Healthy Vegetable Frittata Recipe!

Do you like green eggs and ham? How about green veggies and eggs? Here's a recipe that can make use of the eggs coming to food banks this week through Seattle Food Committee's bulk buy program. With the spinach and all those other good veggies in this Egg Frittata recipe, you will say “I like them Sam I Am!” #healthyrecipes

Our Food Bank Community

This blog has been reprinted courtesy of Jewish Family Service. For more information see: http://blog.jfsseattle.org/our-food-bank-community/

It is 9:45 on Wednesday morning, clients are lined up outside, and I am pulling a pallet loaded with produce up the sidewalk and into the Polack Food Bank. It looks like a busy day, and the last thing I need is for something to go wrong. Naturally that is exactly what happens. The pallet jack gets stuck in one of the huge cracks in the sidewalk. My attempts to dislodge it fail. I am now standing with a useless pallet jack and hundreds of pounds of produce. I could carry it all in by hand, but I do not have that kind of time. Then, some gentlemen waiting on the Food Bank line catch my eye. Here we go…

There is something about the Food Bank that brings people together. Despite the circumstances, many of our Food Bank people come in with smiles on their faces. Sure, hard times and insufficient public support make life challenging for this population but “poor people” stereotypes – anxious, overstressed, high-strung – simply do not apply to many of our clients. On the line, they chat, joke and laugh as if they were hanging out in the park. Some folks even bring lawn chairs for the wait. This is more than a food bank – this is a social gathering place. It is an opportunity for individuals who often live alone to connect with other people and discuss the finer points of life. This is a community.

So when seven or eight gentleman surround my pallet jack and begin speaking in Russian and gesturing at the jack, I am hardly surprised. From afar they might seem old and in need, but once you get to know them, you realize these are hardy folk. My attempts to prevent them from overexerting themselves prove useless, and before I know it, they lift the jack clear off the ground and move it to a smoother area. As I thank them and pull through the Food Bank door, they go back to their usual conversations as if nothing had happened.

There is a lot of complexity in the Food Bank– race, class, language, citizenship, education, luck. The barriers to success are endless, but despite it all, something ties us together. We are all human, and we need each other to thrive. On paper, our Food Bank serves a needy population. But in reality, it serves a vibrant and varied community of unique individuals. This is as much their Food Bank as ours.

By Kevin Lugo
Kevin Lugo is the former Food Bank Specialist in the Polack Food Bank. 

Food Bank Profile: Puget Sound Labor Agency

The Puget Sound Labor Agency (PSLA) Food Bank was established in 1975 by Seattle labor unions to provide assistance to striking union workers facing hardships.  Today, the PSLA food bank, located in the Seattle Labor Temple, has expanded its services to include a six zip code service area and individuals who are retired, disabled, underemployed or unemployed. After facing a few difficult years during which the food bank was at risk of closing down, the current food bank director Morgan Stine is wholeheartedly committed to rebuilding the reputation of the food bank by creating a safe and trusting atmosphere for clients.

Although the process of bringing this food bank back to life has been slow and challenging, in less than a year the PSLA volunteer base has expanded from 4 to 29 individuals. Morgan is also hoping to expand services by adding another distribution day during the week or incorporating a mobile food bank delivery system on top of the existing programs. The food bank currently distributes food on Mondays and Fridays, hosts a hygiene station every two weeks, provides no cook food bags, and is dedicated to extending assistance to disabled individuals by ensuring ramp access.

Rooted in Seattle’s historically strong labor unions, the PSLA food bank continues to utilize these connections by relying on relationships with unions to support current efforts. The PSLA upholds authentic ties to this long lasting foundation by collecting donations exclusively from donors who support the rights of workers to organize.   Director Morgan Stine addresses each challenge with enthusiasm and is happy to be in the place he is, clearly passionate about the work of the PSLA organization.  Backed with this solid base, the PSLA food bank is heading into a bright future as it continues to grow, build strong relationships, and nourish the community.  

2,000 Turkeys at the Food Bank @ St.Mary's

Take an inside look at Thanksgiving distribution at The Food Bank at St. Mary's.  A volunteer captures all the food bank goes through to ensure that guests receive nutritious foods for the holidays.  See the original post here at the Dan V World blog.

Community Choir Concert for North Helpline

2013 Backpack Summit!

The Seattle Food Committee will be hosting a Backpack Summit on Monday, September 30.  Join us as we brainstorm how a collective effort could maximize the impact to end childhood weekend hunger! RSVP to Sabrina at sabrinaj@solid-ground.org. 

2013 SFC Van Tour!

Sabrina Jones, Program Assistant for Food Resources with Solid Ground, helped organize and plan the 2013 Van Tour

The 2013 Seattle Food Committee Van Tour on Monday, August 12 was attended by over 40 people, with participants from food banks, meal programs, and food distribution sites! This annual event serves as an opportunity for meal programs and food banks to come together, network, and get a behind-the-scenes look at a few emergency food programs in Seattle. All meal programs and food banks have their own way of operating under their unique circumstances, whether it be small spaces, language barriers, no parking, or little storage space.  The Van Tour allows participants to observe these operations and pick up best practices that may just help the whole system run a little better.

Kate-HIP

This year's tour started at the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP). HIP serves approximately 7,000 meals during the year. The program has only one full-time staff member and one AmeriCorps member. With the help of dedicated volunteers, approximately 60 each month, HIP teaches nutrition education, serves Healthy HIP Packs to three schools, and operates a meal program.  They eventually hope to double their HIP Packs program, which delivers weekend meals to students at school.

Fundraising has become focus for HIP, as they have few income sources.  HIP receives grants for its backpack program, but it also relies on individual donors for other income. Most of the food for its programs come from Food Lifeline, Northwest Harvest, and individual food drives. By focusing more attention to fundraising, Kate hopes to expand HIP's programs and provide an additional layer of stability for the organization.

Sam-Executive Director of RVFB

The Rainier Valley Food Bank was the site of our second stop.  This incredibly busy food bank serves about 13,000 people a month and has tripled its annual budget since 2008.  The food bank has been open for 22 years and has outgrown its current space. Without a proper driveway for deliveries, drivers must park on Rainier Avenue and then move pallets into the food bank. These deliveries also happen on distribution days, which adds to an already hectic situation.  A new space, built to serve a food bank, would hopefully make life easier for food bank staff, delivery drivers, and clients.

The Rainier Valley Food Bank recently started using Salesforce, a CRM that allows them to better track clients, volunteers, and donations.  Client cards given out during a client's first visit help volunteers to quickly check in guests. Clients keep this card and present it when they arrive at the food bank.  Volunteers are able to quickly look up the client, document their visit, and provide them with a sticker to let other volunteers know the quantity of items to provide them with.  Even with this well honed system, volunteers are trained in communication styles to de-escalate chaotic situations that may arise during distribution.

Farmer Scott

The Seattle Community Farm is a program of Lettuce Link within Solid Ground. Farmer Scott, the only staff member at the farm, showed participants around after they enjoyed a delicious lunch in the sun. The all-organic farm produced over 9,500 pounds of food last year, which was triple what it produced during its first year growing season.  The produce grown at the farm is based on the needs and wants of food bank clients and includes tasty treats such as beets, carrots, squash, tomatoes, and beans.

Almost all of the produce grown at the Seattle Community Farm goes to the Rainier Valley Food Bank.  Food bank clients are able to receive healthy, organic produce that wouldn't otherwise make it into their kitchens.  The farm and food bank believe that everyone should be able to eat healthy, pesticide-free food, not just the wealthy. The produce from the farm also goes to some work-trade volunteers.  Volunteers offer their time to help maintain the farm and harvest, and in return they are able to take home a giant bag of fresh produce.  This mutual beneficial relationship allows the farm to operate at a low-cost, provides learning volunteer opportunities, and allows volunteers to enjoy the fruit (vegetables) of their labor!

Carla-SIC Food Bank Manager

After visiting the Seattle Community Farm, the van took the group to the Seattle Indian Center (SIC).  SIC is the First American Indian/Alaska Native Human Services Agency in King County and offers an array of human services.  During our visit we saw the food bank, the kitchen that prepares community meals, and their men's hostel.  It was amazing to see their space and hear how the programs make it work.

SIC's Community Meal program serves over 200 meals a day.  They serve both breakfast and lunch.  Meals are made from scratch and Chef Edwin aims to serve clients only healthy, fresh food. Their food bank, which is open Tuesday and Thursday, has no restrictions on who they serve. They work diligently to serve clients culturally relevant food such as tofu, and try to always have a protein item on the line.  One challenge the food bank has is limited funds to purchase items such as tofu or protein, as these items are hard to get donated.  However, the food bank makes do with what they have and serve everyone.  Sometimes they even run out of food.  

Our last stop on the Van Tour was the University District Food Bank. The University District Food Bank is open Monday through Friday for a total of 25 hours, with two sets of evening hours for clients.  The food bank was started 30 years ago and has operated out of the same space for all of that time.  Space for the food bank, in particular perishable space, has proven to be one of its most challenging elements.  In fact, the food bank is currently undergoing a capital campaign for a new location.  The new location will have the food bank on the first floor, low-incoming housing on the top floors, and a roof-top community garden.

Joe-Executive Director of UDFB

The University District Food Bank runs an impressive operation.  With 85-100 volunteers per week, three full-time staff, and two part-time staff, the food bank serves over 4,000 households each month, has a home delivery program that serves approximately 30 people, and delivers food for 175 children a week to four Seattle schools.  The food bank operates under a grocery shopping model, which allows guests to walk around with carts and select the items they want (with quantity of items decided by family size).  This specialized approach to food banking allows clients to feel more like customers than clients at a food bank.

University District Food Bank Fundraiser

News from the University District Food Bank:

I’m excited to announce Food Truck Roundup!, an event celebrating the 30 year anniversary of the University District Food Bank and official kickoff of our Capital Campaign, Fight Hunger build hope, to construct a new facility.

 

In 1983 the food bank provided food to 50 families a month. Today on average we distribute groceries to 1100 different families a week in the same 800 square foot facility. It’s time for a change! Fight Hunger build hope is a three year $2.75 million project to greatly expand our distribution and storage capacity and enhance our ability to provide nutritious meals to families in need.

 

We've already raised $1.75 million! The Food Truck Roundup! is a great opportunity for you to find out more about our capital campaign and have a great time. Event details below: 

 

What: Food Truck Roundup!, Fight Hunger build hope Capital Campaign Kickoff Party

 

Where: Phinney Neighborhood Community Center, 6532 Phinney Ave N.

 

When: Sunday, May 19th from 3-7 PM

 

Tickets: $25 per person which includes eight food tastes and four drink tastes. Buy tickets here! Note: to comply with state law, this event is only open to those ages 21 and over.

 

Event Features: 

•  Tastes from some of Seattle’s most creative and innovative food truck chefs including Skillet Street Food, Barking Frog’s Mobile Kitchen, Contigo, Crisp Creperie, Chopstix, Veraci Pizza, Hallava Falafel, Street Treats, Seattle Biscuit Company, and more! 
• Beer, wine and spirit tastings from several of Seattle’s finest local beverage purveyors including Oola Distillery, Golden Distillery, Sozo Wines and Fremont Brewing Company 
• Live music and entertainment featuring Blackberry Bushes, Washover Fans and Ali Marcus



Fundraisers for North Helpline

Salvation Army Food Bank's Spice Program

Leilani Williams, Community Service Specialist at the Salvation Army on Pike Street, describes how they add a little spice to the lives of their food bank clients.

We have been making and distributing our own spice blends for the last couple months, with rave reviews! It’s exciting to tell clients the amazing things they can do with the curry blend, a few potatoes, an onion, and a couple carrots - accompany this with a pot of brown rice and you’ve got an amazing healthy meal made entirely with food bank ingredients!

We know the most expensive aisle in the grocery store is the spice aisle, and that many clients have to forego adding a little spice to their meals, relying too much on salt. So we use the power of buying in bulk and make an assortment of spice blends: Italian, Curry and Mexican, all salt free, as well as a Vegetable spice blend that does contain some salt. We have plans to add more spice blends from around the globe and to showcase a blend weekly via a crock pot of beans or lentils - knowing once we add smell to the equation even those people who are a little apprehensive about the spices won’t be able to resist. It’s been great for starting conversations about food with our clients, they love to tell us their favorite ways to use the blends and ask us for recipes.

In a time of overly processed artificially flavored foods we are so excited to be able to make eating whole healthy foods exciting for our clients with such a small and powerful addition to our food bank!

The Spice Rack

The 26th Annual Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition



This Friday the Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank will host the 26th Annual Figgy Pudding Street Corner Carolina Competition.  Nearly 10,000 people come out every year to hear caroling teams compete in a sing-off.  All proceeds benefit the Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank, a Seattle Food Committee Member. Their website offers more details and pictures from past events.  Figgy Pudding begins at 5:00 pm and the main stage sing-off happens at 7:30.  This event is sure to be a good time for the whole family!

Turkeys for Thanksgiving

Founded in the 1940’s The Food Bank @ St. Mary’s is Seattle’s oldest food bank. The doors are open to everyone regardless of creed. The services target the most basic of human needs. This week, in preparation of Thanksgiving the food bank is giving away over 1200 turkeys.

“We started looking for donations earlier this year from the better known companies who distribute turkeys,” said Alison Pence, Director of the food bank. “Everyone told us they were only giving to their local organizations. So I decided to ask locally for donations from churches, schools, individuals, even on my personal Facebook page!” Slowly but surely the donations came in. One of the local churches physically brought in 225 turkeys on Monday morning. The food bank bought 1000 turkeys with the donations that came in.

The food bank had nearly 700 people come through on Tuesday and almost 600 today. Luckily, not everyone wants turkey so we had chicken, beef, pork, and lamb as an alternative. “We try very hard to satisfy each culture,” said Pence. “We also have a kosher freezer and halal meats for those who need it. The poor and the hungry deserve to have a good Thanksgiving too.”

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The Food Bank @ St. Mary’s serves anyone living within the Seattle city limits. Our primary purpose is to combat hunger at a local level. Along with a staff of five and a team of 100+ volunteers, we operate a walk-in food bank and a home delivery program providing groceries for 7,500 – 8,000 people each month. In addition to food items, we provide No-Cook bags of groceries for the homeless, hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, and socks, as well as baby and toddler supplies including formula, diapers, and baby food.

Earlier this year, the food bank started the “Feeding Hungry Children” program feeding children who attend local schools.

Food Banks and Urban Farms

Erin "Mac" MacDonald, Development Associate at the Ballard Food Bank, discusses urban farms and how they're improving food banks across Western Washington.

This summer, I’ve been introduced to people who are striving to create a sustainable and local community of gleaners, farmers, and food bankers to source locally grown food for those in need. I visited with farm managers of two food bank farms, Mother Earth Farm, and Vashon Island Food Bank Farm. Through these on-site farm outings and in conversations with the staff at Rotary First Harvest, and others, I’ve come to the opinion that yes, Seattle needs another large food bank farm of its own to feed the Seattle Food Bank community, much as Marra Farm and Seattle Community Farm are doing in South Park and Rainier Valley, respectively.

The good news is, food bank farms are emerging. In Western Washington alone, there are a number of food banks leasing land to pursue small farms that they then manage and food banks that have developed partnerships with local farms that donate all or most of their produce.

A Snapshot Of Two Food Bank Farms

Mother Earth Farm, Orting, Wa.

Canyon Little has been managing the Mother Earth Farm for three seasons under the Emergency Food Network (EFN). In 2011, on 8 acres, 150,000 lbs of produce was grown at the farm. Produce is distributed across a network that includes over 20 food banks, and these food banks come to the farm to pick up the produce. The farm itself has been around for 12 years. Canyon took over as manager after his mother, Carrie Little, left to work exclusively on her land at Little Eorthe  Farm. 
There is one greenhouse on-site, which was completed last winter. Like the Seattle Community Farm, they also grow culturally appropriate vegetables for their diverse client population, such as Chinese Cabbage and hot peppers.

King County:

Vashon Island Food Bank Farm, Jenn Coe
Jenn Coe is the farm manager for the Vashon Island Food Bank Farm. They’ve cultivated ½ an acre on land they lease. They harvest 6,000 lbs of produce a year for their food bank clients. Currently the farm grows ten specific crops based on what most people will eat. The board decides what will be grown each season. They also donate produce to the White Center Food Bank when there’s a really good harvest. The extra produce gets delivered when their truck makes its weekly off island run to Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest.

Jenn says that the farm could grow more food if they had a steady group of volunteers, but being on the island can present some challenges. There are many non-profit groups on the island to begin with, and Vashon has a small population from which to glean volunteers. While there are many farmers who live on the island, they are busy managing their own land, so it is difficult to get on-going commitment from islanders who are otherwise engaged. With that in mind, they’ve started a successful “Foster Seedlings” program. Without a greenhouse, Jenn is unable to start seedlings for the farm herself. So, farmers and other volunteers on the island receive flats and containers with potting soil and seeds. They’re asked to put flats in their greenhouses, alongside their own. It’s an easy way for them to contribute and in return, the food bank farm gets professionally grown seedlings that are ready to be transplanted right into the ground.

Urban farms are here in the city and across the country and I don’t forsee them going away. Indeed, in a time of growing uncertainty and a rise in the number of clients coming to our food banks, it’s time to start thinking hyperlocal when it comes to sourcing our food.

Please check out the links I’ve included throughout this piece, and consider making a trip to visit one of the various food bank farms in the Greater Seattle Area.

Island County:

Good Cheer Food Bank on Whidbey Island. They have 54 raised beds in which to grow food, and they harvest 5,000 lbs annually.

Whatcom County:

The Bellingham Food Bank  operates a three acre farm, and they, like many other food bank farms, also grow with their clients’ needs specifically in mind. Their short video, made in 2010, presents a nice snapshot of what they do.

Clark County:

The Clark County Food Bank operates a four acre farm to feed folks in the Greater Vancouver area.

Packs for Kids

Jessica Wright, Home Delivery Coordinator for the University District Food Bank, reflects on the evolution of their Packs for Kids program.

The 2011-2012 academic year was University District Food Bank’s first time partnering with Eckstein Middle School to provide backpacks of weekend food to students in need. By the time summer arrived, we had many parent volunteers helping pack up food to approximately 35 students each week.  Even with the initial success of the program, we wondered if these middle school students had hungry siblings. We all were pretty sure that they probably did. Thanks to some of the Eckstein volunteers’ help, we were able to connect with some of the elementary schools in our service area and introduce the idea of sending weekend food home with some of their students. Now we are beginning a new school year with Eckstein and a few of these additional elementary schools, committed to making sure these children are able to grow into healthy and successful young adults.

We want food going home in backpacks to meet three qualifications: 1) be nutritious and support growth, 2) be easy enough to prepare for the students to safely do themselves, and 3) be culturally appropriate and desirable to eat. Figuring out what to put in each backpack that met these three goals was a process of trial and error throughout the year. It will continue to be so this year as we serve new students and keep serving some of the same students who received similar items last year. It was a surprise to find out after a couple months of distributing backpacks that peanut butter and jelly was not something that most of our Eckstein students wanted to receive. Was it only me that packed a PB&J sandwich for lunch every day from Kindergarten through 10th grade?

As we add elementary students to our program this year, we’ll have to take another look at what these younger students are capable of preparing for themselves and how much they’re able to carry home. Opening up a can of soup, pouring it into a bowl, and microwaving it for the amount of time it says on the can’s instructions are reasonable expectations for an 11-13 year old student, but not necessarily for the younger and wider age range we’ll serve at the elementary schools. I also had to remind myself many times in the last few weeks that the successful model we have at Eckstein Middle School is not to be used as a cookie cutter for programs we begin in other schools. Each school will have their own set of needs. While it feels good to have a year of the program in our experience file, I expect that this school year will provide many more unique circumstances to work through.

From the beginning of our working relationship with the Eckstein Middle School PTSA, I was impressed with their energy and compassion for hungry students. Groups at the elementary schools are stepping up and showing enthusiasm too. These parents are concerned with the well-being of not only their children, but their children’s classmates as well. There are signs of increased numbers in the Eckstein program, and as we branch out to local elementary schools I have hope that we will be able to help out a lot of families that are under a large amount of stress just trying to make ends meet. Giving these students healthy food that they can easily take home and safely prepare for themselves is a challenge. Succeeding, however, results in healthier and more focused students ready to learn when they get to school on Monday morning.

The Food Bank @ St. Mary's Online Auction!

NOTED CELEBRITIES JOIN FORCES TO RAISE FUNDING FOR THE FOOD BANK @ ST. MARY'S IN SEATTLE, WA!

Celebrities in the sports, music, art, film, literary and political areas have generously donated autographed items to be auctioned on eBay through eBay's Giving Works to benefit The Food Bank @ St. Mary's in Seattle.  All funding received from this auction will be used for the many exceptional programs of the Food Bank that assist the most vulnerable in our community and to purchase food for those who are hungry and unable to help themselves. 100% of the funding from this auction goes to the non-profit Food Bank!  We are so very grateful for the thoughtfulness and kindness of these celebrities!  There will be more amazing auction items in the upcoming months! :)

The first fundraising auction will go live at midnight (12:01 a.m.) on September 1, 2012 and will end on Monday, September 10, 2012. The items to be auctioned at this first auction are:

• A signed hardback First Edition copy of former President Jimmy Carter's book, Living Faith (He is also a  Nobel Peace Prize winner.)
• A concert poster from the 2011 tour signed by all the Pearl Jam band members
• A John leCarre signed hardback book - Our Kind of Traitor
• A Tom Clancy signed First Edition hardback book - Against All Enemies
• Football Sportscaster Chris Berman signed poster of himself as "The Gridfather"
• "Grease" movie poster signed by actor/singer John Travolta, along with the DVD of the movie and "Grease" trading card from when the movie originally came out (very collectible!)
• A baseball cap signed on the bill by actor Robin Williams, along with a signed photo
• Comic and actor Larry, the Cable guy sent a signed baseball cap, complete with his signature fishing hook attached, to be auctioned
• A signed photo of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama (Nobel Peace Prize winner)
• Golfer Jim Furyk signed color photo (2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year, 2006 Second in Official World Golf Ranking, 2010 Fed Ex Golf Champ)
• Grammy winning band Sugarland signed photo and platinum selling cd of "The Incredible Machine" (cd is not signed, the photo is)
• Baseball great Derek Jeter signed photo (Captain NY Yankees, sure to be in Baseball Hall of Fame, first Yankee to get 3,000 hits)
• Seattle Seahawks Gameday program signed by player Red Bryant
• "Garfield" print signed by cartoonist Jim Davis
• Nickelodeon cast of iCarly signed photo and signed script
• The Seattle Mariners sent Felix Hernandez and Dustin Ackerly bobbleheads (not signed) for auction, along with a women's Felix Hernandez t-shirt and a Justin Smoak Smoakamotive
• Rock Radio Station KISW 99.9 in Seattle in Studio event - BJ Shea Morning Experience for 2 + Prize Pack - Winner sits in from 8 to 10 am during the show in the studio!
• A signed, matted photograph by noted Santa Fe photographer Elliott McDowell (photograph is of a music theme)

Bidders will find the items by either typing in the names of the donors above, or by typing in the eBay name of the Food Bank - which is foodbankst.marys.

Remember, all proceeds from the auction go to the non-profit, 501(c)(3) Food Bank @ St. Mary's.  PLEASE BID GENEROUSLY.  The object is not to get "A Good Deal" but to support a non-profit, social service agency that feeds those in need and does so much more to improve the quality of life for people who are suffering or facing hard times.

For over 66 years (since 1946) the mission of The Food Bank at St. Mary’s in Seattle, WA has been: “Supporting our community with hospitality, respect and nutritious food.”   Our goals and our programs serve to meet the basic food needs of the most vulnerable in our community who are unable to provide for themselves, including low income and poverty level families, infants, young children, the elderly, disabled, handicapped, homeless and home-bound individuals, those who are experiencing severe hardships for the first time due to job lay-offs or other misfortunes and those who are in permanent dire circumstances. This celebrity auction is to raise funding for our programs and food purchases.  In 2011 we served over 83,000 people and distributed over 3,000,000 pounds of food to people in times of great need.  Currently in 2012 we are feeding over 8,000 people a month.  Our website is www.thefbsm.org.

Again, the fundraising celebrity item auction goes live for 10 days starting this coming Saturday morning, September 1st and ends on September 10th.

Thank you so much for your generous support of the Food Bank @ St. Mary's. Your bidding helps feed others.  If you have any questions about any of the items, call Freeda at 206-769-5941.