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!