Plant a Row for the Hungry - Food for People, Humboldt County, California

1. Notes! enjoy Food Page 11 Page 9 Page 8 Page 7 Page 6
resources supporters. We hope you Foundation
local needs and communicating with our Solid Recipes! plan development you can do to help
learning about Sustaining a New Delicious towards disaster Help Wanted!--Learn what
Meeting-- primary way of Supporting and New Cook, -FFP takes steps
Pantry Network This newsletter is our 800 Club- New Space, Disaster Planning-
Page 5
with the Gleaning Program
page 3 Harvest, Help, and Learn
Page 4
Awards--honoring local heros
2007 Hunger Fighter Hero
to Eat
Page 4
15th Annual NALC Food Drive
Letter Carriers Food Drive--
has Enough
Page 3
and help local residents in need
Every Day
Plant a Row for the Hungry!--
Page 2
Every Child,
which to help
recycling, there are many ways in
Donation--From planned giving to
Thoughtful Ways to make a
Making Sure
News Inside
www.foodforpeople.org
(707) 445-3166
Eureka, CA 95501
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307 West 14th Street
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for Humboldt County
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307 W. 14th Street
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Eureka, CA 95501
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The Food Bank
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Food Notes
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Food for People, Inc.
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The Newsletter of
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the Food Bank for Humboldt County
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Notes
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Published by Food for People,
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U.S. Postage
Food Permit No. 159
2007
Non-Profit Org.
Eureka CA 95501
Summer

2. Page 2 Food Notes
Mission Statement: Co-Op Register
Food for People is working to eliminate hunger and improve the health
and well-being of our community though access to healthy and nutritious
foods, community education, and advocacy.
Thoughtful Ways Donation
Board of
Staff:
Anne Holcomb, Executive Director
to Make a Program
Directors:
Barbara O’Neal,
Jyl Barnett, Community Education and
Outreach Coordinator Donation Choose number
President Rebecca Breksa, 80,003
Felicia Oldfather,
Treasurer
Direct Distribution
Coordinator
Support Tell the scale operator when checking out at the
Sandi Paris
Art Brown, Driver
Caitlin Collings,
Food for that you would like to
credit account #
Secretary
Volunteer Coordinator People
Ben Fairless Mary Darcy, Child
While you 109 1% will be added to your
Bob Holcomb Nutrition Coordinator bill and donated to
Alma Lehtonen
Katie Harbaugh, VISTA
Teresa Hruschak, Admin Assistant
Recycle! Food for People
Denise Vanden Bos Jamie Lamers, VISTA
Jennifer Rishel, Fund Development Director
Tyler Smith, Community Food Programs Coordinator
Chris Wisner, Operations Manager Wish Vehicle Needs
•Fuel for Vans
Life is a Gift. . .
Barbara Zollener, Bookkeeper List Building Needs
•New Linoleum Floor
•Tune-Up Service for Vans
•New Tires for Vans
Leave more than Memories. . . in Women’s Room •Cell Phone plus
Distribution Supplies and Distribution Areas Monthly Service
Create a Legacy •Clean Brown Paper •Roof Insulation for •Pager
North Coast Legacy is a public awareness effort to or Plastic Grocery Warehouse Dry
promote charitable giving. Whether you use a will or an
Bags *Urgent Need* Storage Area Garden Supplies
•Cases of Ensure (may •Chain Link Fence for •Harvesting Knives
estate planning vehicle, your generosity can change so not be past date) •Ladders (4)
Parking Lot
many lives. The time to prepare these documents is •Outdoor Changeable •Pitchfork
now. North Coast Legacy was created to work with Services •Stakes
Sign that can be
our local nonprofit groups and professional advisors •Newsletter Sponsorship •Trowels
Mounted on our
in encouraging individuals to make charitable •Free/Low Cost ISP
Building to Announce
•Janitorial Service
bequests. Food Drives and
•Volunteer Drivers Kitchen
Every day, thousands of North Coast residents other Special Events
benefit from local charities. These nonprofit organizations give so Other •Sturdy Folding •New or like-new skillet,
•Gifts to recognize the Chairs cookie sheets, set of mixing
much to our community - from helping senior citizens to providing
hard work of our •Carpet Shampooer bowls with covers, set of
mentors for children, to funding the arts, to supporting research in the kitchen knives, plastic food
volunteers such as movie •Commercial
fight against deadly diseases. But they can't operate if we don't give storage containers with lids.
tickets, special discounts Dishwasher
back. Their vital work needs money to support it. and gift certificates
Chances are, you already donate a generous portion of your
income to the public benefit organizations of your choice. But have you Wish List items increase our efficiency and ability to supply food and essential
considered including those organizations in your will so that you can services to our neighbors in need. If you would like to donate any of the following
items, please contact Jennifer Rishel at 445-3166 x 306 or
continue to make a difference for generations to come? North Coast
jrishel@foodforpeople.org.
Legacy can help you start this rewarding process.
If you would like more information about how to support Food
for People through the North Coast
Legacy program, please contact Jennifer Credit Card Donations
Rishel at 707-445-3166 x306 or via Food for People is now able to process secure Visa and
email at jrishel@foodforpeople.org. Local Mastercard donations, as well as set automatic monthly/
coordinator Lisa McCombs can also quarterly donations through our pledge and donations
provide information and assistance and forms. You may also make a secure credit card donation
can be reached at 707-442-2993 or via on our website:
email at lisam@hafoundation.org. www.foodforpeople.org Just click on the icon!

3. Summer 2007 Page 3
Making Sure News Briefs
Every Child, Every Day Plant a Row
has Enough to Eat for the Hungry!
Food for People would like to invite
Food for People’s No More Hungry Kids Campaign local gardeners to Plant a Row for the Hungry.
encompasses three child nutrition programs: Backpacks for Kids, Plant a Row for the Hungry is a national food
Afterschool Snack, and the Children’s Summer Lunch program. recovery program founded in 1995. Gardeners
Our county’s future is closely tied to the health of our families and farmers are asked to plant an extra row and
and meeting basic nutritional needs is the first step to raising healthy donate any excess produce to Food For People.
children. Food for People is committed to helping children get These fruits and vegetables will be given to area
the good solid nutrition they need to prosper, learn and grow into residents in need.
the future leaders of our community. Any residents living in outlying areas may
The campaign is generously sponsored by: America’s directly drop off any excess produce at their local
Second Harvest, Green Diamond Resource Company, Humboldt food pantries. Gardeners with large donations,
Area Foundation, Humboldt Sponsors, HSU Student Athletic an orchard of apples for example, may call Katie
Advisory Committee, Humboldt Trinity Real Estate, Mel and Harbaugh at 445-3166 ext:312 for help with
Grace McLean Foundation, Northcoast Coop, Patricia and harvesting. Due to the price of fuel however,
William Smullin Foundation, Suddenlink Communications, St. those with smaller donations are asked to drop
Joseph Health System of Humboldt County, Union Labor Health off produce at Food for People, or at the closest
Foundation and many individual caring community members. food pantry.
Those with fruit trees can donate
Backpacks for Kids Program blemished fruit that is otherwise edible. Once
The Backpacks for Kids Program works to bridge the harvested, donations can be dropped off at 307
Food For People sees the biggest W. 14th St. from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday
nutritional gap for school children who rely on school meals as
increase in requests for assistance
their primary source of nutrition. Food for People staff works in through Friday. More information on the Plant
during the summer months. The
partnership with school personnel to identify children who are a Row program can be found at: http://
majority of these requests come from
going hungry, or who are at risk for going hungry, over the families who are struggling to provide www.gardenwriters.org/Par/. More information
weekend and during school vacations. Each Friday during the extra meals for their children once on Food Bank programs and local area pantries
school year, students are sent home with a backpack filled with school is out. can be found at: http://www.foodforpeople.org.
kid-friendly meals and snacks including milk, whole grain cereal,
fresh fruit, peanut butter, tuna, canned soups, macaroni & cheese, granola bars and 100% fruit juice. Foods
included are determined by availability and USDA nutritional guidelines, as well as parents’ and children’s
expressed preferences.
This year marked our first year as a sponsor of the Backpacks for Kids Program. Food for People
served children at 3 different pilot sites in Willow Creek, Fortuna and Eureka. During the 2006-2007 school Thank You for Your Generosity
year, 2941 backpacks were distributed. and Support of the Plant a Row
Judy Alvarez, an AmeriCorps member working at South Fortuna Elementary School, saw first hand Program and the Eureka
the positive impact this program. “I have witnessed Community Garden!
how the food backpack program has served as a
bridge between needy families and the school
*Sherwood Forest
community. The families I come in contact with are
very thankful for the program because the community *Shafers Ace Hardware
of Fortuna is very limited on its food resources. . .the *Humbodt Waste Management
program helps decrease the stress that parents *Mad River Gardens
experience when they live with the effects of poverty. *Miller Farms
When parents no longer have to endure the burden of *The Farm Store
worrying about feeding their children, they can begin
*Fortuna Feed & Garden
to take the necessary steps to get connected to vital
resources such as counseling, parenting classes and *Sylvandale Gardens
job readiness programs that will help their family move *Piersons Garden Shop & Nursery
toward self-sufficiency.” Students at Alice Birney Elementary School leaving for
home Friday after receiving their food Backpacks
continued on p. 8

4. Page 4 Food Notes
Thank You Letter 2007 Hunger Fighter Hero Awards
Carriers! On Thursday June 7th Food for People honored some very special people for their efforts to help end
hunger here in Humboldt County. They were recognized as part of the annual “Hunger Fighter Hero” awards,
Food for People would like to extend its which are designed to honor those individuals and organizations that have made a commitment to help end
warmest thanks to some very special businesses and hunger in Humboldt County through their engagement in community education and hunger relief activities. This
individuals who helped make the 15th annual National year’s awards were presented to:
Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive on May
12th a success. First and foremost, a huge thank you The Willow Creek Kiwanis
to all the Letter Carriers throughout the county who for their ongoing commitment
picked up hundreds of extra pounds of groceries to the Willow Creek Food
along their routes and dropped them off at local food Pantry and the Backpacks for
pantries or the Food Bank to help feed local people Kids program. Club members
in need. Special thanks also go to John Raycraft and pick up the food for both
Tony Roth from the Eureka Main Post Office for programs at Food for People
coordinating the effort and to media sponsors KIEM in Eureka and transport it to
News Channel 3, KHUM/KSLG Radio and Willow Creek, a 100 mile
Redwood Broadcasting for getting the word out. We round trip. No one can
appreciate the willingness of the Country Club Market remember exactly when the
on Humboldt Hill, Murphy’s Market in Cutten, John’s Kiwanis assumed coordination
Cigars Shopping Center and the Safeways at Eureka of the Willow Creek food
Mall and Harris and Harrison to serve as remote drop pantry, but it has been at least
points for the Letter Carriers. Volunteers Gail 7 years since they started
Johnson, Tahme Clark, Phyllis Coy, John Gahn and picking up the food in Eureka
Glen and Nancy Pritchard helped them unload and and assembling and distributing
kept in touch with us thanks to donated cell phones food boxes to local residents
from Sprint PCS. in need on a monthly basis.
2007 Hunger Fighter Hero Award winners (left to right) John Smith,
It takes a lot of volunteers to help unload, This year, Kiwanis Zoe Barnum TOP Students, FFP Executive Director Anne Holcomb,
sort and box the thousands of pounds of donated members expanded their and Bob Lazelle (Willow Creek Kiwanis not pictured)
food as it rolls in over the course of the day, and we commitment when they
could never have done it without all the great volunteered to deliver food for the Backpacks for People’s best advocates in the community and solicits
volunteers who stepped forward to lend a hand. Kids Program. Kiwanis members deliver the food to gifts for outstanding volunteers as well as donations
Volunteers from Youth Exchange Services, Boy Scout the Willow Creek Community Resource Center where of food and services to support food bank programs.
Troop #27, the members of the California volunteers assemble it into backpacks for distribution Bob’s big heart and his commitment to the community
Conservation Corps, Eureka High School Naval to 25 children in need at Trinity Valley Elementary are an inspiration for all who meet him.
School. The support provided by the Kiwanis makes
continued on p. 10 it possible for Food for People to serve this rural Zoe Barnum Transitional Opportunity Program
community cost-effectively, and helps to ensure that Teacher John Smith and Students have been
the children will return to school on Mondays ready volunteering the first Thursday of every month for the
to learn. Eureka Senior Brown Bag Day for over 4 years. The
students partner with seniors and other volunteers to
Bob Lazelle was honored for being a shining example assist with sorting produce, assembling bags, carrying
of “compassion in action”. He is well-known bags to waiting cars, distributing boxes for the
throughout the community for his volunteer work in a Commodity Supplemental Food Program and clean
wide variety of local organizations, and puts his up. When they go back to the classroom, they have
commitment into action at Food for People daily. Bob an opportunity to reflect on their experiences through
assembles emergency food boxes, assists with Senior journal writing and discussion. Teacher John Smith
Brown Bag distributions and USDA eligibility also incorporates lessons about hunger, living with
certification, and weighs, sorts and boxes incoming limited means, and making healthy choices. He often
donations of food. He knows what it’s like to work follows up with a mini cooking class, focusing on
hard and live on limited means, and always takes time inexpensive, healthy foods the students could make
Volunteers work quickly to organize the thousands for a few quiet words of encouragement for food bank on their own. The overarching goal of the program is
of pounds of food brought in by incoming Letter clients and staff alike. Bob is also one of Food for to encourage students to become involved in their
Carrier trucks
community through community service.

5. Summer 2007 Page 5
Harvest, Help, and Learn with the News Briefs
Gleaning Program Soup Bowl Sunday
A n n e
by Joel Singer
Holcomb,
By volunteering with Food for People’s Executive
Gleaning Program, I have had the wonderful Director
opportunity to harvest produce from a local farm in Making Our Community receives a
some beautiful Humboldt County sunshine, meet some check from
fun and caring volunteers, make a positive contribution
Stronger and Healthier Emily Johnson
to my community and learn a thing or two about Thanks to Your Support! Pinces. Emily
farming. and Zoe Ziegler (not pictured) hosted “Soup
When I first learned about the program from Bowl Sunday” fundraiser at the First
Arcata Educational I and I Farms
Katie – (coordinator of Food for People’s Gleaning Congregational Church in Eureka. The girls
Farm Little River Farm
Program), I was encouraged and enthused to hear Camp Grant Ranch Mycality Mushrooms (along with their mothers) made White Bean
that there are local farmers donating to the Food Bank Chad Creek Produce Neukom Farm Rosemary and Potato Leek soups. Ingredients
and working to enhance the wealth and health of the College of the Nita Hulbert were donated by Wildberries, Murphy’s
community. Redwoods Ocean Air Farm Market in Cutten and the Eureka Ray’s.
The Food Bank collects donated food for Educational Farms Paul Lohse
people in need in Humboldt County. Last year, with
the generosity of local growers and the aid of
Double J & J Produce
Earth N’ Hands
Pierce Family Farm
Potawot Farm
400 lbs of Salmon
volunteers an estimated 17,633 lbs of fresh fruits and Fieldbrook Orchard River Bar Farms Mid May, Food for People received a donation
G Farms Small Fruits of approximately 400 pounds of salmon from
vegetables was either donated or gleaned. It is likely
Gratefully Grown Welton Orchard
that with the aid of additional helping hands that even the California Department of Fish and Game
Green Fire Farm Willow Creek Farm
more can be contributed to programs like Backpacks Eureka Marine Region. The fish was caught
for Kids and Homebound Delivery—two great by boats trolling for hake. Per their exempted
fishing permits, the boats are required to retain
all the “bycatch” for collection of biological data.
“I was interested in learning more Program because I was interested in learning more Food for People usually receives 5-7 salmon
about farming, and I did not need about farming, and I did not need any prior experience
any prior experience with farming in with farming in order to start volunteering.
Additionally, I was interested in donating my time and
order to start volunteering.”
energy to a program that I knew would respect and
value the time that I had to offer. This is one of the
services that the Gleaning Program supports in addition busiest times of the year for the Gleaning Program
to the Food for People’s monthly food boxes. and they are always grateful to have additional aid
There are many ways that one can support throughout the season. If you are interested in
Food for People, but I was drawn to the Gleaning volunteering or just want to learn more about the
program you can contact Katie – by phone: (707)
445-3166 ext. 312 or email
kharbaugh@foodforpeople.org. If you would like to Stewart and Starck filleting salmon at FFP
make a donation to Humboldt County’s Food Bank
they are located at 307 W. 14th St. in Eureka and you bycatch per week during this fishing season. The
are welcome to drop by anytime Monday through larger donation allowed the food bank to share
Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. the fresh salmon with the North Coast Stand
Volunteering for the Food Bank has proven Down, St. Vincent de Paul, Arcata Endeavor
to be an enriching and rewarding experience. I would and the Eureka Rescue Mission.
encourage anyone interested in cultivating a healthier Assemblymember Patty Berg sent two of her
and more affluent community to take advantage of local field representatives, Connie Stewart and
the opportunity to participate in this fantastic program Nancy Starck to help fillet the salmon for the
and make a difference with Food for People. North Coast Stand Down. “Patty is a supporter
Volunteer Joel Singer and Gleaning Coordinator of the Stand Down, and this is one of the ways
Katie Harbaugh glean strawberries at Susan we want to help out,” said Stewart.
Bicknaw’s farm in Hydesville.

6. Page 6 Food Notes
Help Wanted! Volunteer Opportunities!
Food for People needs your help! The food bank is an extremely busy place, and we would not be able to keep up without the help of our loyal volunteers. If you have
a bit of time and would like to help provide food for our low-income friends and neighbors, please contact us! You’d be providing a valued service while reaping
tremendous personal rewards. Each month, over 200 volunteers donate their time and talents across our many programs. That is the equivalent of over 7 full-time
positions and conservatively, a savings of $114,600 annually to Food for People. Whether you’re an individual or representing a group, we have opportunities
for you to get involved!
Food Bank Workers - An average Donation Pick up Drivers - People
of 1100 households (2800 individuals) with small trucks, vans or station wagons
come in to the food bank over the course are needed for a variety of local pickups
of the month to pick up a food box. Food and deliveries. This can include picking
distribution days are Wednesdays and up donated food from local supermarkets
Fridays, 52 weeks a year. Tasks we need and bakeries in Eureka, or trips to local
help with on a daily basis include sorting farms to pick up donations of produce.
donated baked goods and produce, The schedule varies depending on the site
conducting client interviews, assembling (daily, weekly, monthly, on call) but we’ll
and distributing food boxes, assisting with do our best to find something that works
receptionist duties, general maintenance with your schedule.
duties, etc.
Receptionist - The front desk is a busy
place at the food bank, as clients call in Providing Food for Seniors and
for appointments for food boxes, mail is People with Disabilities -
delivered, etc. We can’t afford a paid Large bags of groceries are distributed
receptionist at present, and must rely on volunteers to answer the phone, take once a month to homebound disabled
messages, field basic questions from the public and schedule walk-in clients. persons under the age of 60 and low
Retirees and people on disability who are not working have found this a great way income seniors. These food distributions
to get out of the house and be part of a team that is making a difference in the take place in several communities (Arcata,
community. Of course folks of all ages and abilities are welcomed. Eureka, McKinleyville, Fortuna, Rio Dell,
Redway, Blue Lake, Orick, Trinidad, etc.)
Driver Assistant - Ever wonder what it looks like “behind the scenes” at your countywide. Volunteers are needed to
local grocery store? Ever wanted to get a look at how food is made by local assemble bags, help unload the van at the
manufacturers? Then this is the volunteer opportunity for you! Help our Van community sites and assist with the delivery
Driver on his daily pick up route, collecting generous donations from local stores of prepared bags. Almost three hundred
and food manufacturers. Must be able to commit to at least one morning per bags are delivered to folks who are
week, and able to lift 30-50 pounds. homebound or who have no
transportation. They really appreciate the
“Iron Chef” - If you like to cook and get excited about the challenge of home delivery service and the smiling faces that bring the bags to their door!
preparing a healthy meal from an ever-changing array of ingredients, we have just Continued p. 7
the job for you! Food for People provides a meal for our volunteers on Wednesdays
and Fridays. It’s our way of showing our appreciation for the time our volunteers
contribute, and it also helps keep volunteers “on site” as we prepare for a busy
Thank you
afternoon distributing food boxes. The meal is served from 11-11:30 for an average
of 12-20 volunteers and staff.
Gleaners- Local farms are a wonderful
source of donated produce for the Food
Bank. Volunteers are needed to help pick
Humboldt Trinity Real Estate
the produce, which can include apples, kale,
Northern California Homes -- Lands -- Investments
squash, tomatoes, beans etc. The greatest
need for help is in the late spring and summer No More Hungry Kids Campaign Sponsor
months.

7. Summer 2007 Page 7
Volunteer Opportunities (continued) Disaster Planning
Group Activities- Conference
There are some tasks that occur on a less regular basis by Anne Holcomb
that require larger groups of volunteers. It’s a great
The images of New Orleans post-hurricanes
opportunity for your church, civic group or youth group to
were terrifying to those of us who watched from a
lend a hand and work as a team. These task include:
distance. They demonstrated how powerless we as
Food Drives - Donated food must be sorted and individuals can feel in the face of a disaster of such
boxed when it is returned to the Food Bank. This usually magnitude, and how flawed many of our assumptions
takes several hours on the day of the food drive. Food were about who would be available to help and how
drives occur in December around the holidays and in May, forthcoming that help would be. The giant lesson
when the annual letter carriers’ food drive occurs. learned through this experience was just how
Businesses and other groups often stage their own food important disaster preparedness is at all levels, whether
drives around events or other promotions. we are dealing with hurricanes, floods, flu pandemics,
tornadoes, fire or earthquakes.
Bulk Mailing - Food for People Staff prepare all of On May 24th and 25th I had the opportunity
our own newsletters, program flyers and direct mail to attend a conference on disaster preparedness
fundraising materials “in-house.” Volunteers are needed sponsored by America’s Second Harvest. There was
to help us collate, label and prepare everything for mailing. an enormous amount of information crammed into the
It’s repetitive but easy “sit down” work. two day conference and much of it was based on
Cleaning Days - The Food Bank distributes over 1.6 million pounds lessons learned from Katrina. Representatives from
of food per year, and keeping the facility and our equipment clean is an ongoing food banks in the Gulf Coast that were severely
task. Tasks include power washing milk crates used to transport food, painting tables and shelves, scrubbing damaged or destroyed and/or played a key role in
kitchen cabinets, sweeping and scrubbing floors in the warehouse and walk-in cooler, sweeping the parking relief efforts were on hand to share their stories along
lot, washing vans, etc. with representatives from the national offices of
America’s Second Harvest, the American Red Cross
If you have a particular interest or talent, or just lots of energy and and the Salvation Army.
enthusiasm to share, please call us! We can always find something for you As members of our local VOAD – Volunteer
and your group to do. Contact Caitlin Collings at 445-3166 x310 and let Organizations Active in Disaster – Food for People
will be expected to play a key role in the event of a
her know which volunteer activities interest you the most! All volunteers disaster here in Humboldt County. That’s why we will
complete an application and receive an orientation to Food for People and be working on the development of our own
training specific to the volunteer activity. comprehensive disaster preparedness plan in the
coming months. One of the key points emphasized
repeatedly in the training was the importance of
personal preparedness and cross training of staff. If
We Couldn’t Do it Without YOU... we aren’t prepared at home, it will be difficult for us
15%
1% 3%
18%
12% to provide assistance for the community. Fortunately,
For January through May of 2007, volunteer averages are 2% our local chapter of the American Red Cross has been
as follows... 8%
%
gearing up to provide training for community
5% 47% organizations and has developed training that includes
-An average of 170 volunteers/month an overview of the role of disaster service workers
-Putting in an average of 1,355 hrs/month 18%
during a major disaster; personal and family
-In approximately 9 different program areas 3%
60%
preparedness for employees; modes of disease
Fundrasing
transmission and preventative practices; and shelter
Fundraising
Brown Bag Brown Bag
The total number of volunteer hours in the first five months Backpacks
Direct Distribution
Backpacks
Direct Distribution
in place guidelines. Our staff is looking forward to
of 2007 equal 6777 hours. That time is equivalent to Gardening & Gleaning Gardening & Gleaning
working with Linda Nellist, Director of Community
Homebound
$50,828 if volunteers were working at minimum wage. Homebound
Warehouse Warehouse Education Programs for the Red Cross to make sure
This comes to a monthly average of $10,166 worth of Nutrition & Food Stamp Outreach Nutrition & Food Stamp Outreach
we are prepared if and when the time comes. We
donated time. Of course, we think our volunteers have a Average number of Average number of encourage everyone in the community to do the same.
much higher value than that of minimum wage and volunteers used by volunteer hours per For more information, contact the Red Cross at 443-
therefore those numbers should be much higher. each program. program. 4521 or visit their website at
www.humboldtredcross.org.

8. Page 8 Food Notes
Every Child, Every Day continued from p. 3
In a letter of support, Dale Stockly, Principal with a $20,000 grant from America’s Second Harvest
of South Fortuna Elementary School noted, “The that made it possible for us to set up the program and
demographics of our community have changed serve an average of 125 children/week. Unfortunately,
dramatically in the past ten years. (The number of only a fraction of that amount is available for the 2007-
district children qualifying for) Our free and reduced 2008 school year, with sponsors nationwide
lunch program has risen from 8% to 78%. We serve competing for limited funds. The cost for backpacks
breakfast and lunch at South Fortuna Elementary food for an entire school year is about $200-$250
School. These two nutritious meals for many of our per child.
students is their only food for the day. You look at Looking to the community, we already have
your students and wonder how they will fare over the a commitment from the Fortuna Sunrise Rotary Club
weekend. The Backpacks for Kids Program has been members who are eager to participate in the program
a special gift to our community. Our students now officials, we also received great feedback from for the upcoming school year. Erin Dunn, President-
have one less worry! They know there will be food program participants and their parents. “I struggle as elect wrote, “Fortuna Sunrise feels it is a vital service
in their home for the weekend. The students have a single mother with two children,” wrote Susan (name for our community as hunger is a silent menace in the
responded to the Backpack Program in a very positive changed for privacy). “I work seven days a week Eel River Valley. We would like to expand your
way. Student attendance has improved, on task and I don’t get to see my children that much. So current program, now in place at South Fortuna
behavior has improved, and their social interactions when I do see my kids, it’s nice not to stress on food. Elementary, to the Fortuna Middle School.” The club
are much more positive.” Improved attendance rates With the backpacks they send home with my daughters, members have applied for grant funds in addition to
were also noticed at the other two pilot sites. we have milk and cereal when I can’t afford it. It their monetary donation in order to increase the
At Food for People, we feel gratified in really does help my family, so I know it helps others.” number of children served. They have also made a
hearing about all the wonderful and tangible benefits Food for People is currently looking for commitment to pick up the food and assemble and
seen after just nine months as a new sponsor of the funding to continue this program in the Fall of 2007, deliver the backpacks to the new site weekly, which
Backpacks for Kids program. Along with school when kids return to school. The program was started helps minimize operating costs. They will be following
continued on p. 10
New Space, New Cook, New Delicious Recipes!
by Jaime Lamers
Imagine standing in front of a room of 20 to cook nutritiously on a tight budget. Karen has had mother’s tricks that have stood the test of baking time.
attentive individuals, all waiting to see if you will tell other opportunities to teach for people using higher Each participant will receive a free bag of food
them something that they haven’t already been doing end ingredients, but she says “who wants to teach for attending. To sign up for the class, please contact
for 30 years. You have a list of ingredients to utilize, about using truffle oil, when there are many other, much Jamie Lamers or Jyl Barnett at Food for People at
but most of the items don’t make any sense together. more practical ingredients and students out there.” 445-3166. Please do not contact the Co-Op with
The list includes frozen ground beef, grapefruit juice, Food for People has held monthly cooking questions, as the class is run through Food for People.
canned corn, canned plums and white rice. Your goal classes for a few years now, but we
is to put these items together in a few dishes that will have just made the move into the
taste great, cost little, and still be healthy. Luckily, Eureka Co-Op’s community kitchen
you’ve known for about a week that these ingredients and utilized the help of a professional
would be designated for USDA commodities this chef. The kitchen space is large enough
month through the food bank and you’ve come to teach 20-25 students with all of the
prepared. Even luckier, perhaps, is the fact that you proper kitchen items needed to make
have worked as a head chef for 32 years and this is 3 to 4 dishes each class using USDA
just like another day at the office. commodities and local donation items
Every month Food for People holds cooking that the food bank receives. The
classes for low income individuals in the community participants look forward to the
kitchen space at the Eureka Co-op. Our dedicated monthly class as a way to learn new
and highly skilled volunteer teacher, Karen Phillips, is cooking tricks and also to share
the former head chef at the Downtown Express Café knowledge of their past kitchen
in Eureka and excels in situations such as the one experiences. Young and old alike
described above. She has recently retired from the discuss their experiences dealing with
formal business of cooking and catering and has moved diabetes diets, cutting down on fat Professional Chef, Karen Phillips artfully combines USDA
on to other passions, such as helping others learn how content, vegetarian alternatives, or commodity foods.

9. Summer 2007 Page 9
The 800 Club
Supporting and Sustaining a Solid Financial Foundation
In 1981, Food for People staff figured that if 800 community members donated $5 per month, our financial needs would be
met--hence the birth of the 800 Club! 25 years later, Food for People continues to help many more of our friends and neighbors in
need throughout the county. With our present operating budget, 800 people donating $20 a month will provide us with the solid
financial foundation that would enable us to focus more fully on the needs of our community.
1 June 200
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M cKinleyvill community year round. There is no minimum monthly
donation, nor is there a maximum!
Your Donation Is Important!
Yes! I would like to join the 800 Club by making a Though I do not wish to join the 800 Club at this time, I do support
monthly donation of $_____ your efforts. Here is my donation for:
quarterly donation of $_____ $200 ____ $100 _____ $50 _____ $25 _____ $ ______
Please send me a packet of pre-addressed envelopes I’m enclosing a check payable to Food for People.
Please charge my credit card monthly/quarterly Please charge my donation to the credit card below.
Visa MasterCard Signature__________________
___ I would like to volunteer.
Card #: ________________________ Exp. Date______________
Please have someone contact me.
Name________________________ Street____________________________ Town, ZIP______________________ Phone______________
___ We feel it is important to occasionally acknowledge our donors publicly. If you do not want your name mentioned, please check here.
Food for People, Inc., is a 501 (c)(3). Donations are deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Food for People, the Food Bank for Humboldt County, 307 W. 14th St. Eureka, CA 95501. (707) 445-3166. www.foodforpeople.org

10. Page 10 Food Notes
Every Child, Every Day continued from p. 8 Letter Carriers
continued from p. 4
in the footsteps of the Willow Creek Kiwanis Club Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Humboldt
and its members, who made it possible for us to serve Recovery Center, the Lee and Bonnie Brown House,
children in that community by agreeing to transport and many other individuals contributed their time and
the food from the Food Bank to the Willow Creek talents on May 12th. Donated pizzas from Papa
Community Resource Center, where it was packed Murphy’s, Domino’s, Round Table, Smug’s, Angelo’s
into backpacks by volunteers and delivered to the and Big Louie’s helped feed our fabulous crew.
school. It is just this sort of community spirit that makes Collectively, all these businesses and individuals made
the backpacks program work. it possible for us to collect a total of 26,882 pounds
in Eureka and 47,466 pounds throughout the rest
Afterschool Snack Program of the county.
The Afterschool Snack Program works with Food for People and its network of food
academic, recreation and community after school pantries countywide rely on the food collected during
programs in low-income neighborhoods or “pockets this annual drive to provide food boxes for those in
of poverty” to serve a healthy snack to help bridge need in the coming months. The total number of
Campers from Ross Park in Eureka enjoying
the gap between lunch at school and dinner at home. pounds collected was down a bit this year compared
free summer lunches
Many of the same sites serving snacks also participate to last, and some communities were more successful
in the Children’s Summer Lunch Program. “Victory Against Hunger” award, one of only 20
awarded nationwide. than others. The Letter Carriers reported that many
In Rio Dell, the Community Resource Center of the households that typically donate said they just
worked in partnership with school staff and volunteers The enormity of the day to day operations
for the Children’s Summer Lunch Program, serving couldn’t afford to do so this which seems to be a
to make sure that kids who needed snacks were able reflection of the health of our local economy. That’s
to get them before going home. Consistently, they children at sites up to 120 miles apart, requires
collaboration among many different organizations and why Food for People’s services are so important. We
were serving snacks to over half of the kids at the would like to extend our warmest thanks to everyone
elementary and middle schools! During the 2006- individuals countywide. Each summer weekday,
lunches are prepared at the Humboldt Senior throughout the county who donated nonperishable
2007 school year, children in five cities ate food to help us sustain those efforts. We are proud to
39,068 snacks. Resource Center by a team of intergenerational
volunteers. Getting the lunches to the various sites be part of such a generous and caring community.
Children’s Summer Lunch Program would not be possible
Food for People has sponsored the Children’s without the help of UPS and
Thank you
Summer Lunch Program since 1997, and has helped Humboldt Transit Authority.
the program grow from serving 3,500 lunches during They transport coolers full of
its first year to serving over 12,500 lunches in the lunches to remote sites that
summer of 2006. This year, we are serving healthy we would not otherwise
lunches to children at 18 sites, spread out from the have been able to serve.
tiny community of Orick in the north to Redway in the Working together, UPS, the
south, and Willow Creek and Bridgeville in the east. Humboldt Transit Authority,
Food For People runs an excellent program that has several volunteers and one
been recognized nationally for its efforts and Food for People staff person
innovation. In 2002, we received a Congressional drives an average of almost No More Hungry Kids Campaign Sponsor
600 miles per day, delivering
lunches to the 18 distribution
Children’s sites.
Summer Lunch Kick-Off
On Tuesday, June 26th, Food for People staff, board of directors, No More Hungry
Kids Campaign sponsors and supporters kicked-off this year’s program at Ross
Park in Eureka. At the celebration, Ross Park Campers received a free insulated
lunch bag or jump rope (provided by USDA and Public Health’s “Eat more fruits and
vegetables and be active” campaign) and enjoyed having balloon animals made by No More Hungry More Kids Campaign supporters
local Balloon Artist Matthew Scott. Program sponsors, Food for People staff and and friends (left to Right) Melanie Williams, Anne
Ross Park Campers participated in an outstanding juggling/comedy act by Ross Holcomb, Laura Olson (Humboldt Area Foundation),
Caitlin Collings handing out Kathy Hayes (St. Joseph Humbodlt County), Tara
jumpropes
Mackinney.
Sanders (HSRC) and Felicia Oldfather (BoD FFP)

11. Summer 2007 Page 11
Food for People Pantry Network Meeting News Briefs
On Wednesday March 28th and Monday
April 1 Food for People hosted meetings with the
st
Bulk purchasing, developing relationships with local
farmers and businesses and grant funding to support
Senior Brown Bag
food pantries that comprise our countywide Food purchases were all discussed, with Food for People Program Turns 20!
Pantry Network. The making a commitment
meetings were held on to take the lead on Food for People is celebrating 20 years
two separate days to seeking grant funds to of sponsorship of the Senior Brown Bag
accommodate the diverse support bulk food Program, which provides a monthly bag of
schedules and locations of purchases. We will also groceries for 650 low income seniors at 15 sites
our pantries, which continue our efforts to countywide. Approximately half of the bags are
stretch from Redway in provide more fresh delivered to the seniors by volunteers, who also
the south to Orick in the fruits and vegetables enjoy checking in on them and hearing some
north and Willow Creek through the Farm to pretty amazing life stories. The program is
in the east. The majority Family and Donate funded by the California Department of Aging
of the pantries are run by Don’t Dump and administered locally by the Area 1 Agency
volunteers who give programs. on Aging. An average of 90 volunteers support
generously of their time to March 28th meeting included representatives from the The sessions the program at each of the sites by contributing
provide assistance to Mattole Valley Grange, Bridgeville, Willow Creek wrapped up with a over 160 hours/month of their time and talents
local people in need. Kiwanis, Ferndale, Trinidad, Scotia - Bread for Life, presentation by Jyl to make sure the seniors don’t go without. The
Some are open for only Arcata and Eureka Seniors pantries Barnett, Community program was threatened with complete
a few hours once a month and distribute only the USDA Education and Outreach Coordinator, and Jamie elimination due to proposed budget cuts in
commodity foods while others may be open several Lamers, our VISTA volunteer. Jyl provided an 2002 and 2003. The letter writing efforts of
days a week and supplement the food boxes with overview of the nutrition education and food stamp many of the seniors served and their families,
locally donated and/or purchased items. outreach activities she and Jamie have been working combined with excellent advocacy support from
We don’t have an opportunity to get together on and Jamie passed around a sample of the resource the community, and especially Assembly
very often, so there were several things we wanted to binder she has been developing for use at each site. Member Patty Berg, helped save the program.
accomplish within our three hour time frame. Food The binder includes information on WIC, food stamps, Every dollar invested in the program generates
for People wanted to learn more about the resource nutrition tips, recipes, essential resources for low $35 in donated goods and services.
needs at each site, including the need for additional income households, etc. All sites have since received
food, volunteers and/or funding; we wanted to take their own binder and we look forward to their
the preliminary steps to set up delivery service to the feedback on its usefulness.
pantries utilizing our new truck; and we wanted to We can’t thank our Pantry Coordinators Thrill of the Grill
review the USDA guidelines to prepare each pantry enough for all that they do on behalf of their respective
for upcoming site monitoring by a California communities! And we look forward to strengthening The Northcoast Coop supports Food for
representative of the USDA/Emergency Food the partnerships countywide that help keep those People in many ways including the Register
Assistance Program. It was also a great opportunity communities healthy and strong. If you have ideas to Donation Program and the Cooperative
for our ever-creative and innovative pantry share or would like to help in some way, please don’t Community Fund. For the past three years,
coordinators to share some of the ideas and strategies hesitate to contact us. the Northcoast Coop has hosted the “Thrill of
they have come up with. The most desired foods are clearly main-dish the Grill” BBQ Benefit. The menu this year
Food resources were a hot topic, as we’ve protein items and dairy products. The top seven items inlcuded grassfed beef hamburgers (donated
experienced a 40% decline in the amount of USDA identified include: by Rancher Lee Moira), chicken hot dogs,
commodities provided to our Food Bank, a decline portabella mushroom burgers, or the super
that is being experienced by food banks nationwide. Peanut Butter, Canned Meats/Fish, Beans,
combo grassfed beef burger with a portabella
This is obviously a significant concern for pantries that Bread/Tortillas, Soups/Stews/Chili, Milk (fresh or
on top. The meal included chips and a natural
provide only the USDA commodities. Participants at powdered), Cereal
drink. This year the “Thrill of the Grill” raised
both sessions helped brainstorm and prioritize a list Thanks to grant funds provided by the Union $950 to directly support Food for People’s No
of the most desired foods (see the list below) and Labor Health Foundation, we have been able to More Hungry Kids Campaign. The
discussed the availability of local donations through provide extra produce for the pantries and at least Northcoast Coop is an important community
food drives as well as donations from the community. one additional item per month from the list above. In partner to many organizations doing good work
Food for People’s long term goal is to make the May we provided cereal and in June we provided
in the community. Thank you Coop!
availability of emergency and supplemental food more loaves of bread for all sites. We hope to expand these
equitable throughout the county. The challenge is to offerings in the future as funds permit.
accomplish this without a significant increase in cost.