Monday, March 11, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
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!
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!
.JPG) |
| The Spice Rack |
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
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!
Friday, November 16, 2012
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.”
###
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.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
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 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. Tuesday, August 28, 2012
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.
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.
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