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Foodforought

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes913 E Alcott Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

Business: 269.488.2617 / Fax: 269.343.3669

Food: 269.3433663 / Email: info@kzoolf.org

April 2010

Website: kzoolf.org

Inside This Issue

Empty Bowls 2

Folk-rock Concert 2

Letter Carriers Food Drive 2

Volunteer Opportunities 3

Feinstein Challenge 3

35th Crop WalK 3

28th Annual Meeting

& Potluck Supper 4

Tributes Insert

In-house Food Pantry Insert

Complexities of Food Hardship

Fast Facts:

KLF depends on the

support of over 450

volunteers every week

All KLF food orders are

based on the USDA food

pyramid for nutritional

quality

As I looked this week at the Food Research Action Centers (FRAC) Food Hardship: ACloser Look at Hungerreport, the words food hardship struck me hard. FRAC denesfood hardship as the lack of money to buy food that families need and they describeit as a national problem with nearly 1 in 5 households struggling with hunger. Onone hand, this is no surprise to us here at KLF; weve been working to meet theemergency food needs of individuals and families in this community for nearly 30years. And yet it strikes me that the denition of food hardship is somehow botha similar and more comprehensive description of the reality of the challenge facedtoday.

Food hardship in its simplest form is the struggle at the household level to putfood on the table. When one faces food hardship, everything else is harder too. Fora parent, elder or student, nothing is more frustrating than not knowing where yournext meal is coming from. Easing food hardship helps to make living easier and moreproductive for us all and it is the core of the Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes mission.With that in mind, staff recently undertook an active outreach effort seeking

to 1) increase awareness of Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes services and 2) betterunderstand the emergency food needs of vulnerable populations those hardestto reach yet often most in need. Through a series of face-to-face meetings with keyrepresentatives from 18 area human service providers, a number of repeated themessurfaced: Regular Outreach: KLF needs to reach out strategically and regularly, particularly

to our most vulnerable community members children, elders, single-parenthouseholds, and those with disabilities so they can access available assistance.

Community Partnerships: KLF needs to systematically develop relationships withhuman service systems that regularly do home visits to explore opportunities fortheir support in getting food into the hands of the people they serve.

Rened Service Delivery: Grocery Pantry Program (GPP): the GPP will continue to serve as the

organizations core service delivery system with renement of service geographyand accessibility based on demand.

Supplemental Food Support: focus supplemental and meal supportprogramming to better meet the needs of vulnerable populations, easing accessand increasing availability of no- and low-cost food.

In the face of these ndings, the KLF board and staff are working hard to stepup our efforts to ease food hardship across this community. It will take not only ourcommitment to the strategic expansion of the GPP, but also exploration of new ideas

and partnerships to actively expand how we deliver emergency food assistance andhow we think about ending food hardship.

There is good energy here at Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes. It is evidenced by yourcontributions of food and dollars. It is evidenced by the hundreds of volunteers

across our system in the warehouse, the call-center andpantries across the community. Kalamazoo Loaves &Fishes has a strong and proud history here in SouthwestMichigan. We know that the challenges ahead will continueto stretch our resources but not our resolve. We seek acommunity where food hardship is replaced by foodsecurity, and we know that with your help we are making adifference every day.

Anne Wend Lipsey, Executive Director

Remember:

Your donation could

be stretched further by

applying for a matching

gift from your employer.

Talk to your

HR representative

today!

One in five

households

struggles with

hunger

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Its here again! The NationalAssociation of Letter Carriers FoodDrive is scheduled for Saturday,May 8. This national event benefitsour local community throughthe collective donations of manythroughout Kalamazoo County.Simply set out your non-perishablefood items on Saturday, May 8 andyour local Letter Carrier will pickthem up.

This year, participating localagenciesthe PortageCommunityCenter, TheSalvationArmy, andKalamazooLoaves &Fishes wouldlove to seea total of

120,000 lbs collected. We almostreached that amount last year with more than 111,000 lbs in fooddonations. This year well need thehelp of more people in order for thegoal to be reached. Here are waysthat you can contribute and make adifference for many this year:

Advertise the event in your churchnewsletter

Make a yard sign to advertise in

your neighborhood Tell at least 10 friends Send out an alert through Facebook

or link to the Kalamazoo Loaves &Fishes Facebook page

Volunteer! If you are able torepeatedly lift up to 40 lbs we canuse your help. Please call Seema at269-488-2617 ext. 209 to sign up

For more information, visit www.kzoolf.org or call 269-488-2617ext. 210. And dont forget to put your

donation out by your mailbox onSaturday, May 8!

13 E Alcott, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49001 / P: 269.488.2617 / F: 269.343.3669 / E: info@kzoolf.org / W: kzoolf.o

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes: FoodforThoughtApril 2010 Pag

Empty Bowls Raises Awareness through ArtOn April 23, Kalamazoo Loaves &

Fishes will partner with Prairie RidgeElementary School to host an EmptyBowls event as part of a greater 2010Empty Bowls Project with Kalamazoo

Public Schools and Panera Bread.Over the past few months, areastudents created ceramic bowls whilelearning about hunger and propernutrition, culminating with a simplecommunity meal of soup and bread.Guests then take home a handmadebowl to remind them that someones

bowl is always empty in KalamazooCounty.

There were ve preceding events thisyear with the following participatingschools: Edison Environmental Science

Academy, Indian Prairie Elementary,King-Westwood Elementary, MapleStreet Academy for the Arts, and SpringValley Center for Exploration.

Prairie Ridges event will also featurebowls made by Kalamazoo ValleyCommunity College students and KPSteachers. It will take place April 23 from

5:30-7:30 p.m.with an admissionfee of $5 perfamily. Soupand beverages

will be providedalong with liveentertainmentand a silent auction of professionaland teacher-made bowls. Bread isbeing donated by Panera Bread. Formore information, please call Kimberat 269-488-2617 ext. 218.

Smallmouth, a six member folk-rock band from Southwest Michigan,

will be holding a concert on May23 to benefit Kalamazoo Loaves &Fishes.

Drawing upon a wide range ofinfluences, a Smallmouth show is fullof tunes youll love to hear again andagain. Band members Dennis Martin,Bob Duke, Sandy Duke, Ed Martini,Ann Marie Renaud, and Mike Renaudplay many selections by artists like

Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, BobDylan, the Beatles, and the Byrds.

The concert is May 23 from 4-6p.m. in the atrium lobby of theGilmore Theatre Complex on WesternMichigan Universitys campus. Therewill be a cash bar, light refreshmentsand a silent auction. Tickets will be$20 in advance or $25 at the door.Advance tickets will be available April1 by calling 269-665-6567 or emailingsandy.duke@wmich.edu.

Smallmouth

Letter Carrier Food Drive in May

Folk-rock Concert to Benefit KLF

Westwood Letter Carrier, 2009

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Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes: FoodforThoughtApril 20Page 3

913 E Alcott, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49001 / P: 269.488.2617 / F: 269.343.3669 / E: info@kzoolf.org / W: kzoolf.or

KLF February Giving Coupon913 E. Alcott, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

April 2010 Coupon #81

Amount $

The last two weeks of the month are the busiest time for KLF,when assistance benets sometimes fall short for families.Donate now to help families get through to the next month.

Please send your contribution by April 26

KLF March Giving Coupon913 E. Alcott, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

May 2010 Coupon #82

Amount $

During the summer, when school lunches are no longer available,many kids go without meals.

Your donation can help get food on their table.

Please send your contribution by May 20

As you are filling yourshopping cart, please conside

shopping for and donatingthese high demand items:

April Canned ChickenMay Pasta

The KLFVolunteerDepartment

Interested in helping out inthe warehouse or at special

events? Help KLF spread

the word by becoming a

knowledgeable volunteer.

Orientation dates are:

Saturday, April 10th

Wednesday, April 14th

Wednesday, May 12th

Sign up with Seema

Jolly by calling

269-488-2617 ext. 209 or

email at seema@kzoolf.org.

Crop Walk 35th AnniversaryThe Kalamazoo Valley Crop Hunger Walk is celebrating

its 35th anniversary this year by asking supporters to meet agreater challenge than ever before.

Walkers and donors alike are encouraged to incorporate

the number 35, whether its by gathering 35 walkers, raising35% more funds than last year, asking sponsors to give $35,or a combination.

More than 400 walkers are expected to gather in BronsonPark on Sunday, May 2 to embark on the roughly six mile long walk, the twomile shorter walk or the family walk, complete with kid-friendly activities, toraise funds for global hunger relief.

Sponsored by Church World Service, the funds collected will benefit over40 nations worldwide, including recent natural disaster sites such as Haiti andIndonesia, as well as local human service organizations such as the EcumenicSenior Center, Ministry with Community and Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes. Fomore information on how to get involved, visit www.kalamazoocropwalk.org.

Remember:Your ongoing support

is important to KLF. Its

never too soon to think

about Planned Giving.

See www.kzoolf.org for

more information.

The Feinstein FoundationHelp End Hunger in America 37 Alhambra Circl

Cranston, RI 02905

(401) 467-515

13th Annual $1 Million Challenge

Give between March 1 and April 30 to help KLF earn part of the

$1 million Feinstein Challenge award.

See www.kzoolf.org for more details.

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FoodforThoughtApril 2010 Page

Board of DirectorsLeatta ByrdPatricia CarlinRobert EzelleBruce GelbaughMartin GlistaAlan HarbaughLynn Jessel

913 E Alcott

Kalamazoo, Michigan 49001

Business Phone: 269.488.2617Food Request Line: 269.343.3663

Fax: 269.343.3669Email: info@kzoolf.org

Website: kzoolf.org

NonProfit

Organization

U.S. Postage

PAID

Kalamazoo, M

Permit No. 169

OUR MISSION:To expand the availability of

emergency food resources andpromote the ability of hungry

people to feed themselves.

OUR VALUES:lCompassion lRespect

lJusticel Integrity

lAdvocacy

Cheryl KnappSam LealofiDonna McClurkanHarvey MyersHelen NorrisMaija PetersonsMartha Simpson

Staff/Business Office 269.488.2617 ext.Dick Anson, Warehouse Assistant 211 Joan Atwell, Call Center Lead 201Melissa Burel, Data Entry Gift Processor 206Art Cole, Services Director 207George Geissel, Bookkeeper 206Kathy Gernaat, Operations Director 212Phyllis Hepp, Project Planner 210

Jennifer Johnson, Public Relations/Dev. Director 213

Seema Jolly, Volunteer Coordinator Deb Josephson, Services Coordinator Marv King, Food Director Anne Wend Lipsey, Executive Director Kimberly Schoetzow, Comm. Coordinator Scott Spicer, Call Center Lead Sue VanderMeer, Call Center Team Leader

When? Monday, April 12, 2010, 5:30 7 p.m.

Where? Hope Reformed Church, 910 Jenks Road,

Kalamazoo, MI 49006

What? Agenda: Volunteer Awards & Recognition

Organizational Structure Decision: Membership

or Directorship, Board Member Elections

How? RSVP to Seema at (269) 488-2617 ext. 209

or seema@kzoolf.org

Please bring a dish to pass.Tableware and beverages will be provided.

NICHOLS

KENWOOD

HOPE REFORMED

910 JENKS

ALTHEA

KENDALL

COOLIDGE

GRANDPRE

JENKS

WESTMAIN

WESTMAIN

WEALTHY

JENNISON

PINEHURST

N.FLETCHER

SOLON

Youre invited!

to KLFs 28th Annual Meeting & Potluck Supper