a r t x E HELPINGS ItвЂ™s an Exciting Time at the San Antonio Food Bank! SPRING 2013 In This Issue: 2 Letter from the President/CEO 2 Policy News With the construction of our warehouse expansion in full swing, there is never a dull moment at the San Antonio Food Bank. When the dust settles, we will have an additional 104,000 square feet to help us achieve our goal of distributing 53 million pounds of food to those facing food insecurity in our 16-county service area. The expansion will provide much needed space for storing our Twelve Most Wanted Items as well as greater capacity to house perishable items, increasing our ability to provide more fresh produce and dated items such as milk and eggs. In our current space, we will see a new volunteer lobby, an events pavillion--capable of holding up to 300 people--and a new sorting area. All of this will help us to efficiently serve the community. 2 Partner Services 3 Spotlight on Hunger 3 Special Events 4 Calendar The expansion continues our theme of a вЂњgreenвЂќ building using вЂњgreenвЂќ strategies to maximize our resources. The new warehouse will add 375,000 gallons of reclaimed water to benefit our 22 acres of farm land. We will be able to reclaim and store water from rain, condensation and from our neighbors at Bay Valley Foods. The Food Bank will be able to use the reclaimed water from the Bay Valley vegetable wash rather than it вЂњgoing down the drain.вЂќ WeвЂ™re building a new road behind the San Antonio Food Bank to make it easier for our fleet of trucks to make their way to our loading dock. As we approach summer, the timing couldnвЂ™t be more perfect as we increase our goal to serve nearly 300,000 meals to area children through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) via 150 sites throughout our 16-county area. The SFSP is one of our most vital programs as many families wonder how they will feed their children while school is out of session. Many children go from eating two healthy meals per day during the school year, to complete food insecurity in the summer months. The Summer Food Service Program helps families continue to feed their children. To contribute to healthy options and fun for downtown employees and tourists, the 3rd Annual Main Plaza FarmersвЂ™ Market began in early March and will continue through December. The FarmersвЂ™ Market is an opportunity to purchase tasty, local, seasonal produce, artisan breads, and even a healthy lunch. Our very own Catalyst Catering offers affordable, hot and healthy meals. The FarmersвЂ™ Market is held each Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. вЂ“ 1:00 p.m. The second Tuesday of each month will host a special theme and guest presenters. Come down and visit us! With more space, comes a greater responsibility to fill our facility to meet the never ending need in our community. WonвЂ™t you help us fill up? Visit our website at safoodbank.org or call us at 210-337-3663 for details on how you can join us in being part of the solution to end hunger by donating food, time or money. Please visit us at: www.safoodbank.org www.facebook.com/safoodbank twitter.com/safoodbank www.flicker.com/photos/safoodbank www.youtube.com/thesafoodbank safoodbank.wordpress.com Fighting Hunger... ...Feeding Hope The mission of the San Antonio Food Bank is to fight hunger in Southwest Texas through food distribution, programs, education and advocacy. Our programs and services reach 58,000 individuals each week through our network of partner agencies. Thank you for joining us in our efforts to fight hunger and feed hope in Southwest Texas. Extra Helpings is a newsletter published three times a year by the San Antonio Food Bank. Editor: Dawn A. Thurmond If you get two of these, please give one to a friend and notify the Food Bank. San Antonio Food Bank 5200 W. Old US Hwy 90 San Antonio, TX 78227 210.337.3663 www.safoodbank.org The San Antonio Food Bank does not sell or share its mailing list with other organizations. This agency prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, handicap, religion or national origin. 2012-2013 Board of Directors Chairman Henry Feldman Martin Feldman Hospitality Management 1st Vice Chair Katie Lenss Chubb Personal Insurance 2nd Vice Chair Michael Cubeta Security Service Federal Credit Union Treasurer John L. Shank Citibank Secretary Mike Graham H-E-B Past Chairman Michael Ussery The Bank of SA Robert Blalock Spawglass Contractors, Inc. William Bodnar Tesoro Jerry Brown Amoco (retired) Steve Coben San Antonio Circular Geoffrey W. Crabtree Methodist Healthcare System Herman S. Crockett Sysco- San Antonio LP Michael B. Fanning MBF Enterprises, Inc. Richard Goldsmith SA Area Foundation Hans C. Rickoff Akin Gump LLP Travis C. Hodges Nationwide Sales Solutions Rose Jentz Capital Group Companies Phil Karl Performance Sales & Marketing Garry W. Kirker, Ph.D. Valero Energy Corp. Steve Koenig PlaneFlite Associates Bill Lester Cox, Smith, Matthews, Inc. Gerald C. Letch, Jr. Consultant D. Skipper Nelson Acosta Sales & Marketing Donna C. Normandin Frost Bank Dana Simmons USAA Hugh Topper H-E-B Jimmy Toubin Toubin Insurance Agency, Inc. Advisory Board Ken Allen H-E-B Mike Beldon Beldon Roofing Rabbi Barry Block Temple Beth El Charles Butt H-E-B Buckner Fanning Fellowship of San Antonio Bill Greehey NuStar Energy William Klesse Valero Energy Corporation Greg Kowalski The RK Group Joe McKinney Broadway Bank Bill Morrow Grande Communications Gregg Popovich San Antonio Spurs Tom Roddy Benson Enterprises Kenny Wilson Bank of America Nelson Wolff Bexar County Judge President/CEO Eric S. Cooper Attend New Agency Orientation to go over programs, policies and procedures. Classes begin at 9 a.m. at the SAFB. вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў April 11 May 7 June 5 July 9 From Where I Stand Dear Friend, Having the privilege of leading your San Antonio Food Bank is a gift for which I am grateful for every day. My deep gratitude is a result of the generosity of partners and donors like you. Here are a few highlights for which my heart is overflowing with appreciation in the last few months. First, we closed out a $15,000,000 capital campaign in December. The campaign was possible because of the tremendous leadership given by our honorary Campaign Chair, Coach Gregg Popovich. His tireless efforts coupled with the generosity of key donors allowed us to complete our fundraising in just a few months. Special thanks to the donors who made this campaign happen: H-E-B, Valero, Harvey E. Najim, The Kronkosky Foundation, USAA, The Greehey Family Foundation, Barbara and Michael Gentry, and Gregg and Erin Popovich Second, we will begin farming an additional 15-20 acres adjacent to our facility thanks to an arrangement made with the City of San Antonio. This land will provide produce for our families in need, as well as for residents at San AntonioвЂ™s transformational homeless campus: Haven for Hope. The City has agreed to lease the Food Bank this land for $1 a month for 20 years and we are excited to engage the community in bringing nourishing food out of this rich soil. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I wish you could see the daily transformation of lives that happens because of your support. Whether you donate food, money, or time, your contribution helps us set the table for 58,000 people a week in the region. People who would otherwise go hungry are fed because of you. I see and hear the stories every day, and the recipients are often in tears due to your kindness and generosity. On behalf of them I thank you for all you do to further our mission. Sincerely, Eric S. Cooper President and CEO Policy News The San Antonio Food BankвЂ™s (SAFB) Government Relations & Advocacy department genuinely appreciates your participation in support of our mission to end hunger in the community. The Food Bank has been busy meeting with elected officials both in our state capital, Austin, and most recently, in Washington, DC. In February, the Food Bank, in conjunction with the Texas Food Bank Network (TFBN) and other food banks throughout the state of Texas, met with state elected officials to advocate for programs that can help alleviate hunger in our communities. The San Antonio Food Bank and members of the TFBN requested an increase in the Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Ag) grant program, which helps glean excess produce from farmers. Topics discussed included helping our children eat healthy and become fit, as were various measures to increase access to breakfast and nutritious meals during the summer, as well as strengthening physical activity in schools. The Food Bank also attended the National Anti-Hunger Conference in Washington, DC in March to participate in a day of visits to Capitol Hill to oppose funding cuts to nutrition programs authorized in the Farm Bill. Programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) are vital in helping struggling families put food on the table. As Congress faces our countryвЂ™s fiscal challenges, the San Antonio Food Book urged elected officials not to cut these important nutrition programs. We will continue to work with Feeding America, TFBN and other hunger coalition partners from around the country like The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to advocate for our clients and oppose cuts to critical nutrition programs. The San Antonio Food Bank encourages you to get engaged by contacting your elected officials to share the need for support of these programs. If you would like to become an advocate, please visit www.hungeractioncenter.org or log onto www.safoodbank.org. Partner Services Each week, the San Antonio Food Bank feeds upwards of 58,000 people. ThatвЂ™s a lot of meals! We recognize we cannot distribute these meals without the extraordinary assistance of the 500+ partners who provide staff, volunteers, transportation, distribution, and most importantly, face-to-face compassion. In an effort to thank our partners, the Golden Apple Awards Banquet was created five years ago to celebrate their successes by hosting a dinner in their honor. These agencies include food pantries, senior centers, after-school programs, shelters, group homes, churches, community organizations, and soup kitchens; many of which are operated and sustained by volunteers. This yearвЂ™s Golden Apple Awards was held at TriPoint with a dinner provided by the San Antonio Food BankвЂ™s Community Kitchen, and Toni-Marie Van Buren, Senior Vice President, Partners for Community Change, United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County as keynote speaker. While all partners do an outstanding job each year, we take the time to award eight agencies providing service in excellence. This yearвЂ™s awardees were: вЂў The Dorothy Gonzales Hunger Fighter of the Year: Chapel Hill U.M.C. вЂ“ Margie White вЂў Hunger Fighter Team of the Year: Community Resource and Recreation Center of Canyon Lake вЂў Senior Program: Beacon Hill вЂў ChildrenвЂ™s Program: YMCA at Haven for Hope вЂў Nutrition Partner of the Year: Presa Community Center вЂў Client Services Partner of the Year: Catholic Charities вЂў вЂњBest All AroundвЂќ Multi Service Agency of the Year: Hispanic Religious Partnership вЂў Honorable Mention: Mt. Sinai Church вЂў вЂњExcellenceвЂќ Food Pantry of the Year: River of Life вЂў Honorable Mention: King of Kings Lutheran We canвЂ™t say thank you enough for the hard work and commitment ALL our partners contribute to our mission. Congratulations to all awardees! For more information about Partner Services or to register for classes, please call 210.431.8339. Fighting Hunger...Feeding Hope 2 Spotlight on Hunger Twenty Years of Service to the Food Bank We typically cover a client in this section of our newsletter but in this edition we wanted to highlight the career of an employee celebrating 20 years of service to the San Antonio Food Bank--Eddie Rodriguez. Eddie remembers answering a newspaper ad for a truck driver position at the Food Bank in 1993. Since that time he has worked in transportation, warehouse, sorting and now maintenance. Back then the Food Bank had 18 employees and three very old and very used trucks. In his 20-year career, the Food Bank has tripled in size--a feat he credits to current President and CEO, Eric Cooper. Rodriguez quietly says, вЂњI used to roll my eyes when he would talk about his vision--it didnвЂ™t seem like we could accomplish it. Today when he says weвЂ™re going to reach a goal, I believe in him 100%--he delivers! I never dreamed we would have a new facility or that we could accomplish such big things. But look at us now!вЂќ He also encourages friends to donate their time. When he provides tours, Rodriguez says heвЂ™s very proud to show off our growth, and volunteers are always amazed by how much the Food Bank does for the community. Rodriguez realized the impact of the Food Bank one day while driving, when he suddenly saw multiple cars turn around and follow a San Antonio Food Bank truck that was traveling on the opposite side of the road. вЂњTo realize that a person was in such need, they would follow our truck around, I knew then our work is important.вЂќ Eddie says he is most impressed with the dedication and work of our Partner agencies, вЂњThese are people who sometimes have it worse than the people they serve, yet they are there--despite their age or circumstance--making sure others have food to eat.вЂќ Rodriguez has felt the impact of working at the Food Bank in his own life, вЂњI have met some really good and really helpful people. I wouldnвЂ™t be where I am today. We have a tough staff--we just move forward in spite of tough times.вЂќ Eddie is probably best known for his grilling skills; every year for the NALC Food Drive he comes out in вЂњEl CapitanвЂќ, his old Winnebago, and grills hotdogs and hamburgers for the community event. вЂњIвЂ™m really best known for my bbq and bbq sauce!вЂќ Eddie exclaims proudly. Eddie has no plans to retire any time soon. He hopes before that time comes he sees a new generation of philanthropists take over the battle to fight hunger in Southwest Texas. Thank you Eddie Rodriguez for 20 years of service!. Let the SAFB Client Services staff help you locate your nearest pantry. They can also help complete your application for SNAP, CHIP, ChildrenвЂ™s Medicaid, Adult Medicaid, WIC, WomenвЂ™s Health Program, Long Term Care, TANF or Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities. Call 210.431.8326 or 800.246.9191 Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturdays 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Special Events Thank you for an amazing holiday season! We are so honored by our communityвЂ™s support of The Great Turkey Challenge, our Annual 5K Run/Walk, which raised enough money to provide 8,500 turkeys to families in need. Additionally, Food 4 SA raised over 1,000,000 pounds of food through countless food drives during the month of November. We are incredibly grateful for your help. In case you have not yet heard, the San Antonio Food Bank is raffling off a Tim Duncan-designed 2012 Toyota Tundra! Thanks to The Grill at Leon Springs, Cavender Auto Family, and Black Jack Speed Shop, this one-of-a-kind truck is perfect for the ultimate Spurs fan. Tickets are only $50 each and available online at safoodbank.org/spurstruck. Only 5,000 tickets will be sold and over 2,200 have already been sold to date. The drawing will be held on May 1st вЂ“ good luck! Spring is here and the San Antonio Food Bank invites you to attend The County Line Music Series, which kicked off mid-March and is held every Wednesday evening from 6:30 вЂ“ 10:00 PM at The County Line on I-10. Join the Food Bank as we collect canned goods and monetary donations while enjoying great music and beautiful weather. Many thanks to our great volunteers, the Parrot Head Club of San Antonio, for joining us again at The County Line this summer. Doing Good on the Green, the San Antonio Food BankвЂ™s 9th Annual Golf Tournament, will take place on Wednesday, April 24th at 8:00 AM. Held on the Oaks Course of the exclusive TPC San Antonio at the JW Marriott, the tournament is a great way to spend a morning on the greens while fighting hunger in our community. Individual and team registrations are still available, as well as sponsorship opportunities. Join us at TPC San Antonio and play where the pros play! We are thrilled to announce that the San Antonio Food Bank will benefit from the Taste of the Dominion, held at The Dominion Country Club on Thursday, May 2nd. This tasting event features many local restaurants and chefs. The evening will also include a fabulous silent auction and a dessert throw-down between our own Catalyst Catering and The DominionвЂ™s kitchen staff. Tickets are available for $35 at www.safoodbank.org/thedominion. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or visit safoodbank.org for more details on these and all of our upcoming events. Donate at www.safoodbank.org A special thank you to the following for their support: вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў Alamo Drafthouse Capital Group Companies Citi City Church Cox Communications The Dominion Country Club The Grill at Leon Springs H-E-B National Association of Letter Carriers New Braunfels Downtown Rotary San Antonio Spurs Store Point Conference TPC San Antonio US Postal Service Valero For more information on these and other events, please visit our website at www.safoodbank.org or call 210.337.3663. 3 Non-profit Organ. U.S. Postage P A I D San Antonio, TX Permit No. 725 United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County San Antonio Food Bank 5200 W. Old US Hwy 90 San Antonio, TX 78227 210.337.3663 www.safoodbank.org Fighting Hunger...Feeding Hope Calendar of Events Ongoing The County Line Live Music Series - Every Wednesday thru Sept. - 10101 IH-10 West location - Free with a food/$ donation to SAFB - Headliner begins at 8 pm Gardening 101 -4th Friday of each month - To register, e-mail: gmartin@safoodbank.org Main Plaza FarmersвЂ™ Market - Tuesdays, 10 am - 1 pm - 115 Main Plaza, downtown Viva Bien! Live Well with Diabetes! - 4th Wednesday of each month - 6:00 - 7:30 pm at SAFB - Call (210) 431-8351 to register For more information on our upcoming events, follow us on Facebook or visit our website at www.safoodbank.org or call 210.337.3663. Superior Health Plans Healthy Cooking - 2nd Tuesday of each month - 11 am - 12 pm - Call (210) 431-8420 to register * must have Superior Health Plan card Upcoming March 30 Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice Food Drive April 24 Doing Good on the Green - 9th Annual Golf Tournament - Register (210) 431-8310 or mborrego@safoodbank.org May 2 Taste of the Dominion - Food, Fun and Fancy at the Dominion - More info: (210) 431-8309 or jcarter@safoodbank.org 11 National Association of Letter Carriers - Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive - Be on the lookout for your donation bag! - And donвЂ™t forget to leave by your mailbox for pick-up 15 Date Night at the Quarry Golf Club - 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - RSVP to (210) 431-8306 or dafletcher@safoodbank.org Volunteers Needed for the 2014 Hunger in America Study Take part in the countryвЂ™s largest survey of agencies and clients of charitable food assistance. Volunteers are required to attend a training and meet certain qualifications. For more information, please contact Stephanie Smith at (210) 431-8308 or email at stesmith@safoodbank.org.