Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "sacramento food bank"

SFBFS Volunteer Spotlight - February 2012

2012-02-02T22:25:48Z

Emma Makdessi did not want the typical 9 to 5 job after college. Likewise, Tara Branson felt indecision about the path she would take after graduation. But both Makdessi and Branson knew that they wanted to travel, make connections and have meaningful experiences. Their paths would converge when both Makdessi and Branson joined the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a full time, team based AmeriCorps program for men and women ages 18 to 24.

For the past four months Makdessi, Branson and the nine other individuals who make up NCCC's Green 1 team would share in the joys and challenges of working and serving local families, and ultimately become incorporated into Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services' (SFBFS) volunteer corps.

The team members worked within programs at both of SFBFS' facilities in Oak Park and North Sacramento and had the opportunity to help with SFBFS' major holiday events including the Turkey Drive, Turkey Distribution and Run to Feed the Hungry.green1

Green 1 Team Leader, Mike Kamen, sums up his experience at SFBFS as one of being in a state of constant learning and surprise. "During my service at SFBFS, I have learned that while Sacramento has significant needs concerning poverty, hunger and homelessness, people also have a very strong desire to perform service and to help their fellow man."

Most of the team members were impressed by the incredible numbers of community members giving and receiving throughout the annual holiday events. At both the Turkey Drive and Run to Feed the Hungry, the team was amazed with the outpouring of community support. "The community feel at the Run to Feed the Hungry is pretty obvious," Justin Slay said, commenting on the event that drew 26,844 participants. "Just the scale was amazing and even the dedication, I mean, it was raining!"

Scottie Grimes echoed the team's sentiment when recalling the line that stretched almost a mile long to McClatchy Park the morning of the Turkey Distribution. "There were lots of questions from people in line. 'Will there be enough? Will you run out?' It was heart wrenching, but nice to reassure them that there will be enough," Grimes said.

It was not just the large events that made a lasting impression on the team but also the everyday operations at SFBFS. "It's the really small moments that are memorable," said Makdessi, reflecting on interacting with clients at weekly food distributions, "I remember a woman standing next to me laughing...People forget we're all human. We have ups, downs, but we can all laugh and smile."

For Green 1, who has moved on to their next service site in San Diego, the feeling that they have leaving SFBFS is one of family and community, not only among themselves, but among the staff and the many clients they served.

If you are interested in volunteering your time to help someone in need in our community, click here for more information.

Disclosure: This article was written by Jessy Wei, an Americorps VISTA member at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.

SFBFS Volunteer Spotlight - January 2012

2012-01-06T23:02:10Z

On the day of a home visit, mother-daughter duo Maggie and Ellie Keenan have brainstormed topics that Ada Cooper, 83, will find interesting to talk about. The topic for this particular visit was the Korean War.

“Her husband served in the military, so she may have a lot of input on the recent events happening right now,” said Maggie, a kindergarten teacher at Barbara Comstock Morse Elementary.

Maggie and Ellie Keenan are volunteers for one of the newest programs at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS), the Senior program. This program matches volunteer families and socially isolated seniors with the assistance of Eskaton’s Talking Listening Caring Telephone Reassurance Program (TLC). The Senior program’s volunteers, like Maggie and Ellie, commit to visiting a senior at least twice per month and bring groceries provided by SFSBS at least once per month.

According to Senior Program Manager Marie-Louise Nelson, it is projected that more than 300,000 seniors will be living in the Sacramento region by 2020, which makes programs focused on seniors all the more important. Marie-Louise said that for seniors, like Ada, who are living alone or have little family living locally, having someone to visit and check on them is important and essential to the physical and mental health of a senior. “Sometimes we go to a house and there is little food, the senior is isolated, depressed, ill or lacks stimulation. The presence of another human being is paramount to aiding the senior and making them feel heard, seen, and loved,” Marie-Louise said.

The importance of others in the lives of seniors was most poignantly phrased by 101 year-old Senior program participant, Clara Thomas, “People don’t realize that their presence is very powerful.”

“Volunteers who are good matches for a senior are those who display a commitment to engage and connect on a basic, kindly level,” Marie-Louise said. The Keenans are two Senior program volunteers who have displayed exactly that. Since August 2011, the Keenans have stopped by Ada’s home to bring food and companionship. Throughout their time together the conversation can flow from news topics to updates on Ada’s health or recently on how Ellie did on her driver’s test. (She passed).

For all involved, the twice monthly visits have established what Program Manager Marie-Louise calls a mutual admiration society. “They all respect and enjoy each other’s company to a high degree. Maggie and Ellie are a great match for Ada for many reasons but also because they pay attention to Ada’s well-being and communicate to me about it,” Marie-Louise said.

In one particular instance, Maggie reported a concern over Ada’s health to Marie-Louise who was able to get referrals for the necessary services. “Without Maggie’s observations, Ada may not have been given the care that she needed,” Marie-Louise said.

For Maggie and Ellie the visits with Ada have become a learning opportunity as they continue to build a relationship with Ada. “It couldn’t be any better. It’s like I’ve known them forever. I couldn’t ask for better friends,” said Ada. “She is a very strong, independent woman and exudes that sense of empathy,” Maggie said, referring to Ada’s 30 years working with the Salvation Army, “Volunteering with Ada has made me realize how much the person volunteering benefits.” When conversations turns towards hardships, Maggie said, Ada always manages to end on an optimistic note. For Ellie, visits with Ada have given her a new experience. “Ada’s never in a bad mood and is always smiling and very sweet. This experience puts my life in a different perspective making me feel fortunate for my family, because Ada has so little family around."

Maggie, Ellie and Ada plan to continue their visits and all are eager to see their relationship grow.

Disclosure: This article was written by Jessy Wei, an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.

SFBFS Volunteer Spotlight - December 2011

2011-12-07T18:54:04Z

Brian Geary's day usually begins at 4 or 5 AM. But despite his early wake up call, Geary was all smiles at the Oak Park Community Center food distribution on a chilly November evening.

“Brian is smiling all the time,” said Food Program Director, Eric Kintzel, “His terrific attitude is absolutely infectious and makes for a delightful atmosphere.”

Looking unfazed by the cold, Geary explains that his east coast roots have prepared him for much colder. “This cold is not bad,” Geary said smiling.

Born and raised in Indiana, Geary said that he has always felt attracted to helping people and drawn to volunteering.

“I feel compelled to give back because I‟ve been fortunate throughout life and realize that not might be the case for many people,” Geary said.

Having relocated from Connecticut six months ago, Geary was once an aspiring actor living in Queens, New York. But after the events of September 11, 2001, Geary has what he calls a reality check and left the acting world for grad school and a job in human resources in an investment banking firm. During this time, Geary said that he was an active part of his community, volunteering through his church and employers. Now living in Sacramento, Geary wanted to find a way to participate in his new community and was drawn to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) after learning about all the programs offered. Reflecting back on his first time working at a food distribution, Geary said he walked away with a feeling of amazement.

“It was like a volunteer machine! The distribution seemed to run so efficiently and all the staff, volunteers, people were incredibly loving and supportive,” Geary said.

After his first experience as a SFBFS volunteer, Geary has remained a consistent and positive presence at food distributions.
Kintzel said that Geary is a volunteer whose positivity is able to diffuse some of the tensions that can occur because of the weather or if someone has had a rough day. Recalling a fast paced distribution at an Oak Park Methodist Church, Kintzel said that Geary's enthusiasm really shone through.

“The line was going real fast but Brian still took the time to talk to every one of the clients,” Kintzel said.

At the end of every food distribution, Geary said that he always takes home a feeling of joy, sadness and motivation to continue serving his community.

“As much joy as I feel volunteering, carrying people's stories home with you, you can't help feeling some of their sadness,” Geary said, “When you hear people say 'I can't get through this week without you,' that's a powerful statement.”

Thank you for all that you do in our community Brian. The Food program, along with all the staff, volunteers and clients at SFBFS, is lucky to have you.

Disclosure: This article was written by Jessy Wei, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services

Sacramento Social Media Club to host 'Best Practices for Charities'

2011-11-04T15:29:28Z

Through their use of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media tools, many local charities have spread their message, raised funds and increased public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change. In the hopes of spreading their stories and inspiring other philanthropic organizations to do the same, four local charities will be conducting a panel discussion at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Urban Hive.

Moderated by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, the event will include panelists: Kate Towson, Americorps VISTA with Sacramento Steps Foward; Julie Bornhoeft, director of development and community relations for WEAVE, Inc.; Misty Avila, eAdvocacy coordinator for Aspiration Tech; and Chris Brune, director of creative services at Macer Media (Sacramento Press), for the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.

The event will stream live on Ustream starting at 7 p.m., and can be followed on Twitter by using the hashtag #SMCSAC. The event is free, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Sacramento Food Bank and the River City Food Bank. Donations up to $500 will be matched by CGI as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility Program.

In addition to panel, the Sacramento Social Media Club will be hosting a social media tune-up workshop on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 6-to-8 p.m. at the Urban Hive. At the tune up, charities will be matched up with marketing practitioners and agencies for one-on-one reviews of their social media platforms, with specific recommendations on improvements after the consultation. In order to participate, charities must RSVP in advance.

The Urban Hive is located at 1931 H St., Sacramento, 95811. Space is limited for both events. Click here to RSVP for the Social Media Best Practices for Charities panel. To RSVP for the social media tune up, email smcsacto@gmail.com.

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About the Social Media Club: The Sacramento Social Media Club was founded in March 2009 by local social media activists. Its monthly events bring together journalists, publishers, students, communicators and other interested collaborators to facilitate discussions about the key issues facing our society as technologies transform the way we connect, communicate, collaborate and relate. The Social Media Club’s primary mission is to promote media literacy and standard technologies, encourage ethical behavior and share best practices. To find out more, join their groups on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

About the author: Brittany Wesely is the Associate Community Benefit Health Specialist for Kaiser Permanente, and a member of the all-volunteer leadership team for the Sacramento Social Media Club. Follow her on Twitter @brittanywesely.

SFBFS Volunteer Spotlight - November 2011

2011-10-31T17:35:59Z

Pat Palley was recently recognized for her longtime commitment to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). Her history with SFBFS goes back over 14 years. In 1995, Pat applied to be the program manager for SFBFS’s Mother-Baby program, but declined the position due to foot surgery. Later, she volunteered working with clients in the Havens Transitional Living program. In 2001, she and her teenage daughter started volunteering in the Food program, which she continued to do until 2009. In 2005, after teaching Spanish at a Waldorf school in Placerville and having heard about SFBFS’ Adult Education program from a friend, she approached SFBFS and inquired about tutoring opportunities. She started as a weekly Adult Education tutor at that time and became a volunteer ESL teacher in 2007. She’s been a weekly fixture in the ESL classes ever since.

At the 11th annual Volunteer Spirit Awards on October 28, 2011, SFBFS staff nominated Pat for the Lifetime Achievement Award. This event, hosted by the Volunteer Center of Sacramento and DOVIA, is the largest volunteer recognition ceremony honoring Sacramento area volunteers. Pat was one of several deserving volunteers taking home awards in the category for volunteers who have served 10 years or more. Pat personifies the best in volunteerism. She cares deeply about the clients and their needs. She inspires others to join her efforts without even asking them. The ESL classes at SFBFS currently have more volunteers then at any time in the past because volunteers love working alongside Pat.

When Pat first arrived as a volunteer ESL instructor in 2007, the program was sustained by a paid instructor provided by the local school district. In 2008, the paid instructor was removed due to budget cuts. This left Pat, who is not a trained teacher but a social worker, to take the reins and start coordinating volunteer teachers for all the classes. She had no set curriculum; rather, she took the materials that were available and adapted them to her style, adding material and activities as she went along. She maintains regular communication with the other ESL teachers allowing for a coordinated approach while encouraging each teacher to adapt their lessons and activities to their personalities. The result is varied and interesting classes that keep the students engaged.

For the first time, SFBFS can now offer two levels of ESL classes at the Oak Park facility. Attendance in the daily classes has grown every year and Pat’s consistent presence over the past several years has been crucial to maintaining the growth of the program. She is able to help students move from the beginning class to the intermediate and advanced level. She is passionate about SFBFS’ mission of moving individuals toward self-sufficiency and financial independence and encourages students to work toward this goal. Because of Pat’s commitment, consistency and dedication, many of the students SFBFS’ Adult Education program have become able to effectively communicate in English.

Disclosure: Robin Simpson is an employee of Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.

Volunteers needed for 18th annual Run to Feed the Hungry

2011-10-19T20:27:43Z

It's that time again... we're nearing Thanksgiving, which means it's almost time for the 18th annual Run to Feed the Hungry! This event, taking place every Thanksgiving morning, is the largest fundraiser of the year for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). The event launches in front of Sac State and winds through East Sacramento, with a 5K course and a 10K course.

Over 28,000 people participated in last year's event, making it the largest Thanksgiving Day race in the country. One of the ways this event is made possible is through the support of over 500 volunteers on the morning of the event as well as the days leading up to Thanksgiving Day. Not much of a runner of a walker, but want to be a part of this incredible community event? Consider volunteering. Volunteers receive a unique, long-sleeve Run to Feed the Hungry volunteer t-shirt for their volunteer service.

SFBFS is in need of volunteers to support Run to Feed the Hungry on the following days:

November 20-23 at REI :

Volunteers are needed at the Sacramento REI to help with runner registration and t-shirt pickup. Volunteers must be age 16 and up to assist at REI and be able to stand for long periods of time. Snacks and beverages will be available for volunteers during their shift. The following shifts are available:

Sunday, Nov. 20, 1:30-6pm
Monday, Nov. 21, 9:30am-3:30pm
Monday, Nov. 21, 3pm-9pm
Tuesday, Nov. 22, 9:30am-3:30pm
Tuesday, Nov. 22, 3pm-9pm
Wednesday, Nov. 23, 9am-2pm
Wednesday, Nov. 23, 1:30pm-7:30pm

November 24 (Thanksgiving Day):

Volunteers ages 18 and up are needed at the Run to Feed the Hungry to assist with a variety of tasks. Volunteers will check in between 6am and 7am (depending on the task) at the volunteer check-in tent near the Scottish Rite temple at J Street and Carlson in East Sacramento. Volunteers are needed until approximately 11am and must be able to stand and walk for long periods of time. The following tasks are available on Thanksgiving morning:

Parking
Crowd Control
Water Stations
VIP Tent
Cleanup Crew
Course Monitors

Volunteers make this event happen! If you have any questions about volunteering, please e-mail volunteer@sacramentofoodbank.org.

Disclosure: Robin Simpson is an employee of Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.

Composting, cover crops, and red worms

2011-10-11T01:20:16Z

Saturday morning was warm enough to draw more than 38 people to Martin Luther King Junior Community Garden for seminars and discussions on composting, cover crops, vermicomposting and the benefits of ladybug larvae.

More than a dozen people attended the first of two composting seminars, led by Bill Maynard, master gardener and director of community gardens for the city.

Sacramento waste reduction coordinator Doug Houston opened the 8 a.m. event by speaking about waste reduction and the cost of green waste. Houston told the group that Sacramento pays for green waste disposal. Bins cost residents less money each month, and they are environmentally friendly because green waste is kept out of the storm drains, he said.

“Food waste in the garbage means organics go into the landfill,” he said. “The organics create methane which becomes greenhouse gas. Yard waste is a valuable resource.” He then confessed that he keeps a composting bin in his office.

Each attendee received a kitchen composting bin, a container of parsley to plant, a composting booklet, seeds and a discount coupon for a composting bin at Home Depot.

Houston introduced Bill Maynard, who told the group there will be 11 community gardens in Sacramento by the end of the month. Each plot could generate $400 worth of food per year.

“Fall is my favorite time of year,” he said. “Free carbon falls from the sky,” referring to leaves.

He led the first of two lectures on composting and discussed the differences between hot and cold composting, saying that hot will happen faster but takes more effort, and cold takes about nine months and will happen whether we want it to or not. Both require carbon and nitrogen layers.

Carbon should be both the top and bottom layer and consists of leaves, twigs, newspaper using soy-based ink like Sacramento News & Review or The Sacramento Bee, hair and cotton dryer lint, Maynard explained.

Nitrogen layers should be living or still green, like lettuce and spinach, but not Bermuda grass or diseased plants.

“Look under leaves for aphid eggs,” Maynard said. “The eggs are laid in the fall and hatch in spring. Most of the year aphids are all female and are born pregnant.”

Plant materials were circulated for attendees to examine for evidence of disease or eggs.

A short question-and-answer session followed with questions about whether the heat would kill Bermuda grass and seeds.

“If the compost pile gets to 133 degrees for several days, the heat may kill the seeds,” Maynard said. “The temperature can rise to 160 or 180 degrees, but it’s best to let the Bermuda grass dry out and use as part of the carbon layer.”

Maynard warned against using weed seeds or morning glories due to flower overproduction, or too many coffee grounds, because of the acidity. He added, though, that rhododendrons and azaleas prefer more acidity.

When asked how moist to keep the pile, Maynard said “like a wrung-out sponge,” adding that the pile can be in the sun or the shade, but that worms prefer cool, and the pile should be protected from rain.

Maynard suggested using compost at the root zone of plants or to place around the plants, and said of the odor that “it should smell like a nice, earthy scent.” A stinky pile needs more nitrogen.

“Always end with a layer of carbon, to act as a cap to prevent flies from laying eggs in the pile and deter rodents,” he reminded the group before leading them to the cover crop demonstration.

Cover Crops

Maynard called cover crops green manure that “enrich the soil.” He said the crops should be cut down by Feb. 15, and by March 15, “the average last frost date,” gardeners may plant at their own risk, reminding attendees that frost does not mark its calendar.

Fava beans, bell beans, field mustard and winter wheat are good winter cover crops. Buckwheat is good for summer. Maynard demonstrated the planting of both fava beans (in rows) and mustard (scattered).

Maynard also mentioned that he is working with the Sacramento Food Bank (3rd Avenue and 33rd Street) and will manage the garden education center. Monthly gardening classes will begin in 2012.

Vermicomposting

The group moved to hear about the benefits of composting with worms and how to build and maintain a worm farm. Worm Fancy’s Michelle Himed, a self-described “compulsive recycler” and Kate Waldo, a “vermaholic,” led the discussion on vermicomposting.

Himed opened by speaking about the history of Worm Fancy and their goal “to educate, build worm bins, and get into classrooms.” They want to reach the youngest generation, the kindergartners, and teach them what happens when they throw a banana peel into a worm bin.

Waldo described the difference between the bins for the classroom, which are single unit bins, and manufactured, multi-layered bins that can be kept in a house or office. Plans for building a classroom unit were available. A plastic bin, water or soda bottle plastic top and some black shade screen were the primary materials used.

Worms require bedding, which can be almost any type of paper. It cannot be the glossy pages from many magazines. They approved the pages from Edible, which was available at the event, as bedding material.

“Worms eat paper as fast as they eat kitchen products,” Waldo said. “They eat the microbes on top of the food.”

Worms cannot be fed everything, though.

“No dairy, no meat and no oil,” she said. “Worms breathe through their skin, and being coated in oil will kill them.

“It’s best to begin with a pound of worms, which is between 800 and 1,000,” she continued. “They are voracious eaters and can eat up to one half of their body weight each day. One pound of worms will eat about three pounds of food each week.”

Attendees were warned not to overfeed or to permit the bins to “get too hot or too smelly.”

“Worms are prolific,” she said. “One adult worm can have up to three cocoons per week and can have between one and 20 worms per cocoon.”

If people were concerned about overcrowding, Himed reassured “the population will regulate itself.”

Waldo reached into the school bin and pulled out a handful of paper. She discussed the types of paper products to use, adding that layering should be used like in composting. Several worms tried to burrow into the paper.

“Worms need to be trained to burrow down, so when first adding works to the bin, it’s best to begin by exposing them to about an hour of light so that they learn to stay down,” Himed said.

The bin’s temperature should be cool, and the bin should be kept in deep shade or inside the house. Mini swamp coolers made from frozen water bottles can help keep bins cool during temperatures above 90 degrees. Worms should also not be too cold, so sometimes miniature holiday lights might be used.

Harvesting should occur every three months and will produce five to six gallons of casings, which equates to nearly one cubic foot. This is enough to start planting in spring. Some casings sold in the store are dry and do not offer the same benefit.

Ladybug larvae

Several people remained to speak about worms, while Maynard led another group to the pumpkin plants and discussed the benefits of ladybugs in the garden.

“Many times, gardeners will kill the ladybug larvae because they think it’s a bad bug,” Maynard said. “In fact, it’s a good bug that eats a lot of aphids before it changes into a ladybug.”

Yes to composting and community gardening

Most attendees were seeking out composting information for their home gardens. Several people said they enjoyed the seminar and discussions very much and had gained a lot of information. Some people had not yet begun their gardens; others had just started; others had been gardening for a long time.

Heather and Joseph Cromartie said they would probably use both traditional composting and vermicomposting at some point in their home gardens, where they are growing greens, carrots, bell beans and tomatoes.

On this visit, one community gardener harvested Swiss chard, saying the rain helped a great deal before she attended the day’s second composting seminar.

Maynard reminded attendees that there are still several plots available. The next plot sale at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Garden is Oct. 18.

SFBFS Volunteer Spotlight - August 2011

2011-09-14T00:20:01Z

Volunteers often bring more than just their time to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). Many bring their talents, their professional training, their enthusiasm for serving others and their desire to make an impact in the community. T. Jackson is a volunteer at SFBFS who brings all of the above on a regular basis. She has been volunteering in the PlayCare and Youth Academy programs at SFBFS’ Saca Community Learning Center since April 2010.

On Friday mornings, T. can be found surrounded by ten to twenty toddlers, sitting on the floor in PlayCare, playing guitar and singing. Her educational background in music therapy helps her to create a special bond with the children who are initially resistant to participating. “Some kids are shy and keep to themselves,” she says. “You can tell they want to join the crowd but their shyness keeps them from it. I like to be the person to pay attention to those kids and help them join in.” As someone who grew up with ten siblings, this is an important priority for T.

T. has a wide variety of interests and a passion for lifelong learning. She began to pursue a career in music therapy as an adult. After taking classes at Sierra College and University of the Pacific, T. completed an internship at UC Davis Children's Hospital, getting hands-on experience working with youth ages 6 months to 23 years. Currently, T. runs a unique business, offering music therapy to clients at in-home childcare centers and schools, as well as one-on-one. She also teaches private guitar and piano lessons. She is passionate about advocating for Hispanic and African-American children, and despite her busy schedule, makes time to volunteer.

She recalls one of the first children she met in the PlayCare program, a three year old girl who barely spoke. "Her mother was so concerned that she wasn't talking," T. says. Working together by singing songs and playing instruments eventually gave the little girl an opportunity to express herself. "She's now entering first grade and talking a lot!" says T. "Sometimes when children are quiet, parents think that they're delayed," she explains. "I encourage parents to never underestimate what their kids can do. By doing this, you will open doors for them to accomplish whatever they want."

In addition to PlayCare, T. plans to spend more time volunteering with the older children in Youth Academy. "I have always loved volunteering. It's fun!" says T. She continues to further her education by taking classes in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, hoping to complete a Master's Degree in the next few years. In her spare time, T. loves playing music, singing and gardening. She can be found every Sunday singing jazz at a restaurant in Placerville. T. is always planning her future adventures and encourages other to do the same. "Make preparations for your dreams, even if they aren't happening right away," she says. With her talent, passion and professional experience, T. continues to make a big difference in the lives of all the children in the youth programs at SFBFS.

Fourth Annual Art Bra Show

2011-08-31T06:59:18Z

Breasts have been bared in the name of art for as long as man has been making art. So why not create art in the name of breast health as well? That’s the idea behind the gallery show at 40 Acres Gallery located in Oak Park.

The fourth annual Art Bra Show will run from Sept. 8-17. More than 150 pieces of art from 100 area artists will be featured.

“Every year we increase the amount of art and quality,” said Kelly Siefkin, spokeswoman for Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. “I think it’s really grown in terms of scope. A lot more people in the community are aware of it. A lot of people love attending it.”

The Art Bra Show will feature sculptures, collages and paintings that are inspired by breast cancer.

“Every piece of art will have a bra or a symbol of a bra. Sometimes they’re hidden, and sometimes they are very visible,” Siefkin said.

This year, contributing artists including post-funk artist Tony Natsoulas, Sandora Nishio and Marjorie Morbitzer of Sacramento will be donating their work.

Natsoulas created two sculpture pieces for the Art Bra Show aimed at eliciting humor amid a serious subject.

“What’s Your Cup Size?” features a pink breast placed in a lime green coffee cup. His other sculptural piece, “Hey, I’m Up Here” features a pair of breasts with glasses on.

Natsoulas said that he has had close friends who have been affected by breast cancer.

“They’ve all survived so far. I haven’t had anyone die on me yet,” he said.

Chico-based artist Sandora Nishio used acrylic paints to create her subject, the star-flower. Her star-flower is poised in the sky and over the ocean. Two petals on her star-flower form a bra. Nishio said that the piece is a dedication to women who have been affected by breast cancer.

“My mother-in-law passed away from breast cancer a couple of years ago and it adds another personal layer of significance to it,” Nishio said. “Any time you can give back and your creativity can benefit in a social way, it’s pretty neat.”

Marjorie Morbitzer, an artist based in Oak Park contributed a ceramic sculptural piece called “Marian the Librarian.”

Morbitzer is a scientist by profession but creates sculptural pieces on the side. She said it took a week and half to make her art bra piece.

Organizers will raise money through a silent auction from 5 - 9 p.m. Sept. 10 during a Second Saturday Art Walk reception for the Art Bra Show. Each of the displayed art bra pieces will be put up for auction. There will be bid sheets next to the artwork.

This year organizers are expecting to raise $10,000 through the silent auction, according to Helen Plenert, Women’s Wisdom art program manager. Women’s Wisdom is a nonprofit organization that provides art resources, including supplies and studio space to women through Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.

The Sacramento Food Bank and the Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation, which provides free mammograms to women who do not have the resources to get regular breast exams, is sponsoring the art show. Viewing is free to the public.

40 Acres Gallery is located at 3428 Third Ave.

Bike & Build Coming to Davis

2011-07-27T18:54:15Z

On August 8, a team of 32 college students from across the country will arrive in Davis, CA on bicycle. Not an unusual sight for such a bike-friendly town. However, these cyclists are traveling with Bike and Build, a non-profit that organizes cross-country bicycle trips which benefit affordable housing groups. Each team member raised $4,000 on their own to participate in this trip.

The South Carolina team left Charlotte, SC on May 23 and is quickly approaching the Sacramento area on bicycle. Their trip has taken them through from coast to coast, through 13 states, stopping in Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Oregon to build homes for families in need. The trip of 4,143 miles officially ends in Santa Cruz on Thursday, August 11.

One member of the team is Ramon Martinez from Fresno County, now a student at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. After graduating from high school, Ramon entered Sacramento State University on a scholarship. As a student, he volunteered with Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and eventually managed the Food Assistance program. This is where I met Ramon and volunteered alongside him bagging groceries and serving the community. Ramon later decided to volunteer for a year of service through the AmeriCorps NCCC program. After finishing his commitment to AmeriCorps, he transferred to Viterbo. While he is a student, he is also volunteering in various programs. He completed two major service trips this year to Louisiana and South Dakota.

Ramon is majoring in Sociology with minors in Spanish and Latin American studies. He is deeply committed to service groups and non-profit organizations. His goal for the next summer is to study abroad.

Please consider joining me to celebrate Ramon’s accomplishments of building and biking across the US on August 8 at 6pm for a barbeque and celebration at the United Methodist Church in Davis, CA. You can meet many other Bike and Build participants, including Sacramento native Sarah Spezia, and hear their stories about what it’s like to bicycle across the country, making stops along the way to help others.

United Methodist Church
1620 Anderson Road
Davis, CA 95616

Disclosure: Pat McManus is a fellow volunteer at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services

Volunteer Spotlight: Leslie and George

2011-07-19T00:02:25Z

In the Adult Education program at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS), volunteers sit side by side with the clients they are assisting, often developing rapport and trust with one another. Volunteers are essential in creating a welcoming, nonjudgmental learning environment. Two of the friendly volunteers one may encounter in the Adult Education program at SFBFS’ main facility in Oak Park are Leslie Marria and George Langley. This dynamic duo has been carpooling from Folsom to Oak Park for the last two years to volunteer. But don’t call them tutors. “I don’t consider myself a tutor,” says Leslie. “We’re doing a lot of mentoring.” George agrees. “We don’t teach people, we help them learn,” he says. Their unique approach help clients feel empowered about their learning abilities. Both George and Leslie’s backgrounds and life experiences are a huge asset the students.

After retiring from 32 years of teaching special education and Spanish, Leslie met Emmy, a longtime SFBFS volunteer who convinced Leslie that her skills were needed in Adult Education. “It took me about three years until I finally came down, and I’ve been here ever since,” says Leslie. With her education background, Leslie often helps the Adult Education program manger identify learning disabilities in the adult students. Leslie had been volunteering for about a year when she did a little volunteer recruiting of her own. “George is my wonderful neighbor who was always doing little repairs around my house for me,” explains Leslie. “When I finally ran out of things that needed fixing, George asked what else he could do. I told him, come to volunteer with me!”

“Once I got in the car, I was stuck!” laughs George. He has been volunteering for just over a year and enjoying every day of it. George, who has a background in engineering, worked in the private sector for 40 years before going back to UC Berkeley to get his degree in education. He then taught auto mechanics to high school students for 23 years. He enjoys working with individuals of diverse backgrounds and helping them in subjects varying from English and math to car maintenance and parenting advice. “It’s thrilling to see the students begin to blossom as they grow,” he says. Both George and Leslie use their unique style to teach the students basic life skills. Leslie recently started bringing in casseroles and other basic dishes to share with the students. She started offering basic cooking tips and healthy, easy recipes. George brought in solar-powered calculators and showed students the benefits of never having to replace the battery, as well as how to use the calculator to find good deals at the grocery store. “We help individuals see the importance of teaching themselves,” says George. To sum up her teaching philosophy which she shares with her students, Leslie quotes Henry Ford: “If you believe you can, you’re right,” she says. “If you believe you’re wrong, you’re right. You decide.”

The students that George and Leslie work with often come to them for academic guidance, but leave with much more. George, who is turning 99 in August, just completed his second novel which relates to his rich life experiences. “You’re only as old as you think you are,” he says. Leslie calls George “St. George the dragon slayer” for his always positive, can-do attitude. Both volunteers are incredibly talented and inspirational individuals with so much to share. They are an amazing part of the volunteer team at SFBFS.

Race for the Ring fundraiser brings adventure to Sacramento

2011-05-23T07:29:24Z

About 600 people wearing blue T-shirts walked and rode bicycles, searching for clues in downtown Sacramento at the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services’ third annual Race for the Ring event Saturday.

Food Bank communications director Kelly Siefkin said the money raised will help support all eight programs, from providing food and clothing to education and women’s resources.

“I think it’s a way to involve part of the Sacramento community and people who don’t really know about the programs,” Siefkin said. “We make it a fun day. They want to come back with their families, volunteer and be motivated about the programs.”

The event provides a fun way for people to get an “Amazing Race” experience locally.

The race kicked off with a countdown from Mayor Kevin Johnson, and participants made their way from Raley Field to downtown.

Partners Hope and Rena Richards said it was their first time doing any type of race.

“I’m a little concerned – it’s a lot of riding,” Hope Richards said. “But you’ll never know until you try.”

Individuals or pairs received clues via text message about where to find answers to trivia questions. Each team traveled on bike or on foot to specific destinations and could not use any vehicles or outside help.

Teams traveled to places like Old Sacramento, the Tower Bridge and around the Capitol to search for the answer. Every team had a different path to follow and received a different set of text messages.

If the team answered correctly, they earned points. If a team made three incorrect attempts to a question, they had to move on. Teams with the most total points won prizes.

Several teams were in high spirits during the race.

San Tsan and Brian Herman of the Magic Sticks team dressed in matching shirts with their team name.

“Magic Sticks is going to win!” Tsan said.

Husband and wife team Jessica and Steve Donaldson parked their bicycles to look for a historic landmark sign.

“(The race is) easy, because we live here,” Jessica Donaldson said.

Calvin Curtin, the marketing director for Rogers Jewelry, said the store donated prizes for the event for the top 10 teams.

“There are prizes for early entry, best team name and best costume,” Curtin said.

The big prizes for the top three places included a $3,200] Hearts on Fire pendant called Beloved for third place, a $5,700 Hearts on Fire double halo solitaire ring called Transcend for second, and a $8,600 Hearts on Fire diamond ring, for first.

Race for the Ring is Saturday: See the live photostream here

2011-05-19T23:09:54Z

The third annual Race for the Ring (formerly Race for the Rock) is Saturday.

This text messaged-based treasure hunt through downtown Sacramento is sponsored by Rogers Jewelry Company and directly benefits programs at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.

Teams of two will pedal, scoot and wheel their way through downtown Sacramento guided by text message clues in search of more than $35,000 in prizes.

The Race for the Ring will kick off at Raley Field around 10 a.m. Saturday morning. The race will take approximately two hours to complete.

Race winners will be announced and prizes awarded at an after-party inside Raley Field beginning at noon. The festivities include lunch, live music, games and a silent auction.

It’s not too late to register for this amazing event. For more information, visit race for the ring.

The Sacramento Press will be live-streaming photos of the race-time antics by Race for the Ring participants via Liveshare, an app for smartphones. You can view the photos on race day here, in this article.

Volunteer Spotlight - May 2011

2011-05-10T21:20:18Z

Charlotte Hansen is one of those “can’t live without her” volunteers. She has been volunteering at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) in the Mother-Baby program for just over one year, and the program staff cannot imagine the program without her. “Her commitment to the Mother-Baby program is fantastic,” says Lorena Carranza, Mother-Baby program manger. “She does it all.”

Indeed, Charlotte wears many hats in the Mother-Baby program. She can be found on Mondays and Thursdays in the Mother-Baby clothing area, sorting baby clothing, hanging items, talking to new mothers and babies, training volunteers, and more. You may also find her sitting down with a new parent in the mentoring room, making referrals, offering advice, and being a shoulder to lean on. On special event days, Charlotte is serving food, facilitating art projects with the kids, helping with set up, clean up and more. She is currently being trained to lead parent education classes on the use of cloth diapers. She really does it all. She has a pleasant and welcoming demeanor that makes everyone feel comfortable in the program.

“When I moved to Sacramento not too long ago, I wanted to find a worthwhile place to spend some time,” says Charlotte. An online search led her to the Mother-Baby program at SFBFS. Charlotte retired from a career in retail a few years back and came to Sacramento to spend time with her daughter’s family and new grandchild. “I love clothing and I love kids, so this sounded like a great fit,” she says. Charlotte is one of the first friendly faces that new clients see when they arrive to receive help with their brand-new babies. “It’s so nice to see people helping others. I enjoy being a part of that.” Families receive a generous supply of gently used and new baby clothing, maternity clothing, blankets, and other baby supplies. “They just can’t believe how much they are able to receive. It’s fun watching the kids pick out their own toys. Both mom and kids are so grateful,” she comments.

Charlotte’s current challenge is learning how to sew cloth diapers. The Mother-Baby program will soon offer a class teaching new parents how to sew their own cloth diapers for use at home. The moms will be able to take home all the diapers they sew in class. Charlotte has been experimenting with the pattern on her home sewing machine and is feeling confident that she’ll be able to teach the parents how to do it. The diapers are created by donated t-shirts and fabric scraps. “The response from the community is great,” she says. “We’re doing this because the parents want to learn how. It’s wonderful to see.”

For Charlotte, the joy of volunteering is creating a welcoming space for clients. “SFBFS fulfills important needs. It’s very family-oriented,” she says. Her focus is always making the families feel comfortable inside the Mother-Baby program. “We have a very happy environment here,” Charlotte says. Lorena agrees wholeheartedly, saying “Charlotte spreads love and compassion to the families enrolled in the Mother-Baby program. Everyone loves working with her because of her warm personality.”

Volunteer Spotlight

2011-04-05T16:51:48Z

During the Christmas season of 2009 a strong desire came over Becky Starr to help a family in need. She knew she wanted to give back somehow and immediately went on-line in search of volunteer opportunities. Having worked in the food industry for 30 years, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) seemed like an obvious fit.

However, after attending SFBFS’ volunteer orientation, Becky realized she might fit better into the services offered in the Mother-Baby program. “I have a four year old granddaughter and a two year old grandson that live in Champaign, IL and I don’t get to see them much,” confesses Becky. “I liked the idea of working with women and children, so when the Volunteer Manager mentioned that there was a need in the program that was it.”

“I love what we do here,” reflects Becky. “It’s so different from my day to day work and I really enjoy the change of pace.” Becky is the Western Region Sales Manager for a prominent food ingredient company and travels about six months out of the year. “I make sure to schedule all my trips on Tuesday”, she informs us so that she can volunteer on Monday evenings at the Saca Community Learning Center, SFBFS’ facility in North Sacramento.

“I’m so impressed with the services this organization can offer the parents and children,” she says with a smile on her face. “I remember how scary it is having babies and not knowing where I was going to get the next gallon of milk,” Becky says as her tone becomes rather somber. “I love what we what we’re doing here. The classes are great and I feel good at the end of the night” says Becky as an even bigger smile returns to her face.

“I also love working with the other volunteers and would absolutely recommend it to another person looking to get involved in our community. We could definitely use more help…Spanish-speakers a plus.”

When Becky is not on the road with her company she provides bookkeeping services for her daughter’s young adults appeal shop Cuffs located in midtown on J Street. Her experience at Cuffs has helped make Becky the perfect candidate for organizing, displaying and pricing of Mother-Baby’s Baby-Buck Boutique, an incentive driven store that allows parents to shop using the Mother-Baby Bucks they earn by attending multiple workshops in the program.

Whether she is traveling, crunching numbers or organizing baby supplies, it is certain that Becky does it from the heart with a grace and compassion that comes from a dedicated volunteer. Hats off to you Becky Starr, we appreciate all that you do.

Written by Mireya Estrella

Cementing the future

2011-03-12T11:33:12Z

Oak Park, Sacramento, CA | In tough economic times, Sacramento Food Bank pours the foundation to the next phase of their facility Thursday.

Cement trucks began arriving early Friday morning at 3308 3rd Ave., the expansion site of Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. They were busy at work laying the foundation for the new expansion, one that the food bank's President, Blake Young is "ecstatic" about. Blake stated that he and the board of directors, through good stewardship of funds, waited seven years for this day.

Blake stood outside the fence at the site Friday morning and looked on as the cement was poured and a snazy laser guided machine and workers leveled the cement that would be the foundation of a legacy for a community.

This is what Young had to say: "This project, in particular, is years in the making. The board of directors and myself based this project on a community needs assessment. Through our strategic plan we put together, we found that education programs for children and adults, job skills training, and a really important parent education program, we felt that we were at capacity in our current center. So through this strategic plan we decided to take the next step, which would be to build out these four in particular programs, build this center which would allow us to serve close to triple the amount of people. For us it was really about helping the moms and dads, it was about helping people gain jobs through technology training, and it was about really helping kids realize high school and college through one on one training and technology programs.

"Our hope is that a lot of people will benefit from this. We've had a great response from the community, We feel that we are part of the community. And this was brought on because the community had a huge demand for our services.

"Our objective is to cement ourselves once again, we've been here 40 years, for the long term and as the economy and the community changes, we'll change along with it, and this gives us the opportunity to be here in perpetuity and continue to grow our programs.

"It will house an adult education center, a children's' education center, a senior education center, and an expansion of our Mother Baby Program. Adjacent to the building will be what we call the Food Bank Farm, which will be a five thousand square foot farm for the adults and children of the center. Phase two will be a remodel of the existing center. The farm, even though a small for a real farm, will produce food and vegetables that will go right into our food assistance program where we do mobile distributions.

"We are ecstatic. What it really is, it is a gift from the community to allow us and to give us what we need to be able to do this. But really it's about the community having confidence in us; delivering quality programs that aren't a reflection of government funding. The community really owns this; they're the ones that step up and donate to our programs. It's just a result of a lot of hard work.

"A real big shout out and thanks to the community for giving us the confidence and support to run and operate really effective and relevant

Check out additional photos>>

Volunteer Spotlight: Volunteer Spirit Award winners

2010-12-04T00:37:21Z

The Volunteer Spirit Awards are a yearly opportunity for organizations throughout Sacramento to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding volunteers. On October 29, 2010, staff and volunteers from various programs at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) attended the 10th Annual Volunteer Spirit Awards luncheon the Grand Ballroom in downtown Sacramento. This event, put on by the Volunteer Center of Sacramento, is the largest volunteer recognition ceremony honoring Sacramento area volunteers. Nominees come from a wide range of local agencies, with areas of volunteerism ranging from education, animals, heath, family services, hospitals, seniors, counseling and more. SFBFS program managers take this opportunity to recognize their outstanding volunteers by submitting detailed nominations outlining the dedication and accomplishments of volunteers.

This year, SFBFS nominated eight incredible volunteers in various categories. The nominees included Carrie Detwiler for Ray of Light volunteer (Mother-Baby), Cynthia Bows for Volunteer of the Year in Arts and Recreation (Women’s Wisdom Art), Ricci Stephenson for Salt of the Earth volunteer (Mother-Baby), Michael Adams for Volunteer of the Year Supporting those Less Fortunate (Adult Education), Jacob McGonigle for Youth volunteer of the Year (Food Assistance), Chris Crumly for Heart of Gold volunteer (Clothing), Greg Hoyt for Volunteer of the Year Supporting Children and Youth (Computer Clubhouse) and Home Depot for Volunteer Group of the Year for their work at both SFBFS facilities.

SFBFS staff cheered on the nominees at the luncheon and is ecstatic to report three SFBFS won: Cynthia Bows, Greg Hoyt and Michael Adams. Cynthia Bows has been a part of Women’s Wisdom Art since March 2009. An accomplished sculptor, Cynthia recently celebrated her 80th birthday but her energy and passion for ceramics has only increased over the years. She shares this enthusiasm with the women in the program who are learning to sculpt. She inspires creativity in everyone she surrounds. In addition, Cynthia has stepped up to the plate to raise money from friends, family, colleagues and “anyone who will listen” to fund a scholarship for advanced ceramics courses for five low-income women in the Women’s Wisdom Art program.

Greg Hoyt has been a volunteer in the Computer Clubhouse program for over four years. Computer Clubhouse Program Manager Charles Coger was thrilled at the opportunity to recognize Greg’s many accomplishments. Over the years, Greg has provided tutoring and mentoring to the youth in the program and vital IT experience to the computer workstations. A retired Intel employee, Greg has contributed over 800 hours of volunteer work with the youth, repairing and reformatting machines, researching software for the program’s curriculum, solving IT problems for the families served in the program, donating computer parts and even developing a course where students built 5 PCs from scratch. The Computer Clubhouse would not be the same without Greg’s expertise and dedication.

Michael Adams, a volunteer in the Adult Education program at the Saca Community Learning Center, was a student in a paralegal program when he started volunteering several times a week. He assisted the Adult Education clients with literacy tutoring, computer basics, resume writing and job searches. He enjoyed working one-on-one with clients and even found that his knowledge of the legal system was extremely useful to help individuals in various situations. One client was hesitant to start her job search due to a past mistake possibly showing up on a background check. With Michael’s help, she was able to navigate the system to find out her previous case has been dismissed and her record was clear. She was thrilled to be able to search for a job without feeling ashamed about her past thanks to Michael’s assistance.

“It’s such a gift to have this formal opportunity to recognize our volunteers’ accomplishments,” says Robin Simpson, Volunteer Services Manager. “Everyone enjoys the luncheon and it’s a thrill to take back three awards. We are so proud of our nominees.”

Volunteers needed for Thanksgiving Day

2010-10-17T23:46:00Z

Looking for a new way to spend Thanksgiving Day? Here's an idea - volunteer. Volunteers are needed for the 17th annual Run to Feed the Hungry, the largest fundraiser for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). This event launches in front of Sac State every Thanksgiving morning and has become a Sacramento area tradition for families wanting to make a difference in their community. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services is a private non-profit organization dedicated to serving those in need with emergency distribution programs and education services, all offered at no cost to Sacramento area families. For more information, visit www.sacramentofoodbank.org. Come out and help us make a difference.

Make this your new Thanksgiving Day tradition. Volunteers for this special event must be age 18 and up. To view all volunteer opportunities, view November 25 on the SFBFS volunteer calendar here or sign up by clicking the links below:

Volunteer to pass out runner t-shirts.
Volunteer as part of the Parking Crew.
Volunteer as part of the Turkey Team, which fills in where help is needed most.
Volunteer at the VIP Tent.
Volunteer as a Course Monitor.
Volunteer as part of the Clean-up Crew.
Volunteer as part of the Crowd Control team.
Volunteer at a Food/Water station.

Questions? E-mail volunteer@sacramentofoodbank.org.

Sacramento Food Bank hosts Food Network Star Nikki Shaw

2010-09-24T02:55:29Z

Celebrity chef Nikki Shaw, a finalist on “The Next Food Network Star,” will give a demonstration on healthy cooking and talk about obesity in African Americans at the Sacramento Food Bank Tuesday.

“We’re getting hit the hardest with overweight and obesity issues,” Shaw said. “I think the best way to get the message across is to talk directly to the public. We are in the middle of a crisis, and the crisis is that 76 percent of African American adults in California are overweight.”

She travels between Sacramento and San Diego giving demonstrations and spreading awareness about the importance of healthy eating habits.

Tuesday’s demonstration is a collaboration with the Network for a Healthy California, which works to improve the health of low-income families in California by promoting the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables and daily physical activity.

“We choose locations that need attention and can attract people who can benefit from this program,” Shaw said.

But the adults aren’t Shaw’s only concern – childhood obesity is increasing as well.

“I try to teach children and parents how to decrease the increasing childhood obesity rate because the issue is near and dear to my heart,” she said.

“I have children and have always taught them how to make wise choices so their palates are used to vegetables, so that it’s a part of nature. It’s important to me because they’re my babies, and I don’t want them to suffer from diabetes, heart disease, and the certain forms of cancer that can be prevented by eating healthy.”

And to get children excited about cooking, she’s learned you have to trick them.

“A recipe I love to demonstrate for children is called confetti spaghetti,” she shared. “That’s the first trick: give it a fun name.”

Shaw stressed the importance of getting the kids into the kitchen.

“Let them help you cook. They are more inclined to love a dish when they help you prepare it,” she said.

This kid-famous confetti spaghetti gets its name from the six fresh vegetables included in the spaghetti sauce: zucchini, yellow squash, onions, garlic, tomatoes and carrots.
“It’s like a celebration,” she said. “A celebration of eating healthy.”

During her demonstration, Shaw will also discuss the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables every day and the amount of sugar in sodas and juice drinks and how to cut back on them.

She will share some of her own tips and tricks such as when to substitute ground turkey in recipes that call for ground beef and how to cut back on beef and pork by eating chicken and turkey instead.

“Pork is not good for us because it has twice the amount of fat as beef,” she said. “Most people don’t even know that pepperoni is pork, and pork isn’t good because it blocks our arteries with the high fat content.”

Sacramento Food Bank representative Kelly Siefkin recognizes the need for these types of demonstrations, especially in this economic climate.

“The Sacramento Food Bank serves a wide variety of people and families in need who are often suffering dietary concerns because of lack of finances,” Siefkin said. “They often purchase items at the store that are inexpensive and because of that, nutritionally poor. So by getting the education that they are not otherwise exposed to they can learn to cook and prepare for the family in a much healthier way. If we can modify their diet we can modify and improve their lives.”

Her demonstration Tuesday will go from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Sacramento Food Bank is located at 3333 Third Ave.

Race for the Rock volunteers needed!

2010-05-06T02:17:34Z

Volunteers (age 21 and up) are needed for Race for the Rock on Saturday, June 5, 2010! Join us at this fun and unique event benefiting Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, where teams of two race around downtown Sacramento receiving text-message clues leading them to diamond jewelry and other prizes. Volunteers are needed for two separate locations:

Race for the Rock Kickoff event – GROUPS NEEDED!

When: Saturday, June 5, 2010. 7am-11am

Where: West Steps of the Capitol

What: Kickoff event for Race for the Rock. Volunteers will help with participant check-in, pass out t-shirts, distribute bike valet tickets, and help set-up and break-down the kickoff event.

How: To sign your group up for this great opportunity, send an email to Robin at volunteer@sacramentofoodbank.org Please note volunteers must be age 21 and up.

Race for the Rock After-Party – INDIVIDUALS and GROUPS needed!

When: Saturday, June 5, 2010. 11am-4pm

Where: House Kitchen & Bar, 555 Capitol Mall

What: After-party and awards event for Race for the Rock. Volunteers will help with bicycle valet parking, security, and set-up and break-down.

How: You must be 21 and up to volunteer at this event. To sign up for this event, find the event on our volunteer calendar and click “Volunteer Sign-up”: http://www.sacramentofoodbank.org/Calendar.aspx?type=volunteer

Questions? Email Robin at volunteer@sacramentofoodbank.org.

District 5 Candidates Meet Residents in Open Forum

2010-04-02T08:37:27Z

District 5 City Council candidates came face to face with community members at the Oak Park Neighborhood Association's monthly meeting Thursday.
Four of the five candidates met with residents at the Sacramento Food Bank to discuss their political plans in an open forum. Approximately 40 people attended to ask questions and gain more insight on their potential representatives.
Candidates running are Terrence Johnson, Leticia Hilbert, Patrick Kennedy, Jay Schenirer and Henry Harry. Hilbert was absent from the meeting.
Chairs formed a half-circle and faced the seated candidates. Questions were collected from the audience and presented by members of the neighborhood association's board of directors.
Attendees asked questions regarding candidates' approaches to projected housing and development plans, reconciling the negative stigma toward Oak Park, whether the candidates intend on being receptive to the community and other topics.

The candidates were asked to address key areas they would like to improve in Oak Park.

"I would like to see the Broadway corridor and the partners of the Housing and Redevelopment Agency move forward in the queue for development," Johnson said. "I think that even though it's a tough time, by the time those things come to completion we will have a better economy. We will have a viable, competitive, economic corridor that will bring people in. It will be a destination. Get it going, get it done, make it happen. I know there are things that slow it down, I'm the chair of the Redevelopment Advisory Committee, so I know some of the things that go on. I think we need to put pressure on them to perform to the expectation level of the community."

Schenirer spoke on the topic of housing as well.

"A lot of wonderful things are happening in the neighborhood," Schenirer said, "but we have far too many vacant lots, far too many properties in disrepair. We have an opportunity now where there are banks who will need to give out loans. Credit will loosen up over the next year or 18 months, and I think we need to get a cohort of residents here in Oak Park who are ready to purchase homes when that happens. This is the opportunity and the time to do it. It's about thinking ahead of the curve and not being reactive later on when money starts to become available."

Concerns for District 5 youth arose frequently during the forum.

"I think the issue around youth is paramount, and I've been working on it for 17 years now," Schenirer said. "I helped write a framework for the city for our former mayor. First is safe places for young people to be when they're out of school. Second is getting kids involved in the community. Third is getting kids jobs, internships, skills and funding that their families need. I think we really need to focus very deeply on what young people are doing in the neighborhood so we can prevent them from getting into trouble early on, save ourselves money from the back end of this and create a better community."

Oak Park Neighborhood Association President Michael Boyd asked, "I've been in this community for more than 40 years, and the issues haven't changed much. We're not talking about overnight success, we're just talking about more success. What are you going to do specifically for Oak Park to alleviate some of the problems you've noticed?"

Harry responded: "I've worked with the Oak Park Foundation, we've mentored kids, we've been on the ground with them, we've hosted forums trying to get them in the right direction and we're out on the streets running with them. I think as a City Council member you have to come back, you run with these kids, you inspire them. You want to know what I'm going to do in the future? I'm going to use the power of City Council to mentor them. I'm going to use the voice of City Council to help the school board work better with education. Look at what I've done in the past, and you'll see what I'm going to do in the future."

Kennedy spoke on his concern for a better image of the community.

"I want to go back to the stigma of a negative Oak Park," Kennedy said. "When I was president of the neighborhood association out here, it was one of the things that drove me crazy. We know that what bleeds leads when it comes to the media. They love to report negativity. What we need to do is turn that around by being cheerleaders among other things. We need to straighten the media out. That's what I would do when I was neighborhood association president. When that would happen, I wouldn't let it go, I would call not only the reporter, but the editorial staff. And soon we started to see it happening less and less. We need to focus on those things that are positive. We don't have that leadership right now that's doing that. And being the cheerleader is something we need, and I look forward to doing that."

The association board members recognized and related to most of the crowd, adding jokes and familiarity when possible. The candidates mingled after the debate finished with a crowd that seemed to appreciate the open forum.

"It was very informative," Ciana Yniguez said. "The only candidate I'm familiar with is Terrence Johnson because we both live in the community. It was really good to hear the other candidates. I don't have very much information on them, so I made sure I was going to be here tonight to hear them speak."

"The debate went really well," Oak Park resident Gene Bennett said. "The candidates spoke to the people without speaking down to, or over, anyone. I felt they were all very sincere and respectful. I enjoyed the format. Rather than having them give a platform speech or point-by-point explanation of what they would do, I liked the question-and-answer format. It didn't help me choose a candidate because I felt that any one of them would represent Oak Park very well."

Primary elections will take place on June 8.
More information on the candidates can be found here.

Photo captions:

1) Sacramento Food Bank exterior

2) Community members gather in the District 5 open forum

3) Free information related to Terrence Johnson available by the front door

4) Free information related to Henry Harry and Jay Schenirer available by the front door

5) Meeting attendees listen to the candidates

6) Candidates (L to R) Patrick Kennedy, Henry Harry, Jay Schenirer, Terrence Johnson

7) Candidates (L to R) Henry Harry, Jay Schenirer, Terrence Johnson

8) Candidate Patrick Kennedy

9) Candidate Jay Schenirer

10) Community members listen to the candidates

11) Community members listen to the candidates

Harvesting the 'City of (fruit) Trees'

2010-03-15T02:42:49Z

Sacramento is nicknamed the "City of Trees" for a reason. Even in its most urban core, the city is filled with fruit trees.

So what happens when those trees produce more fruit than the owners can harvest, let alone eat? One option is to let Harvest Sacramento take care of it. This year alone, the group has collected more than 13,000 pounds of fruit from the Sacramento area, all of which goes to the Sacramento Food Bank.

Harvest Sacramento organized a Midtown Fruit Harvest on Saturday in which 25 community volunteers helped pick more than 1,300 pounds of citrus for the food bank. In just three hours, the group collected grapefruit, oranges, lemons and kumquats from nine houses in the grid.

The group was inspired by an East Sacramento couple, Mary McGrath and Robin Aurelius, who organized a grass-roots effort to harvest unwanted oranges from trees in the McKinley Park area. After that group delivered more than 3,000 pounds of citrus to the Sacramento Food Bank in early 2009, Soil Born Farms joined in and took a lead role in increasing community involvement.

"We have big white bins to put the fruit in, and the food bank picks them up and weighs them," said Randy Stannard, a food access coordinator at Soil Born Farms. "The giver gets a receipt and a tax write-off for about $1 per pound."

He mentioned that the group canvasses the grid and asks homeowners if they would be willing to let Harvest Sacramento harvest their fruit. He also said the group is trying to create an urban food forest map to keep track of the number and type of fruit trees in Sacramento.

"It's a service for homeowners, taking unused and unwanted fruit," said Courtney Cagle, an Americorps Vista member working at the Sacramento Food Bank. "It's taking a resource that's already available, that would go to waste, and instead we turn it into healthy, nutritious food for people who can't afford it."

She said that the 1,300-plus pounds of fruit will begin to be distributed at the food bank Monday.

South Land Park resident Juliet Rice found out about the harvest from her son, Miles Tsue, a junior at McClatchy High School. The event was one of the community service options that McClatchy requires as part of its Humanities and International Studies program, and a number of high school volunteers showed up.

"It's a wonderful hands-on, real-world service that can go directly to the people who need it," said Rice. "I'm happy (the fruit) will go directly to the food bank, otherwise it would just go to waste."

Added Waimen Yip, another parent of a McClatchy High student: "You're helping the homeowner and the people getting food."

Homeowners seem to agree. While harvesting a grapefruit tree at one house, a neighbor asked Harvest Sacramento volunteers if they could harvest her lemon tree. The group accepted the offer.

Another homeowner explained how Harvest Sacramento helped her.

"My husband planted the (orange) tree 20 years ago and it gives good fruit, but he recently passed away and it's been really hard to do yard work," said 60-year-old Rosemary Sanchez. "When these people came, I thought, "This is a godsend. This is all good: It's a way of sharing with others and they're always welcome back next year."

For more information, visit harvestsacramento.wordpress.com.

Students help harvest fruit from neighbors to supply area food banks

2010-02-20T05:36:15Z

Students help harvest fruit from neighbors to supply area food banks
Gleaning effort facing possible shut down

By Maria L. Lopez & Randy Stannard
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 at 9:30 a.m.

More than 50 students from Theodore Judah Elementary School and community volunteers will walk from their McKinley Park area campus to harvest fruit from their neighbors’ yards for local food banks on Saturday, Feb.20. Volunteers will receive an orientation at 9 a.m. and expect to begin walking to residences by 9:30. Judah is located at 3919 McKinley Blvd.

Last weekend, volunteers walked to neighbors’ homes to ask for permission to gather the fruit. Randy Stannard of Harvest Sacramento, and a coordinator for the project, said the young harvesters will gather the fresh fruit, mostly citrus, from 70 homes. Stannard said the effort will slow down in March as the citrus season ends, but future efforts could be jeopardy due to funding.

Stannard said the project has been a victim of its own success in that the overwhelming response from volunteers and residents with fruit has diverted time from other responsibilities. “We are trying to raise money so we can hire a staff person to help continue this effort,” Stannard said. “We want to keep this going, but we need some help.”

Harvest Sacramento is a collaborative effort of Soil Born Farms, Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, area residents, community groups and businesses. It organizes volunteers to harvest fruits and vegetables from backyards and small orchards that might go unused. The harvests are then donated to local food agencies.

Weather permitting, the students and adults will work until 1 p.m.
Reporters may call Randy Stannard at (530) 204-8082 if they want to report or film the gleaners after the 9:30 a.m. start time.

Visit the Sacramento City Unified School District Web Site.

Visit the Theodore Judah Elementary School Web Site.

Sac Food Bank to host 2nd Saturday art show

2010-02-02T04:05:55Z

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) is proud to host the Women’s Wisdom Teachers’ Art Show throughout the month of February. Teachers and volunteers who lead classes for the Women’s Wisdom Art program at SFBFS will have the opportunity to exhibit their art, a gift that inspires clients in the program year round.

Designed as a uniquely feminine environment that supports the artistic and personal growth of women in all stages of life, Women's Wisdom Art believes that artistic exploration naturally brings greater self-knowledge. Classes are free to clients and include drawing, textiles, clay, mixed media, poetry, gourd crafting, creative writing and painting with acrylics and water color.

Every day, nearly 20 of women congregate in the Women’s Wisdom Art classroom at SFBFS and are guided by a dedicated group of instructors. These individuals spend countless hours planning projects, searching out supplies and creating an environment that supports multi-level art students in one small classroom. This show will focus on the dozen women and one man who inspire our students to achieve greatness.

What: Teachers’ Art Show
Where: Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (3333 Third Ave., Sacramento 95817)
When: February 3-26, 2010
2nd Saturday reception February 13, 5-8pm
Who: The teachers of Women’s Wisdom Art

If you know of a woman who would benefit from enrollment in Women’s Wisdom Art program or know of an artist who would like to volunteer their time as a teacher or mentor, please visit http://www.sacramentofoodbank.org/Programs/WomensWisdom.aspx.A listing of free art classes offered by Wisdom Art and needed supplies is also listed on this site.
Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, a local non-profit organization, serving families and individuals in need, was founded in 1976. Over time, SFBFS expanded to meet growing needs and now offers nine diverse programs at two facilities in Sacramento. A staff of 35 employees and several thousand volunteers accomplish SFBFS’ mission of assisting those in need by alleviating their immediate pain and problems and by moving them toward self-sufficiency and financial independence. Additional SFBFS information is available online at www.sacramentofoodbank.org

3 Winning Strategies for Sacramento Area Small Businesses

2009-11-21T23:54:04Z

The Wall Street Journal featured a story recently that held some tremendous promise for Sacramento Area small businesses. The article titled “Three Best Ways to Win Community Support” outlines the some opportunities that small businesses can create or take advantage of. I think these are particularly ripe for those businesses around the Sacramento community.

First off, a recent trend in small business marketing has been to develop community around your products and services. Community is where loyalty comes from. It is why we have newsletters, a social networking presence, and why we all wish there was a bar where everybody knew our name. These tips will help you further to engage your customer outside the confines of your primary place of business.

The articles first recommendation was to hold a contest or event with local flair. Being a New York paper they pointed to the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest. Sacramento has an active community. This week my wife has our family signed up to participate in the annual Run to Feed the Hungry. The event is sponsored by numerous local and nationally franchised businesses and is a fundraiser for the Sacramento Food Bank. This is a great example of participating in events with local flair. My favorite new pizza spot in Sacramento is Hot Italian. As a fan on Facebook and recipient of their weekly emails I know that they participate in a lunch hour concerts held in the Freemont Park across the street. Another example may be a Second Saturday event. Monthly these events are hosted all over Sacramento with particular fervor in the Midtown area as well as some Suburban locations like the Fair Oaks Village. People who attend these events often are a good source of repeat business.

The second recommendation: Team up with other local businesses, especially those with complementary products. Every business is looking for that perfect partner. We often forget how teamwork works. One customer of mine is a local Max Muscle. The owner selected a site two doors down from a sports footwear store and shares the shopping center with a soccer supply store. Shortly after moving in the footwear store began to sell sports supplements. Now instead of stores working together to build a successful shopping center they are taking an isolationist approach. Why not offer complimentary products from other local businesses in your store. When local businesses win, we all win. A common mistake of marketing is also that it is done in sort of a self congratulatory manner. Working in community helps us to avoid this pitfall. It turns out that customers listen far more when we begin to talk about others. Find some complimentary businesses to partner with. Generate some conversation about each other. Begin a movement together! And that brings us to recommendation number three.

Join or start a grassroots business alliance. The Midtown Grid is a fantastic example of a business alliance in Sacramento. With a dedicated website at MidtownGrid.com these business has joined together in a variety of campaigns for mutual beneficial causes. One in particular is the Green The Grid initiative. When businesses set aside their own well being and put the community first they will experience the same in return.

I believe that most people want to shop local. Given the option of supporting a local business or not, I think there is a strong desire to participate in supporting a local economy. Show your community that your feel the same. Be a business that contributes to the community and see if the community does not give right on back. So host some parties, build some partnerships, and participate in a movement.

I am sure I have missed some well behaving local examples. What Sacramento Area business have you seen using these principles to better the community and grow their businesses? Please, include a link.

Built Environment/Green Space Presentation

2009-11-09T22:16:27Z

Built Environment/Green Space Presentation

November 10, 2009
5:30pm-7:30pm

Sacramento Food Bank
3333 3rd Avenue, Sacramento, CA

AGENDA

Moderator: Charles L. Mason, Jr., Ubuntu Green

Confirmed Panelists:

Anya Lawler, Consultant, California State Assembly Committee on Housing

Graham Brownstein, ECOS

Davida Douglas, Alchemist CDC

Brandon Kitagawa, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention, Statewide Coordinator of Community Action to Fight Asthma (CAFA)

Constance Slider, Coalition on Regional Equity

Invited Panelists:

Paul Zykofsky, Director of Land Use and Transportation, Local Government Commission

Randy Rosalex, Green Sacramento Builders

Darnell Robinson, Clearinghouse CDFI

• Overview of Built Environment and Green Space

• Built Environment and Green Space and the Sacramento Building Healthy Communities target area

• Connectivity to other priority areas (Food Access, Multi-Modal Transportation Network, Access to Doctors, Economic Well-Being)

• What types of systems and policy changes are needed?

Run to Feed the Hungry

2009-11-03T22:28:37Z

Lace up your shoes Sacramento, the 16th annual Run to Feed the Hungry is almost here! Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services encourages you to be part of a Thanksgiving tradition. The 5K and 10K fun run and walk launches from Sac State on November 26. This is currently the largest Thanksgiving Day run in the country and this year will be no exception. With 30,000 participants expected to be involved, you are guaranteed a morning of fun with family and friends.

For returning walkers and runners, here are a few changes this year that deserve special attention:

* New Start Time: To accommodate more runners, the 10K will begin at 8:45am and the
5K will begin at 9:05am.

* New Course Route: We encourage you to take in the scenery on our new courses
through mid-town and the fabulous 40s.

* One Finish Line: Instead of 2 separate finish lines for 5K and 10K, all participants will
now cross one finish line. With a larger space for finishing, we’re hoping to
prevent a bottleneck.

Registration is now open. $35 per adult and $20 for children 15 and under. Exciting opportunities for teams as well. Not a big athlete, but still want to help out on Thanksgiving morning? Volunteer! Adults 18 and up are needed to hand out cups of water to joggers, direct traffic, distribute t-shirts and cheer on the participants. 500 volunteers will be needed to assist. Really want to be invovlved in some capacity, but out of town or stuck basting the turkey at home? Be a virtual runner. Receive all of the perks such as t-shirt and knowing you are supporting SFBFS, without breaking a sweat.

Information on registration, teams, volunteering and virtual runners is available online at www.runtofeedthehungry.com

We look forward to seeing you on Thanksgiving morning!

Food system advocates create action plan

2009-09-12T03:20:56Z

Members of the Regional Food System Collaborative (RFC) turned their attention again Thursday morning to improving the region's food system. The gathering, hosted by Valley Vision, couldn't have been held at a more fitting location. While colleagues gathered inside the Sacramento Food Bank, the hungry lined up outside to receive bags of free food.

Attendees came from local organizations that have a stake in our food system and share common goals: improving our eating habits and the way the local food system functions.

The discussion was facilitated by Valley Vision's Bill Mueller and the group of more than 50 broke into three subgroups to put their plans for change into action.

The collaborative project has undergone a "planning stage" and now is putting its plans into action.

Each work group had its own focus -- education, sustainable agriculture and food access. The goal was for each group to come up with three to five goal statements to put into action by 2011. Mueller asked groups to keep in mind the "S.M.A.R.T." philosophy and make goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. In addition, he reminded participants to think of goals that would get the most return with the least amount of effort.

As a reminder of the heart of the project, a flow chart pointed out that healthy soil leads to healthy food, which leads to healthy people and a healthy economy.

Each group was allotted 45 minutes to share ideas and participants were encouraged not to reject concepts without hearing them in their entirety. A Valley Vision representative facilitated each group. Afterward, group facilitators presented short-term goals and ideas. They include:

Education
-Create a tool kit that will teach local youth how to cook with a focus on tasting healthy food
-Idea that tasting healthy food might change any negative stigma
-Create a program incorporating a tool kit that can be replicated
-Have ambassadors or representatives to help spread message
-Branding: Create a unified, ongoing message and transmit it through social networking
-Focus on policy-makers and educate them as well as business leaders

Sustainable Agriculture
-Policy regulation
-Educate and have Legislature sign on to educational platform
-Increase resources
-Increase integration of technical resources
-Williamson Act

Food Access
-Create 20 new access points for fresh, healthy food
-Indicate on the label where food is grown
-Increase access to low-income and underrepresented communities
-Achieve price equity so food is accessible
-Make all programs multilingual

Many involved in the work group discussion were especially passionate about starting with changing habits of youth, who are impressionable and might encourage their parents to make healthy choices as well. After the presentations, the audience participated in a discussion of groups' decisions and goals.

In keeping with their beliefs, attendees ate locally grown organic fruit from Soil Born farms, which had several representatives at the meeting. One audience member expressed disdain for the plastic water bottles at the meeting, saying they go against everything for which the collaborative stands.

While Valley Vision has played a guiding role since the collaborative formed, Mueller encouraged everyone to continue convening in their work groups outside of planned meetings. He stressed that while Valley Vision has helped to push the project along, it is up to the group to keep the effort going.

Three work group meetings for each subtopic discussed at the collaborative are planned for October 13, 14, and 15 at Valley Vision. Attendees also expressed a strong desire for another collaborative meeting before February, when Valley Vision's involvement is scheduled to end.

To learn about future collaborative meetings or activities, contact Robyn Krock at robyn.krock@valleyvision.org or visit www.valleyvision.org.

Slow Food educates, raises awareness on Urban Ag Day

2009-07-13T03:55:45Z

In a celebration of Urban Agriculture Day, Slow Food Sacramento hosted a series of workshops and tours throughout the day Saturday to benefit Sacramento Hunger Coalition and Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition (SACGC).

For $25, ticket holders were able to choose from an itinerary of workshops, tours and movie screenings after either touring Soil Born Farm or cycling around town on the "What's 'Growing' On" Bike Tour.

The morning cycling tour led roughly 25 cyclists on a 10-mile guided trek around local community gardens, starting at Southside Community Garden and making stops at McClatchy Park Farm Stand, David Lubin School Garden and the Sacramento Food Bank's garden along with other residential and community gardens from Downtown to East Sac.

For those looking to get their hands dirty, Soil Born gave an exclusive peek into the inner workings of its 20-acre organic farm. Attendees were given a tour of the farm and had the opportunity to participate in harvesting and planting as well as snack on organic treats at its farm stand.

"I was so encouraged that there are people in and around Sacramento willing to learn and talk and share and work for the benefit of the local food system. Every day more Sacramentans learn about how the industrial food system is making us sick and how it is not serving our most marginalized residents," said John Schmidt, who attended the Soil Born tour and workshops.

Midtown's Fremont Community Garden hosted a Composting 101 class. Gardening guru Bill Maynard (of SACGC) taught both aspiring and seasoned gardeners how to turn kitchen waste into a valuable garden resource.

A couple blocks away, at Fremont Park, Pesticide Free Sacramento hosted Organic 101 and organic advocate Steve Zien discussed the benefits of organic fertilizer and pesticides over synthetics. Zien promised that organic gardens will lead to more nutritious and better-tasting food. The location for the workshop couldn't have been more fitting as the park has been pesticide-free since March 2009.

To help understand the daily battle that the hungry in Sacramento face, the Sacramento Food Bank put on an interactive workshop with speakers Nisha Kapadia of the Hunger Coalition and Dawn Dunlap from the Health Education Council.

The group of 10 were given characters to role-play with and information sheets with monthly expenses, income and calorie requirements for their individual characters and families. Tables were set up as a bank, grocery store, food stamp office, Woman Infant and Children office as well as a hot meal site and summer food program.

Participants were given the challenge of meeting calorie needs while struggling with a lack of income, being denied food stamps, inconvenient office and bank hours, and less-than-helpful workers at each station

After the role-play, participants discussed either how they met the calorie requirements they were given or why they fell short. Obstacles that arose during the exercise included rent and miscellaneous expenses, making too much money to qualify for food stamps or working hours that weren't conducive to waiting in lines to receive aid. These problems accurately echoed real-life challenges faced by the hungry.

Dunlap and Kapadia proposed not only feeding the hungry but encouraging nutritious food choices.

"At the end of the day, we're still up against people eating unhealthy," Dunlap said. To battle the problem, the council hands out lists of community gardens that accept Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (food stamps). Dunlap said that another part of the solution is encouraging families to garden, buy in bulk and cook at home to meet nutritional and caloric needs while still staying within financial means.

Organizations like Soil Born, Slow Food, the Sacramento Food Bank and the Health Education Council are all teaming up to battle the ongoing problem and educate local families.

Further down the road, two movies pertaining to the day's theme were screened as an ending to the days activities. At the Guild Theatre FRESH a documentary about the current state of our food system and what is being done to reinvent it, was shown and The Garden told the story of the effort to save Los Angeles' South Central Farm at Ooley Theatre.

For an additional $100 for non Slow Food members amd $75 for members, the evening continued with a three-course dinner catered by Magpie Catering, a local company that reflects Slow Food's beliefs of locally grown, nutritious food. Diners were served fresh and seasonal food at Fremont Community Garden while surrounded by the day's focus -- organic fruits and vegetables. The spotlight of the evening's dinner was speaker Brahm Ahmadi of Oakland's Peoples Grocery, who discussed solutions for providing food for low-income residents through the use of urban and community gardens.

Conveniently held on the Second Saturday Art Walk, many continued the celebration of Urban Agriculture Day in The Grid after dinner came to a close.

Get Involved:

Slow Food Sacramento

Soil Born Farm

Health Education Council

Pesticide Free Sacramento

Sacramento Hunger Coalition

Community Information Hotline: 2-1-1

Game Plan Academy (GPA) students 'GoDoGood' & serve at Sacramento Food Bank

2009-04-29T07:14:24Z

One of the keys to serving local communities effectively is supporting existing institutions that already provide valuable services. The Sacramento Food Bank is one such institution.

This past Saturday, Game Plan Academy (GPA) students assembled alongside GPA mentors, Jesuit High School alumni, teachers, students, parents, and staff as part of a GoDoGood project. The mission of GoDoGood is to capture people's energy to 'do good' and put these passions into action in local communities. The Sacramento Food Bank provides an excellent outlet for Sacramentans who want to 'do good' for those in need in a well-organized, structured, and warm, supportive environment. GoDoGood brought a talented, diverse, and motivated group of Sacramento residents together to give back to the community that has given them so many blessings. Staff members and leaders at the Sacramento Food Bank, a long-standing Sacramento organization that does a tremendous amount of 'good', remarked that our energetic group of volunteers accomplished a significant amount of helpful work -- remarks like "Where have you been all my life?" and "This is tremendous; you guys are awesome" were made.

Then, on Sunday, building on momentum from Saturday, Game Plan Academy (GPA) participants and coaches assembled for another high impact session. Spirits were high both on the football field and in the classroom, and Dr. Rich Callahan from the University of Southern California (USC) capped off the day remarkably well with a powerful presentation on the importance of practice, self-confidence and determination, and making progress in life 'inch-by-inch' -- we should all keep our eyes open for those 'inches', the little opportunities and openings, that we can take advantage of throughout our lives.

Game Plan Academy (GPA) and the Sacramento Food Bank represent two manifestations of Sacramento natives' continuous efforts to GoDoGood, but there are many other wonderful people, groups, and organizations throughout the region 'doing good' each and every day -- that's what makes Sacramento a kindred community of 'people helping people'.

GoDoGoodSacramento.

Good.

Local bank stands its ground

2009-03-20T23:17:04Z

At a time when banks are relying on government help to remain in business, one local bank continues to rely on the same privately funded, “grassroots” business plan it has had for over 30 years.

The Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services (SFBFS) is a privately-funded, non-profit organization that serves the working poor of Sacramento County, and is perhaps best known for its "Run To Feed The Hungry" — a 5K and 10K event that takes place on Thanksgiving Day each year. Its mission statement is simple: "Dedicated to assisting those in need by alleviating their immediate pains and problems, and moving them toward self-sufficiency and financial independence." Established in 1976, it has extended its services without interruption through good economic times and bad, and it continues to expand with new programs aimed to educate individuals in a variety of areas.

The SFBFS’s primary focus is helping the working poor, people in the midst of tough times who may have difficult financial decisions to make. Its clientele includes single parents, disabled individuals, veterans, families, people in low-wage jobs who do not have a high school diploma, the elderly and children. Over half of its services benefit children under 12 years of age.

Blake Young, President of the Food Bank said, "Serving the poor and trying to educate the community is an important endeavor."

Young oversees the coordination and operation of 13 different services and programs offered to the community by his organization. Besides the obvious distribution of food, the non-profit also provides clothing, the Computer Clubhouse—which is an after school program for kids ages 8-18—adult education workshops, and a mother-baby program among others.

Young spoke with pride about the organization, sharing certain figures of the work it does. In 2008, the SFBFS served five million pounds of food to 18,000 people and gave away 500,000 articles of clothing. The SFBFS’s programs serve roughly 1,000 people daily. Between 450 and 550 people receive food from the SFBFS daily. Young also shared that 500 women participate in the mother-baby program every month and 150 women participate in the women's art program every week.

An operation of this size requires an extensive workforce to function. This need is met by a staff of 30 along with about 3,000 individuals who volunteer their time on a monthly basis.

During business hours, 100 volunteers are always on site at the Food Bank's headquarters on 3rd Ave in Oak Park, making the facility an ant hill of activity.

Immense funds are also needed to keep the SFBFS running. The SFBFS is 100 percent privately funded, receiving no funds from government sources. Of this, 62 percent of all funds received come from individuals, a number well above the 50 percent mark that indicates a healthy charitable organization, said Young. He cited this community support as the key to the SFBFS's success, "Our business is building long-term relationships with grandparents, parents, children, organizations."

The organizations he spoke of include KCRA, the Sacramento Bee, Clear Channel, UPS, REI, Intel—whose employees donated 10,000 volunteer hours in 2008—the UC and CSU university systems and local churches of all denominations.

"We couldn't do this without the churches," Young said. The "brown bag" lunch program relies on churches that donate their parking lots on Sunday afternoons and help hand out food to all comers.

Young talked about the current state of the organization, saying that "there has been a 25 percent increase in people served from this time a year ago, most of whom are using our services for the first time."

Despite this increase in demand, he said that the SFBFS is still able to meet the need in its entirety. Donations remain steady, and although he does anticipate a slight drop as the economy worsens, he is confident the SFBFS will continue to meet the city's need. There are no plans to seek grants or government funding of any kind.

A couple who had just received a cart full of groceries said, "They're doing great things for the community. If it weren't for the food bank there'd be a lot of starving people in Sacramento. I hope they never close, people would be in trouble if it closed."

In his newsletter, Young extends an open invitation for anyone in need to seek SFBFS's services, writing, "If you or your friends know of a family who has fallen on hard times, please refer them to our organization. Seeking assistance can be an embarrassing situation. We will make sure to serve their needs in a very dignified manner.”

If you're interested in donating or volunteering, you can receive information through the website at sfbs.org.