-49 degrees and our volunteers keep on working!

Pam Rothwell, our USDA Manager, had two groups scheduled to come in on Saturday to volunteer.  When the temperatures dropped she called them and invited them to cancel but neither did.  Here is her story:

"At -49 below zero the Boy Scouts Den 5 of Pack 25 and the Midnight Sun Lions packed CSFP boxes. 72 Child and 252 Senior boxes.

I asked them why come out on a cold day. The reply was cause of people needing it and we were open to do it whether they were here or not.

They were doing it for a service project. Notice some of the Boy Scouts had to stand on tiptoes to put the item in the box. They totally had a great time. Enjoyed helping the community and people who need it.

 Andrea Johnson, Joleen Boyd, Don Bennett (the manager for West Fred Meyers who is working with the Boy Scouts as part of a Partner Program with Fred Meyers), Donald Bennett, Finn Mackinaw, Cora Hamilton, David Soderlund, Dane Soderlund, Andrea Johnson, Caleb Johnson, Aaron Johnson, Jacob Johnson, Kyana Chambers, Nouyak Hamilton, Tieranny Chambers.  (The names in bold are the scout leaders.)"

Thank you volunteers for your incredible dedication.  The colder it is outside the more customers we have in need at the Fairbanks Community Food Bank.  These are tough months in Fairbanks.  Thank you for serving our needy in the roughest of times!

Thanks!

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/30/12, 05:38 PM

Thank you WalMart!

During these cold winter months the demand for our services is at its highest.  Many of our customers are struggling paying their heating fuel bills, or other unexpected expenses that come along with -40 degrees. 

Today we were blessed with 1,089 turkeys from WalMart (23,335 pounds!).  These turkeys will go a long way feeding our customers during these trying months.

Thank you WalMart!  You are a generous food donor every day of the year, and this turkey drop off is another example of how you take care of this Food Bank.

Pictured above is Anne Weaver, Tim Erickson - WalMart's local Store Manager, Kathy Seim - Food Bank warehouse manager.

Thanks!

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/27/12, 03:32 PM

Staff Stories - stories that make our day!

Annette, our Customer Service Manager, gave me three stories to share with you:

The day started on the wrong foot.  We got into a silly discussion with a guy who was (wrongly) told by his friend that he could get free food boxes for a month, then he would have more money available for beer.  Our 2^nd  phone call was from a standing order family in North Pole informing us she needed to be taken off our order list because she was just approved for food stamps and she thought someone else could use the food more than she and her family.  That phone call was the Heart WARMING call the front desk people needed today to help us remember that most of the people we serve are people who really, truly need our help, and we have to have the other calls to give us a laugh.

I had a man stop in today with a brown bag full of potatoes.  He planted last spring for the first time and was overwhelmed with potatoes, four different varieties from a farm in Delta.  He showed me all four kinds and we told him we gladly accept any and all he has and when he returns on Friday morning he will bring in truck load to us.  He was happy we could accept them even if they are not in a store bought bag.  The best news, he says, is that he no longer has to bombard his friends with potatoes.  As always, we are grateful for any food PROBLEM like this any of you have.  We need and appreciate all of you who donate to your local community food bank – and we, literally, can’t do this community project without YOU!

These two young men pictured below, Joshua Brooks (age 16) and Jesse Die (age 11), have their own egg business: J-Brothers Organic Yard Eggs. 

They are homeschooled boys raising chickens both for their family and also to sell at the Home Grown Market.  Last week the Home Grown Market was full of fresh eggs so instead of throwing the eggs away these two young men dropped off their fresh grown eggs at the Fairbanks Community Food Bank.  30+ families had an extra special treat!

Thanks!

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/23/12, 04:29 PM

West Valley Freshman Student Council raised $1000 for the Food Bank!

A simple idea, with a lot of hard work and dedication to see it through, can go a long ways to aid your community.  The ladies in the Freshman Student Council at West Valley understand that!

Borrowing the idea from some younger siblings (remember Mr. Brent's class at Pearl Creek Elementary School that raised $ and bought food to bring into the Food Bank - it was a November blog), the West Valley Freshman Student Council sold Sky Lanterns at several school events and local holiay bazaars.  Through their efforts, the Fairbanks Community Food Bank received a $1000 check today from them!

I truly love it when kids step up and step out like that.  Being willing to put their time and energy into improving their community through simple but effective methods is how this community solves the problem of hunger.  It was a delight meeting the young ladies today and to hear their story, and also to share our story of the Food Bank with them.  Many thanks for their hard work and their awareness that there are folks out there who need assistance. 

Below is the Press Release:

"The West Valley Freshman Class Student Council sold Sky Lanterns to raise funds for their class and also to do something positive for the Fairbanks community.  They sold the paper Sky Lanters at several school events and several local holiday bazaars.  The Lanterns are small hot air balloons that are used to celebrate special occasions.  They are well suited to the dark and snowy winter months in Fairbanks.  They are giving $1000 to the Fairbanks Community Food Bank and are thinking about other ways to give back to the community.  In addition, they are considering investing some of the money into some sort of equipment, such as an ice-cream machine, that might help raise money in the future.  The fund raiser was a total success and the Freshman Class Student Council would like to thank all those that helped support their efforts, with a special thanks to the Freshman Class advisors, Mrs. Dora and Mr. Kahoe."

Thanks!

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/20/12, 03:17 PM

Chena Kiwanis presents a $4000 check to the Food Bank

Chena Kiwanis presented Sam at the Fairbanks Community Food Bank with a $4000 check this morning and below is their write up to the News Miner:

"In appreciation of the support by Food Bank volunteers and staff given to the Chena Kiwanis Club during their annual distribution project of thousands of ACS telephone directories, Chena Kiwanis President Rich Cummings (rt.) presents a $4,000 donation check to Samantha Castle, Food Bank Director. Representing the Food Bank directors is Sandy Cummings (lt.) while Chena Kiwanians (who also volunteer at the Food Bank) Larry Baillon (left in rear - also on the Food Bank Board of Directors) and Dave Watts, telephone book project coordinator look on." Telephone directories are stored in the Food Bank warehouse until distributed to local youth groups who perform residential deliveries, directories are taken to the Post Office for rural delivery, or until Chena Kiwanians finish local business deliveries."

Thank you Chena Kiwanis.  You volunteer here and support us all year long!  You are an amazing organization and we appreciate you deeply!

Thanks!

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/18/12, 07:37 PM

Need a warm story for a cold day? Read more...

It was -45 degrees when I drove to work today, and my first task was to deal with 5 pallets of lettuce which arrived in Fairbanks in a van that was +34 degrees. 

Then a beautiful lady came in to the food bank with a lovely story.  She approached her 50^th birthday, giving thanks for all that she has, and decided to celebrate the birthday by helping the food bank.  In her career in the school district she has observed many students and their families who have little, and when the food bank was asked to help those families, we were able to provide the assistance they needed.  She told stories of families who work so hard, one or two or more jobs, but still just barely keep food on the table and fuel oil for heat in their boilers.  Their stories are often stories of courage because of the challenges they face. 

Her goal was to collect 50 pounds of ground beef for the food bank, to celebrate her 50^th birthday.  When Sam asked her “Why ground beef?” she said because it is simple for families to use.  Cheap(er) items like rice and noodles can be added, simple meals can be prepared and stretched as needed, simple tools can be used to create good nutritious meals, and not much fuel is needed to cook ground beef.  It is good for a budget which is already stretched too thin.

She was delighted to receive 48 pounds of ground beef and a $100 donation, and then she made her own donation to the food bank as well.   This event made my day, and it brightened up a day that could have caught me in the grumpiness of yet another -40 degree day, in January in Fairbanks, Alaska.  Heart WARMING stories are the best kind of warming there is.

Sam

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/17/12, 06:36 PM

Thank you for your votes! Fairbanks Community Food Bank WON $500

Below is the Press Release from CarInsurance.com.  We are much smaller than many of our counterparts - GOOD JOB MEETING THE CHALLENGE FAIRBANKS!

Foster City, CA, Jan. 9, 2011 - Hundreds of volunteers rallied support for their local food banks during CarInsurance.com’s “Fuel Your Food Bank” contest over the holidays. Today, hungry families in Memphis, Tenn., Shreveport, La., and Fairbanks, Alaska, will benefit.

Checks totaling $2,000 will be sent to Mid-South Food Bank, the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana and the Fairbanks Community Food Bank.  With their expertise in finding wholesale bargains and using volunteer labor, the cash can be turned into thousands of pounds of food.

Throughout December, food banks across the United States sent their supporters to CarInsurance.com’s Facebook page to cast a vote and share their messages of hope. Voting closed Dec. 31. The top-drawing major metropolitan area food bank earned $1,000; two food banks in smaller metro areas earned $500 each.

Nearly 6 million households in the U.S. visited a food bank at some point last year.

The Mid-South Food Bank serves western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and eastern Arkansas, giving away 10.3 million pounds of food in 2011. Its $1,000 award as the major metropolitan area organization with the most votes will purchase 770 meals, spokesperson Marcia Wells says.

The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana distributed 4.5 million pounds of food to families in its seven-parish service area last year.  With $500 in cash earned by its supporters, the group can buy as much as 4,500 pounds of food, says spokesperson Amie Caskey Roberts.

The Fairbanks Community Food Bank supplements cash and food donations with more than 17,000 hours of volunteer labor each year as it serves families across the Tanana Valley. Its supporters earned the organization a $500 donation.

About CarInsurance.com

CarInsurance.com has been offering drivers expert advice about car insurance and how to shop for it since 2003. Using a combination of industry expertise and information drawn from thousands of online quotes delivered without obligation each month, CarInsurance.com is a source for unbiased answers and data about what consumers should expect from an insurance policy. The site lets consumers compare multiple car insurance quotes online and purchase a policy online in minutes. CarInsurance.com is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), one of the largest Internet marketing and media companies in the world. QuinStreet is committed to providing consumers and businesses with the information they need to research, find and select the products, services and brands that best meet their needs. The company is a leader in visitor-friendly marketing practices. For more information, please visit QuinStreet.com. 

Thanks!

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/11/12, 03:22 PM

Thanks to our end of year donors!

Thank you to the following donors who ended our calendar year 2011!

Thank you!

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/09/12, 03:55 PM

Have you Picked Clicked and Given yet?

Pick.Click.Give has already brought in $275,000 to various organizations around Alaska and we are only talking about the first 5 days!  That has taken 3,387 people giving a portion of their PFD to reach that amount.

THANK YOU!

The goal for the entire campain is $2,000,000 and with this opening, we are right on track! 

There are 417 charitable organizations that this money goes to, per the instructions of you, the donor.  And 100% of the money you designate through your Pick.Click.Give donation goes directly to the organization that you chose. 

It is simple and secure!

And many companies, including Wells Fargo, BP, and ConocoPhillips are MATCHING PCG gifts to the organizations!

You can even choose to give to multiple organizations (click on the link to find the 2012 Organizations) - you aren't limited to just one.

To all of you that have already given THANK YOU!  And to those of you who plan to THANK YOU!  This is a wonderful and important fundraiser for the Fairbanks Community Food Bank, and 416 other organizations.  Your support is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/06/12, 02:37 PM

Jeff Cook drops off a check from Alaska Airlines

A visit from Jeff Cook is always a great day. But when Jeff is bringing a $500 check from Alaska Airlines, the day gets even better.

Thank you Alaska Airlines for your generous donation to the Fairbanks Community Food Bank in 2011!

Thanks!

Posted by Anne Weaver - 01/05/12, 10:00 AM