Letter Carriers Food Drive--Saturday, May 10th, 2008

 

Saturday, May 10th, marks the 16th annual Letter Carriers Food Drive -- a day when post offices across the country are working to "stamp out hunger".

 

It couldn't be any easier.  Just leave you nonperishable food donation in a bag next to your mailbox.  Your Letter Carrier will pick it up and take it to a food bank or food pantry in your community. For more information please call 445-3166 x 312.  Most Needed Foods

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No More Hungry Kids Campaign

 

 

The "No More Hungry Kids" campaign helps to raise awareness of and resources for Food for People's child nutrition programs.  46% of Humboldt County school children are low-income and for some hunger is a sad, harsh and persistent fast of their daily lives.  For these children, their only consistent access to nutritious food is at school.  But what happens when school is out?  Food for People's "No More Hungry Kids" campaign has programs which provide healthy snacks after school, backpacks full of kid-friendly meals sent home each Friday with kids at risk for hunger over the weekend and free sack lunches each summer weekday.

 

Food for people partners with many in our community who share our vision of No More Hungry Kids in Humboldt County!  Local sponsors include:  Anderson, Lucas, Somerville & Borges, CPA's, City Garbage Company of Eureka, Coast Central Credit Union, Eureka Printing Co, Eureka Television Group, Fortuna Sunrise Rotary, Green Diamond Resource Co, Grocery Outlet, HSU Athlete Advisory Committee, Humboldt Area Foundation, Humboldt Senior Resource Center, Humboldt Sponsors, Humboldt Transit Authority, Humboldt Trinity Real Estate, Individual donors, Individual volunteers, KAEF ABC 23, Jim and Faye Miles Children's Fund, Mel and Grace Mclean Foundation, Northcoast Coop, Patricia and William Smullin Foundation, St. Joseph Health System, Suddenlink Communications, Umpqua Bank, Union Labor Health Foundation, United Way of Humboldt County, UPS and Willow Creek Kiwanis.

 

Last year, thanks to the support of many community partners, hungry Humboldt County children ate 12,264 lunches during the summer, 30,895 snacks after school and ate meals on the weekend from 2,941 backpacks of kid-friendly foods. 

Food for People Honors Volunteers

Food for People, the Food Bank for Humboldt County held an event Thursday, January 31st to honor their volunteers. Approximately 75 volunteers attended the appreciation dinner. Food for People has approximately 250 volunteers who contribute an average of 1,400 hours a month of their time and talents. Volunteers help with assembling food boxes, interviewing food box clients, sorting donated food, gleaning produce from local farms, fundraising, assembling backpacks with kid friendly foods for needy children to take home each Friday, serving low-income children free lunch during the summer, and assembling bags of free groceries for low-income seniors.  Many also donate gas mileage to deliver food to homebound individuals.

Many local businesses and community members donated goods and services to help honor Food for People volunteers. The First United Methodist Church provided the venue for the dinner. Food was donated by Avalon Restaurant and Bar, Bless My Soul Café, Glee Banner, Hurricane Kate’s, Mazzotti’s Catering, Roy’s Club, and Vellutini Baking Co. Food for People volunteers won prizes and gifts through a Dutch raffle donated by Cal Courts, Gallagher’s, Grocery Outlet, Los Bagels Inc, Old Town Coffee and Chocolates, Partrick’s Candy, Spotlight Video, and The Works. Flowers were donated by Sun Valley Floral Farms and The Pilot Rock Ramblers provided music for the evening. The generous support for this event demonstrates the value placed on volunteerism in our community.