Serving Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties
Spring 2018 — Vol. XVIII, No. 2
35 Years and Counting: Reaping Rewards from Fresh Produce
Hunger Walk 2018 A Rousing Success!
On a picture-perfect day in Southwest Florida, the 10th anniversary WINK Feeds Families Hunger Walk at Miromar Outlets in Estero raised more than $305,000 to help the Harry Chapin Food Bank feed our neighbors in need in Southwest Florida. We couldn’t have done it without our sponsors, our walkers, our volunteers and YOU! (More photos, page 4.)
Coming in May...
Letter Carriers Prepare For 26th Food Drive
It’s spring, and that means the 26th Annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive is just around the corner! Put Saturday, May 12, on your calendar and begin packing your bag(s) of food. Children, families and seniors in need will thank you! To volunteer, call Tanya Phillips at (239) 334-7007, ext. 141.
Our 35th anniversary year finds the Harry Chapin Food Bank with more work than ever in overcoming hunger. But one of the most gratifying programs we began in 2010 is reaping great rewards. In fiscal year 2016-2017, the Food Bank sourced and distributed more than 6.6 million pounds of fresh produce — nutritious fruits and vegetables — to an average of 28,000 food-insecure children, seniors and other individuals each week! With your help, we hope to reach our goal to distribute 7 million pounds of fresh produce in FY 2017-2018. Between 20 and 30 percent of the food delivered in mobile pantry distributions is now fresh produce. Especially in peak season, the variety of produce is “awesome,” said Louise Bain, programs outreach manager, ranging beyond potatoes, onions and carrots to tomatoes, strawberries, yellow squash, zucchini, peppers and watermelon. “Apples are expensive in stores, so there’s always a huge response when we get those in,” she added. Fresh produce is equally appreciated by students and families receiving food through five in-school pantries that the Food Bank supplies. And fresh produce
items are often added to the orders for Care & Share: Senior Feeding Campaign and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, another senior program. “Fresh produce is our greatest opportunity to get more food with health benefits to people struggling with their budgets,” said Chris Robinson, the Food Bank’s resourcing manager. “We can leverage dollars to rescue a product that might be otherwise destroyed and in just a day or two get it on the dinner plate of people in need. It’s very efficient and in many cases costs just pennies on the pound.”
Support our mission to end hunger by donating today!
35 Stories of Hope: Living Below the Poverty Line
Eloy Soto and his granddaughter made their way along the line of non-perishable foods, bread, fresh produce and poultry at a recent mobile pantry held at Pinecrest Elementary School in Immokalee. The 760 children who attend the school from grades kindergarten to five all live below the poverty line. The pantry helps “because you can only stretch your money so far,” Soto said. “You got to make ends meet somehow.”
Fresh Food at Heart of Efforts 3760 Fowler St. Fort Myers, Florida 33901 3940 Prospect Ave., #101 Naples, Florida 34104 Phone: (239) 334-7007 harrychapinfoodbank.org
Board of Directors Chair ANNE ROSE Lee Health Vice Chair BILL M. DILLON Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney and Fowler White Boggs Treasurer JEFFREY MADDOX Maddox Construction Company Secretary JOHN D. CLINGER Clinger, Sizemore & Associates Members at Large DAVID FRY Dwell Florida C. ROBERT LEADBETTER MARK LEVINE Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage MAURA MATZKO PAT NEVINS JAMES A. NOLTE Wells Fargo Advisors KAYLA RICHMOND Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. P. KEITH SCOGGINS, Jr. Attorney LOIS THOME WINK News Emeritus Board JOHN B. McCLAY (deceased) JOHN POELKER (Emeritus chair)
Staff
Richard LeBer President and CEO Miriam Pereira, Development Mary Wozniak Marketing/Communications John Kuhn, Special Events Tanya Phillips, Volunteers Todd Lewis, Volunteers Maxine Golding, Newsletter Editor 2
Spring is here, bringing with it a harvest of fresh produce. For 35 years, we have led our community in the fight to end hunger, and for several of those years, providing fresh produce has been at the heart of our efforts. Despite our bounty, it’s not always evident that a need remains. It could be the working family struggling to make ends meet, the child who sits next to your daughter Richard LeBer, Harry Chapin Food Bank at school or the senior on a fixed income with an expenPresident and CEO sive medical condition. When our neighbors are hungry and deprived of fresh, nutritious food, our community’s overall health suffers. Last year, we provided more than 6.6 million pounds of fresh produce We’re determined to continue our legacy by growing our Fresh Produce and other programs that nourish our community. You continue to be essential to this legacy because your support ensures that our neighbors receive the nutritious food they need to thrive—for themselves, their families and our community. For that, we thank you.
Join Us in Welcoming New Staff Annamarie George, donor relations coordinator, worked for Martin Health System in Stuart before relocating here a year ago. Married for 30 years with three children, she and her family love boating and their dogs.
Maria Leon, receptionist at the Collier County Center, is a Southwest Florida native, with roots in Mexico. After working in customer service for 10 years, it was an “eye opener” to be part of the Food Bank’s efforts after Hurricane Irma.
Shortly after Daniel Humphrey, driver (and saxophone player), moved here from Flint, Mich., his 6-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. People reached out to help, so he wanted to work for an operation that also gives back.
Steven Soucy, finance and accounting manager, had been finance director and vice president for two manufacturers in New Hampshire before moving to Fort Myers, where he and his family enjoy boating, fishing and golf.
OUR MISSION... To lead our community in the fight to end hunger. OUR VISION... No one has to go hungry in our community. CONTACT US TO DONATE, VOLUNTEER or SCHEDULE A TOUR: (239) 334-7007
A member of Partner Agency
Look for us on: A copy of the Food Bank’s official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state. For more information, contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs at 1-800-435-7352 or visit freshfromflorida.com.
Donate easily and securely at harrychapinfoodbank.org
Family Volunteer Day Draws Raves
At the most recent Family Volunteer Day in February, a crowd of 52 volunteers packed 6,070 pounds of potatoes and colored 270 paper bags for two senior food bag programs. A food education book, which featured word searches, crossword puzzles and unscramblers, provided much information about Food Bank operations, food groups, portion control and food safety. Just look at the participants’ faces (at left) to see how meaningful and gratifying it was for them to volunteer!
You, too, can participate in the next Family Volunteer Day on May 5! Call (239) 334-7007.
Remember that the Food Bank can turn every $1 donated into $8 in food value!
24-Hour Fundraiser Scores for Food Bank
The Harry Chapin Food Bank raised $23,465 in donations during Give Where You Live Collier, a 24-hour online fundraiser in February. The amount will increase when the Food Bank receives a portion of money from two matching funds.
Food Bank Earns GuideStar Seal
The Harry Chapin Food Bank has once again earned the Platinum GuideStar Nonprofit Profile Seal of Transparency. It is the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. It attests to the Food Bank’s superior transparency, financial accountability and impact. More than 7 million people visit GuideStar each year to learn about nonprofit organizations. You can access the Harry Chapin Food Bank’s GuideStar profile at www.GuideStar.org.
JW Marriott Marco Raises $120,163
Publix Campaign Delivers $90,000
Publix Super Markets donated $90,000 from its Food For All campaign. Publix customers and associates purchased donation coupons of $1 to $5. Kari Lefort, Food Bank programs director, accepted the check from (l-r) Publix district managers Mike Kot and Scott Kiesel, and Joe Taylor, regional director.
Bay Colony Donation
Kelli King, Food Bank major gifts officer (third from left), accepts the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort’s check for $120,163. The campaign started after Hurricane Irma hit Southwest Florida and ran through Dec. 31.
The contribution included a percentage of the resort room rate; $1 from breakfast buffets, piña coladas and golf rounds; $5 from massages and from sailing and shelling excursions; and 25 cents from each bottle of water sold. 3
Our thanks go to Bay Colony Golf Club, Naples, for its most successful holiday campaign to date, raising $13,800 for the Harry Chapin Food Bank. This was the fifth year that club members donated to the Food Bank.
TITLE SPONSOR WINK News Feeds Families PRESENTING SPONSORS Bill Smith Electronics & Appliances Copperleaf Charitable Foundation LEAD SPONSOR Lee County Sheriff’s Office GOLD SPONSORS 7-Eleven CenturyLink Lipman Suncoast Credit Union Tamiami Ford Hyundai Genesis SILVER SPONSORS Maddox Construction Miller, Helms & Folk PA BRONZE SPONSORS BB&T-Oswald Trippe and Company Dr. and Mrs. Wilson Bradshaw Busey Bank Doug and Brandie Duncan Findley Wise Wealth Management Hughes, Snell & Co., PA Richard and Marion LeBer Lee Health Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., PA Mast Family Culligan Christine McCulloch Melanson Law, P.A. Merits Health Products Owen-Ames-Kimball Company Sandy and Patty Robinson Keith Scoggins Tom and Dianna Skinner Nancy Tilly Paul Tilly Wallace International Trucks, Inc. Dr. Michael and Karen Weiss TEAM CHALLENGE GRANT Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, PA Miriam Pereira
SUPPORTER MidWestOne Bank IN-KIND SPONSORS Estero Fire Rescue Holiday Inn Airport at Town Center Miromar Outlets Naples Daily News News-Press Northern Trust Panera Bread Sun Harvest Citrus Super T Shirts WINK FM 96.9 MOVERS AND SHAKERS Dellutri Law Group PET SPONSORS Edison Park Animal Hospital Monthly giving is a great way to support the Food Bank!
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Harry Chapin Food Bank Photo Gallery Find more photos at harrychapinfoodbank.org
Our new Collier County Center hummed with visits in January and February from donors (above and below) and partner agencies (left). Last year 4.8 million pounds of food (one-third of it fresh produce) was distributed through mobile pantries and 33 partner agencies in Collier.
(Above, left to right): Stephanie Vick, administrator, Florida Health Department – Collier County; Cindy Whetsell, executive community nursing director, state health department — Collier County; Louise Pelletier, manager, Collier County Senior Programs & Social Services; Kari Lefort, Harry Chapin Food Bank programs director.
‘35 Reasons Why I Volunteer...’
Beth Rogers: “I have been very blessed in my life, and now that my children are grown I have time to help others. Food is one of our most basic needs, so it’s gratifying to be a part of the Food Bank. I also enjoy the camaraderie with others who feel the same way.”
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John Lynn: “I found out the Food Bank has a warehouse in Naples, so I volunteer twice a week and at mobile pantries. I like working on Care & Share: Senior Feeding Campaign because people in their 70s and 80s can’t get a job so they cut back on food. They are in real need and so grateful for our help.”
Remember the Harry Chapin Food Bank in your estate planning.
Thank You, NCEF! The Harry Chapin Food Bank received a two-year grant from the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. In addition to supporting mobile pantries and food drops, the money from NCEF will enable the Food Bank to conduct more targeted hunger studies and measure the impact of healthy eating on children and families.
Tour the Food Bank warehouse and learn how you can make a difference! Call (239) 334-7007.
Pantry Important Part of Ministry for First Baptist Church of Punta Gorda Every Tuesday between 9 a.m. and noon, adults, seniors and the homeless — between 115 and 130 households representing more than 300 people — wait patiently at the Horn of Plenty pantry at the First Baptist Church of Punta Gorda.
Clients at Horn of Plenty pantry are given a menu from which to order an array of foods, including frozen meat.
This food assistance, which began shortly after Hurricane Charley in 2004, is now an important part of the church’s ministry. And the need to serve those who are hungry continues to grow, with the pantry averaging six new households each week. “The food pantry goes far above and beyond what we do Tuesday morning,” said Pastor Bill Frank. “It’s part of the heartbeat of the church, as we reach out to help the community. The volunteers work very hard to minister to those in need.” Mary Ann Creech and Herbert Lewis are two of those volunteers on the front line. They explained how clients are given a menu to mark their order, which may include spaghetti and tomato sauce, beef stew, canned vegetables and applesauce, snacks and cheese. The menu changes each week, but always contains frozen meat, thanks to the pantry’s refrigerated cases. All of the food comes from the Harry
Chapin Food Bank, which delivers on the first and third Wednesdays of each month — an average of 5,850 pounds per month. “I love the Food Bank!” Creech exclaimed. “The people there are awesome.” As for the pantry’s clients, “it’s always harder at the end of the month, when they run out of money and are more in need.” Occasionally Creech has apologized if the pantry is out of an item. But clients always respond, ‘That’s all right. You’re very good to us, and what we get from you is fine.’”
Make Plans to Give
Your support of the Harry Chapin Food Bank demonstrates your commitment to ending hunger in Southwest Florida. Please consider the Harry Chapin Food Bank when planning your will or estate. For more information, contact Kelli King at (239) 334-7007 ext. 202 or kelliking@harrychapinfoodbank. org.
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The Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida 3760 Fowler Street Fort Myers, Florida 33901
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