation to the REFB, and

learn how to donate food, at refb.org/ways-to-give.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT

Pete Golis Editorial Director

(Retired)

VICE PRESIDENT

Jon Griffith Allstate Mortgage Co.

TREASURER

Rebecca La Londe Kaiser Permanente(Retired)

SECRETARY

Eric McHenry City of Santa Rosa

Juan Arias | Santa Rosa Junior College

Gary Edwards | Sage Marketing of Sonoma

Gary Hartwick | Exchange Bank

Bruce Kelm | Morgan Stanley

Brendan Kunkle | Abbey, Weitzenberg, Warren & Emery

Stephanie Larson | UC California Cooperative Extension

Steven Maass | Oliver’s Market

Debbie Meekins | First Community Bank

Jeremy Olsan | Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz

Marie Scherf | Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc.

Suzanne Smith | Sonoma County Transportation Authority

Abigail Smyth | Crimson Wine Group

Pedro Toledo | Petaluma Health Center

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Goodman

EDITORS

Hillary Jarcik Jean LarsonMaggie Sowell

CONTRIBUTORS

David GoodmanMaggie Sowell

DESIGN + PRODUCTION

Maggie Sowell

GEOGRAPHY OF HOPE

Jay Young Design

PRINTING Ad-Vantage Marketing

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Bruce Kelm

Abigail Smyth

California table grapes, rich in vitamins C and K, lined the REFB warehouse floor in March before being distributed throughout our community.

The Geography of HopeDistributing More than 15 Million Pounds of Healthy Food, the Equivalent of 13 Million Meals, Between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017

O U R M I S S I O N : T O E N D H U N G E R I N O U R C O M M U N I T Y

3990 Brickway Boulevard | Santa Rosa, CA 95403 | 707.523.7900 | www.refb.org