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| Summer 2007 Newsletter | ||
Articles: Salvation Army – West Mound Canned Creativity Benefit Bank Register Online for Golf Classic A Gift to Last a Lifetime Alliance Data Systems – A Credit to the Community R egular Features:Did You Know? Food Facts Volunteer Focus Etc., Etc. |
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| Salvation Army – West Mound | ||
 Jim waits in the car while his daughter picks up his CSFP box. He says he's not a great cook, but the food he gets monthly helps him get by. |
For many families in Ohio, a good-sized box of food comes in handy when their
cupboards are getting bare. We visited the Salvation Army on West Mound
Street on a busy day in mid-May to learn how they were serving their
community. This Salvation Army location does plenty for those in need. Besides serving 200 families a month at their food pantry, they also help people with clothing, furniture, and assistance with their gas bills. The day we visited, they were in the middle of giving out 215 Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) boxes to seniors in their community - along with a few extras from their pantry. The agency serves a large area - from just west of downtown to Grove City and Galloway. They work hard to keep families supplied with the basic necessities. |
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Cynthia Walker, a social worker at the site, visits the Foodbank practically
every day to pick up extra produce for her clients. Many of the families
they help are struggling to find work and need help due to rising costs of
food and other basic expenses. According to Ms. Walker, “Food is the one
thing they can cut back on to make ends meet even though it hurts them
nutritionally.” |
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| Canned Creativity | ||
 WD
Partners decided to create a competition among their studios to see who
could create the most unique sculpture built from canned and boxed foods.
The first place entry titled “Shoe Can Do It,” created by the Retail Studio,
was a replica of the Ohio Stadium complete with a jumbo-tron, Script Ohio,
and cars in the parking lot around the stadium.According to Melissa Buller, the event organizer, “WD was able to donate 4,778 pounds of food to Operation Feed. It was a whole lot of fun for our WD-er's and a wonderful way to support our local communities." |
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| Benefit Bank | ||
 Often
families struggling to make ends meet don’t get the help available to them.
Programs like food stamps, WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children), Medicaid, and HEAP (Home Energy Assistance
Program) are often under-utilized. Clients may not be aware of programs they
are eligible for or are sometimes confused by the paperwork needed to apply.Benefit Bank is a software program that helps families determine whether or not they may be eligible for different kinds of assistance. Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks and Americorp*VISTA’s across the state are promoting the program to organizations who serve populations in need. Stacey Lane, a VISTA worker based at the Foodbank, is training staff from our network of agencies on how to use the Benefit Bank. Our network is excited to have a new tool for helping families in need. |
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| Register Online for Golf Classic | ||
 Now’s
the time to sign up for a wonderful day of golf and the chance to help drive
off hunger for many area families. On August 13th, the 17th Annual
Mid-Ohio FoodBank Golf Classic will take place at the Medallion Club in
Westerville.Alliance Data, Business First, H. R. Gray, M/I Homes, and Worthington Industries are major sponsors. Foursome registration is $2,200 and includes golf, lunch, reception, and the awards dinner. To sign up, visit www.midohiofoodbank.org or call Claire at (614) 274-7770. |
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A Gift to Last a Lifetime |
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“There are certain things that are fundamental to human
fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase 'to live,
to love, to learn, to leave a legacy.” |
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Jack Gibney has done it all: lived, loved, learned, and now, will leave his legacy by supporting the mission of Mid-Ohio FoodBank long into the future. By remembering the Foodbank in his estate plans, Jack’s gift embodies his commitment to supporting groups in line with his values and faith, and honors his late parents, who were role models for his philanthropic work. “I’m pleased to create this legacy gift, as one of my main priorities is human services. I know it will be put to good use,” says Jack. Jack started his career in the grocery business with The Kroger Company as a young man working his way through college. From his early days in the meat and produce departments, he moved into the merchandising division at the suggestion of his then-boss, Dick Bere, who later became a great friend and mentor. Jack was the head buyer in the merchandising division when Mr. Bere asked him to represent Kroger as the Foodbank was getting started in the early 1980s. |
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Thus began a long and fruitful partnership with the FoodBank, and one that has
meant a great deal to both parties. Due in part to the firm foundation
created in those formative years, The Kroger Company remains an invaluable
food industry partner. Jack first became a Mid-Ohio FoodBank board member in 1982, serving for three years. He was elected again in 1987, and became the board chair in 1991. He served until 1993. During the Gibney years, the Foodbank found its wings, garnering widespread industry support and growing its service area. “Jack’s passion, humor, and the long hours he was willing to devote made a huge difference in our early years,” says Foodbank Associate Director Evelyn Behm. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without him.” Jack counts the Foodbank among the top three organizations he supports, citing our mission to feed the hungry, especially children and seniors. As someone familiar with the Foodbank, and the work that has been done over the years, Jack says only that he hopes the organization’s growth pattern will continue, and that it not lose sight of serving its core demographic. Jack’s legacy gift to the Foodbank means that thousands of children, seniors, and families will be fed long into the future. His gift means the world to us, and to those in our community and throughout our 20-county service area who struggle to put nourishing food on the table. |
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Thank you, Jack, for looking into the future, seeing a need, and entrusting us
to carry out part of your legacy. We are so grateful for the privilege, and
for your commitment to making a difference in the lives of hungry people. If
you are interested in more information about including Mid-Ohio FoodBank in
your estate plans and becoming part of the Foodbank’s Legacy Society, please
contact Cathy Barr at (614) 274-7770 or cbarr @secondharvest.org.Jack Gibney, a former board chair of the Mid-Ohio FoodBank, plans on helping the Foodbank far into the future through a legacy gift. |
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| Alliance Data Systems – A Credit to the Community | ||
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Due to a recent partnership, the Foodbank is seeing Alliance Data employees in
droves, and we’re delighted. Alliance Data is a credit card services company with 1,800 employees in Columbus. The Foodbank has had volunteers from Alliance Data for years, but their investment in fighting hunger has really taken off this year. Besides encouraging teams of employees to spend time volunteering for the Foodbank, the company also made a commitment of $50,000 to the Foodbank to help fight hunger in central Ohio. |
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According to Mark Stewart, vice president of human resources, “Our bright
future includes helping to strengthen the communities where we live and
work, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Foodbank and other
important organizations to do just that.” Does your company want to follow Alliance Data Systems’ lead and get more involved in feeding families in need? Call us at (614) 274-7770. |
 (From
left) Alliance Data Systems associates, Kathy Chamblin, Mark Stewart, Amy
Haemmerle, and Tammi Cross take a brief break from sorting food at the
Foodbank. |
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| Regular Features: | ||
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Did You Know? |
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The Foodbank was recently certified by the Ohio Association of Nonprofit
Organizations. Their Standards for Excellence program is a voluntary
certification program for Ohio’s nonprofit sector. On May 8, five nonprofits
who have met OANO's stringent standards were recognized at a luncheon in the
Statehouse Atrium. To be certified, the Foodbank had to demonstrate a commitment to fundamental values - such as honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility, and accountability. We’re proud to have achieved this certification. |
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| Food Facts | ||
 You
say, “Po-tay-to”...we say, “Bring them on!”The Foodbank was a recent recipient of two semi-loads of wonderful potatoes - over 80,000 pounds! There are a lot of benefits to eating potatoes. |
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| Volunteer Focus | ||
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It can happen to you! Congratulations to Kendra Knoll and Steve Hecker. One and a half years ago they had their first date at Mid-Ohio FoodBank’s Singles Night for volunteers. This past Easter Sunday, they announced their engagement and are planning an August wedding. According to Kendra, “Steve said the reason why the Foodbank was our first date was it gave us plenty of opportunity to talk, and he wanted to impress me with his charity work." |
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Meet new friends (and maybe even that special someone) at our Singles Night on
the second Thursday of each month! If you’re single and over 21, we’d love
to see you there. The singles group includes people from all walks of life ranging in age from their mid-twenties to near retirement. Call (614) 274-7770 to schedule. |
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| Etc. Etc. | ||
 On
April 24 & 25, American Idol presented "Idol Gives Back," a two-night
special to benefit children and young people living in extreme poverty in
the United States and Africa. They collected donations from viewers and
corporate sponsors.A portion of donations from viewers will go to America's Second Harvest. As a member of America's Second Harvest, we are thrilled about this opportunity. Simon Cowell’s visit to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank was a great way to demonstrate the work food banks are doing across the country. It was a wonderful chance to have a huge audience educated about domestic hunger. |
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Mid-Ohio FoodBank w
1625 W. Mound Street w
Columbus, OH 43223 |
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