Lollipop Lane

As you approach Lollipop Lane in Vacaville every December, the first thing you notice is the sound of holiday music blaring from outdoor speakers, and the blur of lights as you turn onto the street (known January through November as Shady Glen Avenue). Every house is decorated in the lollipop theme, Food Bank donation barrels are placed in front of many of the homes, and there, in front of the McKimmy home is Santa, listening to children’s wishes and letting out a right jolly laugh every now and then.


For the past eight years, Don and Yukiko McKimmy have encouraged visitors to Lollipop Lane to donate food and money to the Food Bank. With help from neighbors and numerous others, Don has made Lollipop Lane and Candy Cane Lane (one street over) a must-see destination each December. Appearing twice during the month are the Fellowship of the Ringers, a local bell ringing group that have volunteered their time for the past six years and perform their repertoire of holiday music for the hundreds of visitors who come by. This year, Lollypop Lane collected over 707 pounds of food!

Trick or Treating for Cans

California High School's Interact Club annually runs a "Trick or Treating for Cans" food drive and donates the food to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. This year, the food drive was completed with the help of three clubs from Cal High: Interact, Key Club, and the National Honor Society. A goal of this food drive was also to cover an even larger area than the previous years in order to obtain more food.

The food drive started out with the bag assembly. With the help of the Food Bank, Cal High was given around 5,000 plain, brown paper bags. The volunteers of the clubs grabbed a couple of staplers and began stapling flyers onto the paper bags. The flyer announced the food drive and what foods were needed. Next week, all the bags were handed around San Ramon and the households were given one week to fill up the bag. After that week was up, the clubs drove around San Ramon, picking up the bags of food. Once all this was done, the Food Bank drove the truck to Cal High and picked up all the food.



The total amount of food collected was 5,216 pounds! Christina, representing Cal High, was recognized on CBS5 (photo above), for the work that she and the three clubs did to help our neighbors in need!

Whole Foods Market "5% Day"

A very successful 5% Day on December 8th at Whole Foods Market for the Bay Area Food Banks!Thank you to Whole Foods, CBS5 and every one who went shopping at Whole Foods Market on that day!

GEMM Award Raffle Check Delivered to the Food Bank

2010 Greater East Bay GEMM (Greater Excellence in Management and Maintenance) Awards Raffle was donated to two East Bay charities: FESCO (Family Emergency Shelter Coalition) and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Below is the photo of the check delivery to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
pictured left to right:
Joan Bergum, California Apartment Association (CAA) Contra Costa Napa Solano Advisory Board Member
Larry Sly, Executive Director, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Barbara Conde, Regional Portfolio Manager Broadway Management and 2009 Greater East Bay GEMM Award Winner (category) Regional/Portfolio Manager of the Year.
Karen Quennell, Business Development Manager Northern California Division of JWilliams Staffing and 2010 Greater East Bay GEMM Awards Committee Chair

Live Oak Elementary collects 1,869 pounds of food!

The students at Live Oak Elementary in San Ramon hosted a food drive for the Food Bank and the students also competed in a poster contest to help promote the drive!


Ms. Wright’s winning class-257 items total!

Finding room for more food...

Carting things to the loading area...

Michael Yao (below) & Emily Hay (above): Winners of the Live Oak Poster Contest

Thank you to all the Live Oak students for supporting the Food Bank and their neighbors in need!

If you love our work then tell the world!

You have an exciting opportunity to help the Food Bank make even more of a difference for the community. GreatNonprofits – a site like Yelp – is conducting a contest to find the top-rated nonprofits working to end homelessness or hunger. It’s easy and only takes 3 minutes!

Local Montessori helps the Food Bank

The "Myrtle Farm Parent Club" at Myrtle Farm Montessori in Concord planned a food drive from November 1st-20th. In the school newsletter they talked about the Food Bank and listed our top priority needed items. The five kids in the photos are classmates who were able to come to the Food Bank on November 20th and delivered the food, which weighed in at 184 pounds!


They were so proud and we are so grateful!

The food they donated will provide about 147 meals to people in our community. Great work Myrtle Farm Montessori!

Interested in hosting your own Food Drive? Read the Food Bank's Food Drive Kit (PDF: 42K) for everything you need to know to host one.

Free Movies, Free Popcorn, Help End Hunger...

Two movie tickets, two popcorns for $10.50.
Bring a few cans of food for the hungry!

Read more on the Lemon Lady's Blog.

Lose For Good

Weight Watchers in El Cerrito has donated nearly a ton of food this year! Recently, the Food Bank picked up close to one thousand pounds of non-perishable food from Weight Watchers that symbolized the combined weight lost by the staff at the El Cerrito facility since September. As part of the Lose For Good Campaign, not only were staff encouraged to donate the weight they pledged to lose in non-perishable food, but their customers were encouraged to do the same. They will continue to collect food through the end of the year.

Three Girls Donate Over $600!

Last year, Taylor (age 7), Jenna (age 11) and Sarah (age 7) raised money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This year, they decided to help their neighbors in need by donating to the Food Bank. They were able to raise over $600 during the summer by holding bake sales, selling lemonade, and collecting donations at a car wash. These young ladies are an inspiration!

Give Where You Live

Volunteer Recognition

The Food Bank honored volunteers on October 18th at our annual recognition in the Concord warehouse. Volunteers were entertained by the Singing Blue Stars of the USS Hornet and awards were presented. The award for Volunteer of the Year was shared by two amazing women this year.

Debra Mason from the Ambrose Recreation Center and the Mt. Diablo CARES after school program was recognized for her work on the Farm 2 Kids Program. She has worked tirelessly since 2007 to create, pilot, and expand this program. While her work with the after school program in Bay Point is her occupation, her efforts to make the Farm 2 Kids program possible are completely volunteer. She has spent hours of her personal time working to keep the program going at the 5 Bay Point schools she oversees, but also working to expand the program into the 8 schools in Concord we now serve. When a few of the new Concord schools did not have the resources to come and pick up the produce, Debra and her husband Lee stepped in and made the deliveries for them. She is fighting to expand Farm 2 Kids into the Antioch Elementary Schools. Without her help, the Food Bank would not be serving the over 6,000 children in 55 schools.

Jo Crackel is a tireless supporter of the Food Bank and the people we serve. Jo has volunteered with both our Food For Children and Extra Helpings crews. Food For Children serves four and five year old children who are too old to receive WIC services but too young to be in school where a breakfast and lunch program may be available to assist with their diet. Boxes provide much needed food for these children each month. The Extra Helpings program serves clients of all ages. Boxes are either home delivered or picked up at local agencies depending on the need of the recipients. Neither of the programs would be possible without the crew that makes the boxes. Hundreds of boxes are put together every month by dedicated volunteers. Jo is a real leader on this crew and is greatly respected by all. Jo and her husband Rich also volunteer for several of our direct distributions helping at various sites every month. The Food Assistance Program volunteers arrive at sites early in the morning, help set up tables and canopies, bag produce and non perishable groceries, and distribute to clients all in just a few busy hours. One of Jo’s fellow volunteers recently said it would take several volunteers to replace Jo.

Fighting Hunger One Can Decorating Contest at a Time

Today I had the privilege of spending the morning at Muir Orthopaedic Specialists (MOS) in Brentwood and Walnut Creek as the honorary judge of their department decorating contest. Every year the different departments compete by decorating their offices and this year they used the non-perishable food they have been collecting for the Food Bank. It was such a creative and enjoyable way to raise awareness. Take a look at some of the photos below. Look at the details: the trees are made out of cans wrapped in brown paper, the “guys” on the football field are cans and even the tent is food wrapped in paper. MOS will also be collecting food throughout the rest of the year!

Thank you to everyone at MOS for all the hard work you did to collect the food and then use it in a creative way. You are all winners to the Food Bank!

Lisa Sherrill
Community Relations Manager

The Giving Beautifully Food Bank Challenge I

Embassy Suites Walnut Creek Launches a Food Donation Discount of $20 per Night

The Embassy Suites Walnut Creek at 1345 Treat Boulevard recently announced the launch of its Donate Food rate, which offers up to a $20 discount off midweek rates* and $10 off weekend rates* each night when guests pledge to donate three canned goods or more at
check-in. All donations will go to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. This special rate is available for stays from now through December 30, 2009.

“We are very excited to work with the Food Bank to support the local community as well as give something back to our guests, said David Burri, the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Embassy Suites. The package includes accommodations in a deluxe two room suite, daily full cooked to order breakfast and manager’s reception* with full bar, beer, wine and appetizers. The hotel completed an extensive renovation this past September and features 250 suites overlooking an eight story tropical atrium filled with tropical trees and lavish landscaping. All of the suites include up to date furnishings and amenities including granite counter tops, dark wood features and 42” HD TV’s.

The hotel provides guests with a full complement of services and amenities, including local transportation to restaurants and offices within a five mile radius of the hotel, 7,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space, and a full bar and restaurant on site. The hotel is in the heart of Walnut Creek and just minutes away from Downtown Walnut Creek’s chic shopping district as well as across the street from Bay Area Rapid Transportation. All Embassy Suites Hotels® offer spacious two-room suites that include a separate living area with a sofa bed, armchair, and well-lit dining/work table, private bedroom and bath, hair dryers, MP3 clock radio, two televisions, two dual-line phones, high-speed Internet access, wet bar, mini-refrigerator, microwave oven, iron and ironing board, Precor® fitness center, convenient complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast each morning and complimentary two-hour Manager’s Reception* each evening.

To make reservations, travelers can visit the Embassy Suites Hotels Web site at www.embassysuites.com, call 1-800-EMBASSY or call the hotel directly at 925-934-2500 and ask for the “Donate Food” discount.

*Service of alcohol subject to state and local laws. Must be of legal drinking age. Discounts are given off of the hotel’s standard rates.

About Embassy Suites Hotels
Founded in 1984, Embassy Suites Hotels defines the upscale, all-suite segment and today has 201 hotels, with an additional 51 in the pipeline. With spacious two-room suites, engaging team members and an inviting atrium environment, guests are allowed to put their feet up and feel right at home. To learn more, visit www.embassysuites.com.

Ready, Set, Bag!

Join us for the theatrical tour kick off of Ready, Set, Bag! in the SF Bay Area next week:

Tues. Nov. 3rd at 7pm - Rialto Cinemas Elmwood (Berkeley)

Wed. Nov. 4th at 7pm - Rialto Cinemas Elmwood (Berkeley)

Thur. Nov. 5th at 7pm - Rialto Cinemas Cerrito (El Cerrito)

Thurs. Nov. 19th at 7pm - Roxie Theater (San Francisco)

In the Bay Area and across the country, Ready, Set, Bag! is partnering with local food banks to raise awareness, food, and money in this much needed time.

You'll get $1 off the ticket purchase for bringing in 2 or more cans and 50 cents off popcorn. This discount is sponsored by The Mechanics Bank and the Theaters and for each ticket purchased, the Mechanics Bank is also giving $1 to the food bank in that area.

Your purchase will make a difference!

Q&A after the film with the directors and special guests from the film.

Please invite your friends, families and coworkers to join you at the screenings.

Trailer at: www.readysetbag.com
Become a fan of our new facebook fan page: http://tinyurl.com/readysetbag
Find your local food bank at bayareahunger.org

Letter from Congressman George Miller to You!

For months the Food Bank has been talking about the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization. We are happy to tell you that some exciting developments have recently taken place. Our Congressman George Miller from Contra Costa and Solano counties is chair of the committee that will be leading the reauthorization of child nutrition programs and has written a letter to all of you about this exciting news! For more information about the Child Nutrition Reauthorization visit http://foodbankccs.org/give%20help/advocate/advocateCNR.html.

October 14, 2009

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your support of for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Times are tough for many working families, and without your support the Food Bank would not be able to carry out the good work that they do.

Many of you have expressed your concerns about reauthorizing the child nutrition programs that are a safety net for families who are struggling to make ends meet and I have updates to share with you.

This week, Congress enacted a short term extension of those child nutrition programs while my committee continues our efforts to reauthorize the programs completely by the end of next year. We also made some key investments to meet critical child nutrition needs, at no new cost to taxpayers

We know that that hunger does not take a vacation during the summer so we've invested $85 million for pilot summer food service program projects that will help expand nutrition benefits for low-income children during the summer.

We've also provided support to help increase the number of children who are automatically enrolled for free school meals and grant funding for school food service equipment to help schools store and prepare healthy foods.

And we set aside $8 million for competitive grants so that child care facilities can improve the quality of meals and promote healthy eating habits.

Giving our most vulnerable children access to healthy, safe, nutritious - and affordable - meals is one of the most important things we can do to help them thrive in school and in life. Learn more about the investments in child nutrition, please visit edlabor.house.gov.

Sincerely,

George Miller
Member of Congress


If you or anyone you know is interested in learning about new and exciting anti-hunger advocacy work please let us know at lsherrill@foodbankccs.org.

California’s Food Banks Go Locavore

Please check out this wonderful article highlighting California food banks’ innovative program to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to people in need: 80 million pounds this year!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/magazine/11banks-t.html

Last year, we distributed 3 million pounds of produce in Contra Costa and Solano counties. One of the ways we are able to get so much fresh produce into the community is through our Farm 2 Kids program. Every week, Farm 2 Kids provides 3-5 pounds of fresh produce to over 6,000 children in 55 after school programs in Contra Costa and Solano counties. Over 50% of the students in these schools receive free or reduced cost school lunches, meaning at least half of the households in the school are considered low-income by the federal government.

If you have questions or need more information about the Farm 2 Kids program, please contact Caitlin Sly, (800) 870-FOOD extension 241 or csly@foodbankccs.org.

Eat Cheesecake, Fight Hunger

The Cheesecake Factory announced that over 320,000 cans of soup were collected across all Cheesecake Factory locations nationwide during the month of September. This surpassed the original goal of 100,000 cans.

On September 30, The Cheesecake Factory held its “You Dine, We’ll Donate” event across all locations. For every guest who dined at a Cheesecake Factory on that day and donated 2 cans of soup, 10% of their guest bill was donated to local food banks. Our local Cheesecake Factory collected 187 pounds of food.



Continuing through July 2010, for every slice of The Cheesecake Factory’s Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake sold, $0.25 will be donated to Feeding America. Having tried a slice (or two) myself, I highly recommend you visit your local Cheesecake Factory and enjoy Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake!

One Man, One Bike, One Fight

Drew Marinelli was a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, West Africa who became so concerned about hunger throughout the world that he decided to ride his bike from Key West, Florida to San Francisco to spread the word about steps people can take to help those in need. In doing this trip, he has connected with Rotary clubs throughout the US, and our Executive Director’s club in Concord hosted him on September 25.

Drew is also interested in the work food banks do to fight hunger, and he toured our facility before attending the Rotary meeting. Drew shared his observations on hunger in the world and about his bicycle ride with staff and volunteers.

Drew’s trip was featured on the 5 O’clock news on FOX2 that night. You can find out more on his website onemanonebikeonefight.com. Finally, I should note that Drew is 6 feet 9 inches tall, so we took his picture with Kathleah, our Accounting Specialist, who is less than 5 feet tall. :=)

Food Bank Benefits from Quilt Raffle

C&T Warehouse recently held a raffle for a handmade quilt and sold tickets throughout their office and at their annual warehouse sale. They raised $225 for the Food Bank! Find out more about the quilt and story: http://www.ctpubblog.com/2009/09/04/ct-raffle-quilt/.

Thank you to Gailen Runge, Creative Director and the entire C&T Publishing and Warehouse Team.

Food pantries see an increase of people in need

Alan Wang from ABC7 reports on the need for food assistance in Concord.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7042107

Residents Living In Poverty Skyrockets In Contra Costa County

KTVU's David Stevenson reports from the Food Bank about poverty in Contra Costa County.

http://www.ktvu.com/video/21154221/index.html

The Food Stamp Challenge comes to end for some, but not for the thousands of people who live with hunger every day.

The San Francisco Food Bank 2009 Hunger Challenge ran from September 20-26. For seven days, participants ate on $4 dollars a day, the budget of a food stamp recipient.

Read about CBS 5 Reporter Sue Kwon's week on the Hunger Challenge. http://cbs5.com/consumer/hunger.challenge.food.2.1198974.html

No room for error living on $4 a day

A cup of coffee cost Sue Kwon a big part of her $4 food budget. See what she has to say here: http://cbs5.com/video/?id=55825@kpix.dayport.com

CBS 5 Reporter Takes $4-A-Day Hunger Challenge

The San Francisco Food Bank's 2009 Hunger Challenge is this week - September 20-26. CBS 5 ConsumerWatch reporter Sue Kwon takes on the challenge and will file reports everyday this week documenting her experiment that we hope will put a spotlight on hunger.

Tuesday: http://cbs5.com/video/?id=55719@kpix.dayport.com

And Wednesday: http://cbs5.com/video/?id=55774@kpix.dayport.com

If you're taking on the Hunger Challenge we would like to hear about it. If you are on food stamps and have budget stretching ideas or want to share your thoughts, please share them with CBS 5.

CBS5 Reporter Sue Kwon Joins the Hunger Challenge

Watch this video of Sue's first Hunger Challenge report, including video at our warehouse and pantries and an interveiw with SF Food Bank's Paul Ash! And here's her second, in-depth report where she shops with Amy Sherman.

CBS5 ConsumerWatch reporter Sue Kwon is taking the Hunger Challenge and reporting about her experiences. See her reports all week at 6 pm, with repeats at 11 pm and the following morning. Sue will also be sharing cost-effective recipes and helping viewers learn how to stretch their food dollars. We're thrilled that Sue and CBS5 are making such a big commitment to shining a light on hunger in San Francisco! [In the photo to the left, Sue shops for the Challenge with veteran Hunger Challenge blogger Amy Sherman.]

Take the 2009 Hunger Challenge

Email HungerChallenge@SFFB.org to participate!

Learn more about the 2009 Hunger Challenge

Visit the San Francisco Food Bank Hunger Challenge blog.

Week four of 30 ways in 30 days

Welcome to week four of 30 ways in 30 days - ways you can fight hunger in your community every day of the week. If you missed any of the weeks, or want to see the end, you can find the whole month of 30 days in 30 ways at www.foodbankccs.org.

30 Days in 30 Ways - Week 4

Sept. 21: Book a tee time on Sept. 21st at Oakhurst Country Club in Clayton and a portion of your Green Fees will be donated. Bring five canned food items and receive a raffle ticket. Call 925-672-9737 ext. 201


Sept 22: Empty Bowls, Food Bank Concord Warehouse, 5:30 pm, $10 per person. Enjoy a simple meal served in a handcrafted bowl and get a behind the scenes look at the Food Bank. Reservations required and seat­ing is limited, please call 925-771-1310 to reserve your spot today.

Sept. 23: Ask employees to bring their lunch on a specific day and donate the value of an average lunch to the Food Bank.


Sept. 24: Empty Bowls, Food Bank Fairfield Warehouse, 5:30 pm, $10 per person. Enjoy a simple meal served in a handcrafted bowl and get a behind the scenes look at the Food Bank. Reservations required and seat­ing is limited, please call 925-771-1310 to reserve your spot today.

September 24 -27 Walnut Festival, Walnut Creek. Bring a can of food to donate and get $1 off your admission. www.thewalnutfestival.org


Sept. 25: Myths and Facts of Food Stamps 9 am - noon, Food Bank Concord Warehouse. More info: 925- 676-7543 ext. 231.


Sept. 26: Pleasant Hill Community Service Day. Local residents will be collecting non-perishable food for the Food Bank on this annual Community Service Day. To be a part of this event go to http://www.pleasanthill.ca.gov/index.aspx?NID=514 and then click on Food Bank to sign up.


Sept 26: Sunrise Assisted Living Food Drive, 2175 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. Please join us for live music, good food, and a good cause. To RSVP, please call (925) 932-3500.


Sept. 20: There is still time to give a little during Hunger Action Month. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank is able to provide three meals to people in need.


For more ideas on how to fight hunger in your community, visit our Hunger Action Month calendar online.

Can you eat for just $4 a day?

That's the average amount a Californian on food stamps has to spend on a day's meals. CBS5 reporter Sue Kwon will take the Hunger Challenge September 21-26. She’ll spend no more than $4 a day on food for the week. Sue will kick off her Hunger Challenge on CBS5’s 6 pm news today, and will give updates on the 6 pm newscast each day of the Challenge. She’ll take viewers shopping, share some cost-efficient but nutrient-rich recipes, and report on the latest news on food stamps and talk about people facing hunger every day in our community.

Each of the Bay Area Food Banks is experiencing unprecedented demand. Find your local Food Bank at www.bayareahunger.org and donate now. For more information on the Hunger Challenge, visit http://www.HungerChallenge.com.

Give a Little Feed a Lot!

We are at the half-way point of Hunger Action Month, but there is still time to give a little during Hunger Action Month. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank is able to provide three meals to people in need. Consider giving up your coffee this week. At three dollars a day for seven days that is 63 meals we can provide in the community.

Help us raise $10,000! Give a Little today and we will make sure it Feeds a Lot!

RSVP to Share Family Togetherness & Meal Time Tips This Tuesday on Twitter

September 12, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee

Stop for a second and think about your most favorite meal time experience with your family. What made it fun or meaningful? What did you eat? What did you talk about? What was it that helped you connect and grow closer as a family?

Now think for a second about what gets in the way of achieving that on a regular basis. If you’re like me, quick and simple meals are never quick or simple enough, meal times are rushed, and while I’d love to have all sorts of meaningful conversations with the family during meal time, we are usually lucky to get a home-cooked meal and even luckier to get conversation with it.

But… statistics show the importance of family togetherness during meal times. So, this Tuesday, we are fortunate to have Libby’s and Feeding America along with other #gno gals to share with us their fabulous tips for making the most of meal time. Have lots to share? Want to learn? Or, want to connect for a little girl power? Then, join us this Tuesday for #gno.

And, don’t forget to enter to win one of our amazing giveaway going on this week.

What: Libby’s is sponsoring this week’s #gno Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)

When: Tuesday, September 15, 9-11 p.m. EST

Where: Party with us on our custom Tweetgrid. (Use hashtag #gno.)

Topic: Family togetherness and meal times

Who: @feedingamerica @goodlifeeats @hannahkeeley @janemaynard @savorthethyme @rockinmama

Party Favors: Click here to check out this week’s giveaway sponsored by Libby’s.

RSVP: Please leave your Twitter ID in the comments to follow and be followed (on Twitter, of course!) by other #gno gals. The best format is as follows: http://twitter.com/jylmomIF.

30 ways in 30 days - Week 3

Welcome to week three of 30 ways in 30 days - ways you can fight hunger in your community every day of the week. If you missed week two, or want to jump ahead, you can find the whole month of 30 days in 30 ways at www.foodbankccs.org.

30 Days in 30 Ways - Week 3

Sept. 14 -18: United WayWeek of Caring

Sept. 14: Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/foodbankccs and fan us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Food-Bank-of-Contra-Costa-and-Solano/114530700443.

Sept 15: Macy's "Come Together" invites you to host a dinner party and ask guests to pledge a donation to Feeding America in place of the usual host gift through Macy's "Come Together" website. Macy's will generously match each donation made for the campaign. Plus tonight Macy's will host the Wolrd's Largest Dinner Party at your local Macy's at 6:00 pm.

Sept. 16: Join the Food Bank's monthly donor program.

Sept. 17: Become an advocate for hunger and poverty relief. Sign up to receive Hunger Fighter advocacy alerts from the Food Bank.


Sept. 18: Sony Pictures releases Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs today. Kids can join Flint in becoming a Hunger Helper - someone who finds ways to fight hunger in the community. Become a Hunger Helper today by making your own bookmark and even writing to your Congressman.

Sept. 19: A day-long shopping event, Macy's - Passport, offers the opportunity for local non-profit organizations that support AIDS/HIV programs to raise funds. Participating Macy's stores are located at Pleasanton's Stoneridge Mall, Walnut Creek's Broadway Plaza, San Francisco's Union Square, Marin's Corte Madera Store, Palo Alto's Stanford Store, and Santa Clara's Valley Fair Store. For a $10.00 ticket to the event, you will receive a special shopping discount (exclusive to Passport in Store) to be used on almost all purchases. The Food Bank will retain 100% of the direct ticket sales proceeds. For more information or to purchase a ticket, please contact Joan Tomasini at 925-771-1315 or email jtomasini@foodbankccs.org.

Sept. 20: Host a Food Drive.

For more ideas visit our Hunger Action Month calendar online.

Summer Lunch Celebrations

During the summer months, school is out, but the need for lunch is not. The Summer Lunch Celebrations, held by the Food Bank throughout the month of July, embodied this idea. The Food Bank partnered with UC Cooperative Extension, Contra Costa Health Services, and Vallejo and Mt. Diablo Unified School Districts to hold two events hosted by Wren Avenue Elementary in Concord and Norman King Community Center in Vallejo. Children of all ages were invited to participate in various activities, games, and giveaways related to healthy eating and physical activity. Over 200 children played a relay game, learned about healthy food and drink choices, and enjoyed a snack of peaches and plums in addition to their free lunch. For the parents, there was information about food stamps and other food assistance programs provided by the Food Bank.

Many children rely on free or reduced-price school lunches as their main or only source of nutritious, balanced food. During the summer months, some kids go without a healthy meal for this reason. To rectify this, the USDA created the Summer Food Service Program that provides free lunches to any child under the age of 18. Free lunches are offered at various community centers, schools, and parks in low-income neighborhoods. With the budget crisis and many schools closing, there are fewer locations that offer free meals. Thankfully, despite these setbacks, free lunches were served at over 100 sites throughout Contra Costa and Solano counties.
You can help improve access to nutrition programs for kids -- like the Summer Food Service Program. This Fall, Congress will be making decisions about the Summer Food Service Program, School Meals, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and more in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization. What can you do? Write your members of Congress and ask them to expand and improve current federal child nutrition programs. Visit www.foodbankccs.org for more information.

Calling All Kids

Are you a kid who has wanted to volunteer at the Food Bank warehouse and just aren't old enough? This weekend there is no age limit of 11 years old at the Food Bank and we are inviting ALL AGES to come to our Open House and Family Volunteer Day. Learn more about the Food Bank and how we work while also helping to get produce ready for distribution. We will have activities for kids of all ages!

Please join us:

Sept. 12: Open house and Family Volunteer Day, Food Bank Fairfield Warehouse. No reservations required. Drop in between 2:30 and 4:30.

Sept. 13: Open house and Family Volunteer Day, Food Bank Concord Warehouse. No reservations required. Drop in between 2:30 and 4:30.

Kids you can also join Flint from Sony Pictures' Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs in becoming a Hunger Helper - someone who finds ways to fight hunger in the community. Become a Hunger Helper today by making your own bookmark and even writing to your Congressman.

30 Days in 30 Ways - Week 2

Here is your second week of ways you can fight hunger in your community. If you missed week one, you can find the whole month of 30 days in 30 ways at www.foodbankccs.org.

This September, please think about what you can do to help: volunteer, donate, advocate! For more information about Hunger Action Month, these events, or just the Food Bank in general, please call 925-676-7543, email info@foodbankccs.org or visit us on the web at www.foodbankccs.org.

30 Days in 30 Ways - Week 2

Sept. 7 : Host an Eat In and tell Congress: It's time to provide America's children with real food at school. An Eat-In is a potluck that takes place in public and gathers people to support a cause - like getting real food into schools.

Sept 8: Food Nutrition Policy Consortium meeting, Food Bank Concord Warehouse. 9 - 11 am. More info: 925-676-7543 ext. 204

Sept. 9: Learn more about the Child Nutrition Reauthorization and how you can help get improve access to food for kids. Don't forget to record your minutes at the Hunger Action Center and help the Food Bank win a truckload of food from Kraft Foods.

Sept. 10: Myths and Facts of Food Stamps 9 am - noon, Fairfield. More info: 707- 421-9777 ext. 231

Sept. 11: San Pablo Community Foundation's "Starlight Martini". The "Starlight Martini" dinner dance is an elegant evening filled with great food, music, dancing, and friends. Each attendee also receives a complimentary martini glass. Cocktails at 6:00 PM and Dinner at 7:00 PM.

Sept. 12: Open house and Family Volunteer Day, Food Bank Fairfield Warehouse. No reservations required. Drop in between 2:30 and 4:30.

Sept. 13: Open house and Family Volunteer Day, Food Bank Concord Warehouse. No reservations required. Drop in between 2:30 and 4:30.

For more ideas visit our Hunger Action Month calendar online.

Helping to get the word out

Our friend Anna Chan, the Lemon Lady, has been helping to get the word out about Hunger Action Month. Anna has been harvesting fruits and veggies from people in the community who have an overabundance and taking the produce to hunger relief organizations in the community. Here's her post from Sunday, August 30, 2009: Hunger Action Month. Don't you care enough to click a little?.

Keep up the good work, Anna!

For more about Hunger Action Month, visit www.foodbankccs.org and click on the Hunger Action Month logo.

30 ways in 30 days - Week 1

September marks the 2nd annual Hunger Action Month, and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, along with over 200 other Feeding America food banks, is working to fight hunger in our communities. But we need your help.

Every week in September, we'll update you on ways you can fight hunger for every day of that week. When you add it all up, you get our 30 Ways in 30 Days calendar. To kick things off, here are some simple ways you can get involved from Sept. 1 through Sept. 6.

This September, please think about what you can do to help: volunteer, donate, advocate! For more information about Hunger Action Month, these events, or just the Food Bank in general, please call 925-676-7543, email info@foodbankccs.org or visit us on the web at www.foodbankccs.org.


30 Days in 30 Ways - Week 1

Sept. 1 : Give a little during Hunger Action Month and we will feed a lot of people in our community. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank is able to provide three meals to people in need. Consider giving up your coffee or lunch out this week or even this whole month and together we can feed people in our community.

Sept 2: Find out how you can help serve a meal at a local shelter or community kitchen.Sept. 3: Energize your book group around a book that focuses on the issues of hunger and poverty.

Sept. 4: Engage your elected officials and support Child Nutrition legislation while helping your food bank win a truckload of food from Kraft Foods! Earn minutes for every action you take against hunger. Learn more about the Food Bank Competition and prizes, and start making your minutes count today!

Sept. 5: Take your children to the library and check out Fly Away Home, Uncle Willy's Soup Kitchen or another children's book featuring the theme of hunger.

Sept. 6: Donate a grocery store gift card to your local food pantry so they can provide more for those they serve.

For more ideas visit our Hunger Action Month calendar online.

Farm to Family at the White House

The California Association of Food Banks' (of which we are a member) Farm to Family Program was recognized at the White House on June 30 when President Obama highlighted innovative non-profit programs that are making a difference in communities across the country. The program was recognized as one that is demonstrating results even as the country faces difficult times. Such groups, Obama said, hold the promise of finding solutions to persistent problems and to meeting unprecedented challenges. Farm to Family founder Gary Maxworthy attended the event because of his role in shaping the program since its inception.

Congratulations to Gary and the entire Farm to Family team!

Learn more:
KRON4-San Francisco
San Francisco Food Bank Blog

Budget Update: Dismantling the Safety Net

The budget deal between Governor Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders passed both the Senate and Assembly on Friday, July 24. CalWORKs and other health and human service programs suffered deep and harsh cuts while nothing was done to bring in new revenue and therefore spread the sacrifice. Additionally, the deal expands finger imaging to In-Home Support Services, meaning the elderly and disabled will be forced to provide a fingerprint in order to receive services.

Despite the claims of legislative leaders, there is little doubt that these cuts go a long way in dismantling California's safety net. While the shock of these cuts begins to sink in, it appears, but has not been confirmed, that the California Food Assistance Program and the Brown Bag Program survived without cuts - a silver lining to an otherwise dark cloud of a budget.

CalWORKs
The deal cuts $528 million from CalWORKs by decreasing benefits and increasing sanctions for families that fail to meet work requirements. The bill also reduces children's grants for the first time in the history of the CalWORKs program. These cuts will punish low-income families who cannot find work and therefore force these families to make difficult choices between food, rent, utilities and other basic needs.

Cost of Living Adjustments
This budget repeals SSP and CalWORKs COLAs along with COLAs for almost every area of the state budget except K-12 education and requires any new COLAs be approved by a two-thirds vote.

Click here for more details on the budget from the Western Center on Law and Poverty.

Defend Against Hunger

The Miromonte High School Football team is hosting a food drive and your team could be too! Contact Joan Tomasini at (800) 870-FOOD extension 208 or jtomasini@foodbankccs.org.

Got fruit?

Attention residents in the Danville/Alamo area: did you know someone local is willing to harvest and/or deliver local fruit to the Food Bank or other neighborhood pantries?

Anna Chan, The Lemon Lady, says, "Mira is super sweet and interested in helping more. The word is just beginning to get around about her efforts. She has made several donations, driving all the way from Alamo to Concord to deliver fresh fruit to The Salvation Army and Share Food Pantry. Mira is very dedicated to the hunger cause."

Thank Mira and Anna for all the hard work you are doing!

Fresh fruit in the garden and what to do with it...

Target Store Team Leaders Volunteer

Recently, Target Store Team Leaders of the East Bay came to the Food Bank to help sort through donated food, inspect it for damage and box it for distribution. It was such a pleasure to have the team here at the Food Bank. Target donations make a real difference to food banks like ours and to the communities we all serve. Please read a message below to Volunteer Manager, Sharon Zeppegno from Target Store Team Leader, Joanie Stewart.

Hello Sharon,

Thank you very much for coordinating such a fabulous volunteer activity with the Target Store Team Leaders of the East Bay and your organization.

In addition to having fun, the activity was worthwhile work. We all felt such a great sense of pride and joy knowing that what we did, would be making a difference in the lives of others.

We are looking forward to working with The Food Bank on another volunteer activity soon.

Thank you.

Joanie Stewart - Store Team Leader - Vallejo

State Budget Advocacy Action Items

What do we do now that the budget has left the Conference Committee and is in the hands of the Big 5? To answer that question, following is a message from California Food Policy Advocates (CFAP).

Action Items! What YOU can do!

1. Thank the budget conference committee for their positive actions to
save CFAP and eliminate SFIS (finger imaging). To see who was on the
budget conference committee: http://bit.ly/131K4h

2. Join with others in actions calling for the closing corporate tax
loopholes! Follow this link for more info: http://bit.ly/12EaHD

3. Support legislation from Senator Padilla and Senator Steinberg to
raise tobacco taxes and levies on oil extraction. Follow this link for
more info: http://bit.ly/14duKz

4. Tell the Big Five that revenue solutions must be part of the final
budget!

Contact Info for the “Big Five”:

Governor Schwarzenegger: http://bit.ly/pQ65C

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass: http://bit.ly/12Tzlj

Assembly Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee: http://bit.ly/EzAYI

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg: http://bit.ly/eYHlN

Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth: http://bit.ly/eMeFi

Taken from the St. Anthony Foundation Blog.
http://www.stanthonysf.org/blog/?p=991

California Budget

"Day 13 of Conference Committee completed our initial actions on the budget relating to human services... But the conferees did reject the governor’s proposal to eliminate CalWORKS. That is a line that California cannot cross..."

Read more about the Conference Committee Actions on Human Services and Public Safety posted by Assemblymember Noreen Evans at Assemblymember Evans' Budget Blog.

Then send your letters to the budget committee and governor opposing a cuts only budget. Find a sample letter here.

Vallejo CROP Hunger Walk

Community organizers and everyday citizens helped to end hunger locally and around the world on Saturday, April 25, by taking part in the CROP Hunger Walk at the Ferry Terminal at the Vallejo Waterfront benefiting four local organizations including the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Read more and see pictures here: http://www.vallejocropwalk.blogspot.com/.

See the Lemon Lady in the news

Anna, The Lemon Lady, spent the day with ABC7 talking about the work she does and the need for fresh produce at food pantries. Read more here: http://claycord.blogspot.com/2009/06/lemon-lady-of-claycord-on-abc7-news.html
and here: http://thelemonlady.blogspot.com/2009/06/exciting-day-with-abc-news-reporters.html.

Saturday Food Drives + LDS Church Volunteers = Lots of Food!

In April, our future Eagle Scout, Tanner Kirk, surpassed his goal of 20,000 pounds of food by bringing in 20,027 pounds here to the Food Bank. Some of the food came in over a two week period, but in a single Saturday, we picked up 17,130 pounds of food. This food drive was connected to the three Mormon churches in San Ramon, Danville and Alamo. Volunteers put bags out at the houses on a Wednesday and volunteers picked up the food the following Saturday and brought the food to our truck at the Danville Mormon Church. Needless to say, we needed a larger truck so many of the families loaded up their cars and followed us to the Food Bank. We had 24 totes of food which we had to weigh and bring in the warehouse. Thank you to Tanner for bringing in so much food!

And a huge THANKS to the 100+ volunteers from the church who cleaned the racks, sorted food, cleaned breakrooms, baled cardboard, washed windows, and so much more.

Orinda in Action brought in 515 pounds in their 1st year on this same Saturday in April. The mayor was pleased and will include this in their next year’s Earth Day/Community Day projects. She is determined to collect a lot more food in the future years.

Thank you to those involved for making this a fantastic day and YAHOO for all the food!

You're invited!

What: The first HUNGER FIGHTERS Community Advocates Against Hunger meeting.

Why: Learn what it means to be a community advocate and about the legislation the Food Bank supports. This is your chance to ask us questions!

When and Where: June 10 at 5:30 at the Food Bank warehouse in Concord and June 11 at 5:30 at the Food Bank warehouse in Fairfield. Visit our website for directions.

More info or to RSVP (by June 5): Lisa Sherrill, lsherrill@foodbankccs.org or 925-771-1304.

Youth Celebrate “Day Of Nutrition” In East County

On May 14th and 15th over 230 students from Pittsburg Unified School District came to the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch for the 6th Annual Day of Nutrition and Physical Activity. A partnership between the Food Bank and the UC Cooperative Extension, Day of Nutrition is an event that focuses on teaching children the importance of healthy eating and active living in their everyday lives. Fourth graders from Marina Vista, Highlands, and Los Medanos Elementary came to learn the health benefits (and sample) different fruits and vegetables, explore the edible garden, and participate in various physical activities. With the help of various volunteers, notably the AT&T Pioneers, students rotated through eight different stations focusing on various areas of nutrition and fitness. In the “Go for the Whole Grain/Fruit Breakfast Relay,” students learned about how to read the label of their cereal to make sure it was really a healthy breakfast choice. They discovered the importance of eating a whole grain breakfast and discussed different ways they could spice up their normal cereal with different seasonal fruits. The children then participated in a relay where they picked up fruit on a spoon and ran back and forth putting the fruit into their cereal bowl. The kids definitely needed a healthy, energy packed breakfast to run fast and finish first! Thanks to everyone involved for making Day of Nutrition 2009 a great success!

Students in the Mangini Agricultural Museum classroom at learning to eat a rainbow.

Students in the garden.

Fruit and cereal relay.