Published for the Friends and Volunteers of Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY TO CHANGE LIVES
SPRING 2012
74% increase in need prompts call for more Food, Funds and Friends The ill effects of the prolonged economic downturn continue to bring more people to Loaves & Fishes. The number of clients coming through the pantry doors increased by a staggering 74% between February 2011 and February 2012. The holiday season saw the operation working at full capacity. Executive Director/CEO Charles McLimans reported that on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, 204 families were served in four hours. “We saw that the maximum number of families we can handle is 50 per hour,” he said. “Any more and we will have to add more staff and more volunteers, and of course make sure there is enough food. What we need is food, funds and friends. We have to increase them in proportion to the need. We encourage every member of the community to join us in this endeavor.”
Clients Express Gratitude Many have admired the new facility in the year since it opened, but some of the most heartfelt compliments have come from the people who matter most: our clients. Gary began coming in 2008, when the housing bubble burst and with it, his job selling mortgages. “The facility is amazing,” he said recently. “It seems to get faster and faster every week, and they have more and more of a selection.” Laura is a mom who has used Loaves & Fishes for several years. Like Gary, she is effusive in her praise. “The setup is the best,” Laura commented. “They are the most friendly and give you so much – they are so generous with what they give.” The volunteers who assist at distribution also received high praise.“ They (the volunteers) are so nice,” Laura said. “You see the same ones over and over. There are smiles on their faces and they don’t make you feel bad about having to come here.” Visit our You Tube channel at Loaves & Fishes Naperville IL to see the full-length video containing Gary and Laura’s comments.
Seniors +48%
Single moms +113%
Families +91%
Children +121%
What a difference a year makes! Figures above compare January 2011 vs. January 2012. See full report on insert.
Looking Ahead to the Next 5 Years Loaves & Fishes redefined client dignity and empowerment during a major service model transformation in 2011. Sparked by the move to our new facility, every aspect of the Loaves & Fishes experience improved for our clients. Now the challenge is to continue the progress made in 2011. Executive Director/CEO Charles McLimans challenged the board of directors and staff to define the values and goals that will lead to the ultimate fulfillment of the mission and vision.
The goal of providing best possible operations discusses working with volunteers and staff to develop best practices in all operations areas, particularly in economical acquisition and best usage of resources. Recruiting, training, and recognizing volunteers will ensure we have skilled individuals to meet program demands. Inspiring donors to consistently fund Loaves & Fishes throughout the year will help to pay for services and programs.
The resulting new strategic plan for the next 5 years was ratified last November. It will guide continued improvements in service delivery built on a foundation of core values articulated during the plan’s development. These core values represent the Loaves & Fishes founding precepts: community, compassion, dignity, hope, and service.
Financial goals center on two main priorities: funding the programs and paying off the building by 2016. Loaves & Fishes has committed to fully funding all the programs we offer in a fiscally responsible manner. Budgeting appropriately means that programs are fully funded as they occur and the only long-term debt is the mortgage.
Goals defined within the strategic plan are divided into seven categories related to operations, service, fiscal responsibility, and community leadership.
In empowering clients to achieve self-sufficiency through Pathways to Empowerment, our clients will lead the way. We will continue to research and engage appropriate partners to address their challenges.
Chief among them is providing the broadest array possible of healthy and diverse food options. Loaves & Fishes will continue to identify and source products of high nutritional value and educate families in their preparation. Further, we will seek to broaden the array culturally, since ongoing language surveys reveal an increase in the diversity of native languages and ethnicities. Continuing our tradition of serving with dignity and compassion is essential. To this end, we will survey our service area periodically to ensure that we are reaching the people who need us most. We’ll then adjust our hours as needed.
Finally, Loaves & Fishes will broaden awareness of services and programs to all eligible Naperville and DuPage County residents and efficiently direct communications to encourage service utilization. While it is impossible to predict the state of the economy and extent of hunger in our community over the next five years, one thing is certain: this strategic plan coupled with targeted execution will assure that Loaves & Fishes will continue to be in the forefront of living our mission and vision of ending hunger and empowering lives. 1