Computer Clubhose and Youth Academy visits UCDMC

On Friday October 21, 2011 participants from Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services' (SFBFS) Computer Clubhouse Youth Academy attended a special field trip to UC Davis Medical Center. Mrs. Meyers , a mentor and tutor in the Computer Clubhouse, organized this opportunity for the students. The field trip was a great way for students to visit with an organization that is very important to our community. That afternoon, a handful of SFBFS staff and volunteers led 25 children to the UC Davis Medical Center.

Upon arrival, students signed in and made name tags at Education Building Lecture Hall with Felicia Espina Miller. This made the students feel like they were at an adult conference! Once everyone gathered in the classroom, we met Dr. D. Latimore, who is the Dean-Student Resident of Diversity. He spoke with the children about the importance of college and stressed how higher education is not an unreachable goal, but something that is attainable by every student in the room. One of the most memorable quotes by Dr. Latimore was, “School is not hard. What is hard is trying to raise a family on minimum wage or less is what will be hard.” Dr. Latimore’s speech was full of wisdom, encouragement and humor.

The excitement was not over; we were then introduced to some of the medical students who inspired the Clubhouse students to realize that a college education is attainable for everyone. Each medical student shared their background and their approach to pursuing their goal of working in the medical field. The medical students engaged us with a power point presentation about taking patient history. They ended the presentation with a Q & A informational session between the medical students and SFBFS youth.

The group then went upstairs to work with medical students and participate in hands on demonstrations called “Doctoring Skills Workshop.” The children role-played being doctors and nurses where the health screenings are performed. The students were very enthusiastic to work with the different tools used by doctors such as the stethoscope and blood pressure pump. Students also learned about how to know to engage with the patient to obtain a thorough medical history.

The field trip ended with delicious dinner and a promise to return to the School of Medicine in the near future. The youth at SFBFS wrote thank you letters to Dr. Latimore, Ms. Espina and the medical students for taking the time out of their busy schedules to conduct this field trip for us. We send out a very special thank you to Mrs. Meyers, who worked very hard to put this whole thing together for all of us - we can’t say thank you enough!

Written by Hope White, SFBFS Youth Education Program Assistant

Halloween Celebration at SFBFS

All of the children in Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS)’ PlayCare program, their parents and guests were invited to a fun Halloween party provided by SFBFS staff and volunteers. Everyone enjoyed various activity stations including a dress-up station for the children and moms who did not have a Halloween costume. A few of the children and moms visited the face painting station, while others painted a wooden mask of their choice; a monkey, pumpkin or Frankenstein. The children also had opportunities to win prizes playing bingo.

In the Halloween party not only did the children have fun, the moms, too, got to have fun with their children . Moms took part in most activities. We had a station where children and moms raced to eat worms from a muddy plate (gummy worms covered in chocolate pudding). In our last station we had a mom, who volunteered to be part of the activity, to be transformed into a mummy. The children covered her from top to bottom with paper towels. At the end each child had the opportunity to take a photo with the mummy.

After having a good time, our celebration had to come to an end. Even though we still had more activities planned, we did not have enough time. The children finished the day by trick or treating throughout staff offices. At the end of the party, the children left happy with their masks, treats, snacks and prizes.

Written by Antonia Ramirez, SFBFS' PlayCare and Youth Academy Programs Assistant

A volunteer benefits from SFBFS as well

This entry is written by Helen Plenert, Women's Wisdom Art Program Manager at SFBFS:

Today I had a phone call from a fairly new volunteer. She had just recently begun to help out in Women’s Wisdom Art on Thursdays. She started out the phone call with a huge apology that she had found a job and would not be able to return to help out in the classroom. I was excited that she had found a job at all in this economy.

She had lost her job some time back and didn’t feel good about herself but realized that sitting around the house was only making things worse. That’s when she decided to attend a volunteer orientation. She went on to tell me that she was so impressed with the women in the collage class. They have such huge obstacles to overcome and every week they went one step at a time. She became inspired to get back out there and look for a job again. This time it worked and within a few days she was working full time again.

Usually I tell stories about the students/clients of Women’s Wisdom Art, but this time a volunteer has moved me. Her story could have been told by anyone –client or volunteer. Marilyn was a wonderful example of how the arts and our Women’s Wisdom Art and SFBFS community heals and supports. This time it was a loving volunteer who needed the uplifting moments. Marilyn was so grateful that she was able to help but told me in the end she didn't feel like she helped the women as much as they helped her.

Corbett's House of Horror

The spookiest month of the year is here! Get in the spirit by attending opening night at Corbett's House of Horror. Today, October 11, bring canned goods to receive $5 off admission. Corbett's House of Horror will pass on the canned goods and also donate $5 of each admission ticket directly to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services! Check out www.sacramentohaunt.com for additional information. Please note, they only accept cash.

Corbett’s House of Horror is located at1120 Galleria Blvd, Roseville CA 95678. Conveniently located right across the street from the Galleria, nearby many shops and restaurants. Enjoy plenty of free parking in a well-lit lot. Don’t worry about rain, if it’s storming outside, there are lots of indoor activities.

Questions? Contact Corbett’s House of Horror at corbettshouseofhorror@gmail.com or (916) 905-7822.

Gather your friends and family for a spooktacular evening! Thank you for supporting Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.

SFBFS is featurd on Groupon

Groupon, the popular daily deals and discount site, has selected Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services as TODAY’S FEATURED CAMPAIGN from October 3-October 6, 2011!

• What does that mean for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services?
  This is a wonderful opportunity to share our mission with a wider audience in Sacramento. Not everyone in our community is aware that Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services distributes fresh fruits and vegetables 16-20 times per month at various locations to combat hunger, as well as poor nutrition, around town.
  

• What’s offered by Groupon?
  G-Team, the local philanthropic arm of Groupon, is offering a deal of $13 to purchase four days worth of healthy groceries for a family in need.
  

• How much of the daily deal supports Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services?
  100% of your donation ($13) directly purchases food for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services’ Food program.
  

• How can you be part of this exciting deal?
  Click on this link to make a $13 contribution. Make 1, 2 or 3 donations! 40 donations must be made through Groupon to trigger the tipping point. Please help us reach our goal of at least 40 donations to make a difference in the lives of families in need. Once you’ve made a donation, share information about your good deed with friends! A tweet or Facebook wall post is really helpful.
  

Thank you to all who are able to give a donation and share this offer.


How do I donate through Groupon?
1. Go to http://www.groupon.com/deals/gt-sacramento-food-bank-family-services?post_purchase=true
2. Click BUY and select quantity. 1 = $13, 2 = $26, etc
3. Complete your order

How can I help spread the word about this great deal?
1. Go to Facebook and share this link:
http://www.groupon.com/deals/gt-sacramento-food-bank-family-services?post_purchase=true
2. Follow us on Twitter and retweet about this great deal:
@SacFoodBank

2011 Back to School Community Service Day

Check out this great new video highlighting activities from the 2011 Back to School Community Service Day!

2011 Back to School Community Service Day

Race for the Ring- A Huge Success!

Roger’s Jewelry Company’s Race for the Ring event held last Saturday at Raley Field was a huge success! From the beautiful weather to all of the enthusiasm from our event participants we could not have asked for a better day.

Mayor Kevin Johnson kicked off the event with a text message clue and before we knew it, hundreds of bicycling couples were headed downtown to hunt for clues that could bring them great prizes provided by Rogers Jewelry Company. The event culminated with food and beverage, silent auction and live music. Race for the Ring, much like our Run to Feed the Hungry, is about community building. An opportunity for folks to come together for a common purpose; a recognition that our organization provides quality programming for the residents of Sacramento and these efforts make Sacramento a healthier and better place to live. What a great thing to celebrate!

The people that reach out to our organization for help are provided opportunities to work towards improving their situation and the result of their hard work will pay off in the form of employment, improved education and healthier lifestyles. Funding from Race for the Ring will go directly into helping us achieve this goal. We would like to thank all of our wonderful sponsors such as Rogers Jewelry Company, Panera Bread, Five Star Bank, American Building Supply, SureWest Foundation, Mercy, California Family Fitness and Cornerstone Personal Fitness . Special thanks goes out to Roger’s Jewelry Company and the Mayor’s Office. Thank you to everyone for your continued confidence and support.

For photos, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157626778778477

Words from the President

By Blake Young

Warmer weather is finally here and many exciting things are happening at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. The building of our new education center is moving along quickly with walls beginning to form. We have assembled two focus groups that are planning and working on our adult and children’s education programs and our Food Bank Farm is well underway. Our organization is very lucky to have such dedicated community members to provide excellent guidance and help us with curriculum development and identifying key potential partnerships that will help ensure quality programming for our clientele.

Just the thought of children and adults working on our year-around farm, harvesting food for our mobile distributions is unbelievably exciting. Healthier foods being distributed at our mobile sites has been met with enthusiasm and our cooking demonstrations, live music and health screenings all make for a very dignified experience. In order for our Food Assistance program to be successful, the people who reach out to us for assistance need to take advantage of the health and nutrition education and begin to consider more healthy food decisions. Our organization has placed this focus paramount to the success of the program.

Obesity and diabetes are prevalent everywhere. However, it seems to be worse in areas that are referred to as food deserts, places where people live that do not have grocery stores nearby. Our distributions occur in these neighborhoods at churches and community centers. If you would like to check out one of these events, please check out April’s food distribution schedule. Please stop by and see the great changes being made by SFBFS in the community. Really want to get involved? Consider volunteering. Click here for information on how to become part of the change.

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services Welcomes Tessie Ernst to Our Team

Every year Xerox Corporation offers their employees the opportunity to apply for a Social Service Leave of Absence to work with a deserving non-profit organization and to give back to the community. Xerox and the non-profit organization is chosen and designed by the leave taker in conjunction with the sponsor from the organization. After meeting all of the qualifications and stringent application process, Tessie Ernst was selected as one of seven applicants NATIONWIDE to be granted the Leave of Absence and she choose Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services(SFBFS) to serve as a volunteer for one year leave of absence.

Xerox previously volunteered on several occasions with the Run to Feed the Hungry, SFBFS’ largest event on Thanksgiving Day. Tessie also brought a group of volunteers for the day to work in the programs and had also led many food, clothing and school supply and toy drives with Xerox. Based on her experience, Tessie felt that SFBFS would be a great organization to work with.

Tessie joined the staff of SFBFS in early February as a full-time volunteer as the Volunteer Services & Communications Assistant. Tessie provides support to volunteer services, sits on the Race for the Ring committee, spends time in various programs and helps to establish more efficient ways of serving clients.

In her first two weeks, Tessie volunteered in programs including:

· Clothing - sorting and hanging clothing

· Mother-Baby - sorting and hanging clothing; organizing the toy room

· Adult Education - correcting clients’ educational packets

· Food Assistance - distributing emergency food to clients

· Women’s Wisdom Art - assisting in the ceramics class

Tessie recently passed a background check is starting to volunteer in the Computer Clubhouse, Play Care and Youth Academy programs with the children.

Tessie is most excited to begin her volunteer time at mobile food distributions where volunteers set up an amazing array of food distribution stations such as fresh fruit and vegetables, produce, dairy, bread and more.

“I am very excited and honored to be able to take this year and work at the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services organization,” shares Tessie. Stay tuned for more updates about Tessie’s involvement at SFBFS.

Maria and Javier Estrada’s Story

The following success story received an award from California Lifeline, a partner of Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services:

The Mother-Baby program at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) is dedicated to meeting the immediate needs of children and parents experiencing difficult times. Staff and volunteers at SFBFS provide these families with an emergency supply of formula, baby food, clothing and diapers as well as offer education and supportive parenting classes to help create stronger and healthier families. Recently, Maria Estrada made her way into the Mother-Baby program seeking supplies for her three month old son, Eric In addition to the baby supplies Maria received, volunteers connected her to other resources available for low-income families. One of the resources was a five-minute education session for California Lifeline.

Maria did not know the beneifts California Lifeline offers such as a a discount to ensure families in California have access to affordable home phone service. At that time Maria and her husband, Javier, both had a cell phone and didn’t see the need for a landline. After hearing the California Lifeline presentation, Maria realized that having a home phone was a great idea especially with a new baby in the house. With a low $10 connection fee and less than $10 a month, California Lifely was well within the family budget.

A few months after having their landline established, Javier was laid off from work and the Estradas were forced to make some dramatic cuts in their budget. Along with several other comforts, the family discontinued their cell phone service. They were so thankful to have learned about the California Lifeline program from SFBFS because with their new home phone service Javier could still make and receive calls from potential employers and Maria could call the doctor to schedule little Eric’s appointments.

While Javier continued to look for work, Maria utilized additional resources and attended classes at the Mother-Baby program. In one of the classes, Maria learned the value, benefit and savings associated with cloth diapering. She also learned that through their partnership with California LifeLine, SFBFS is able to supply cloth diapers to clients free of charge. Maria was excited to use the environmentally-friendly, reusable diapers and eager to start saving money.
By partnering with California Lifeline SFBFS sustained the cloth diapering project and provides a much needed solution to families’ diapering needs. By offering reusable diapers rather than disposable diapers, clients can save thousands of dollars, which can be used for other necessities. Since the collaboration with California, SFBFS has distributed over 200 cloth diapering kits to Sacramento families.

Maria continues to attend classes and Javier recently secured a full-time job. With the help of the services offered by SFBFS and the savings offered by California Lifeline, the Estradas were able to get back on their feet and are thriving.

Women’s Wisdom Art at Crocker, By Helen Plenert

December 26th, 2011 Women's Wisdom Art celebrated their work at Crocker Museum of Art. The excitement had been building for months. We had 3 main group projects that allowed even the most timid woman to participate. We asked the women to bring in their best 5 pieces for us to decide what pieces would be submitted. The teachers and I sorted through and were looking for art work that would best show off the variety that makes Women’s Wisdom so special. 40 pieces of art were delivered to Crocker - 4 large group projects plus 36 individual pieces of art equals 60 participating artists from Wisdom.

On the day of the reception the women began to arrive. A concerned Crocker staff member pulled me asside to tell me that a few of my women were in tears. It turns out they were so overwhelmed by the beauty of how their work was presented that they became very emotional.

In Women’s Wisdom Art we strive to help women find the change within themselves using art as their vehicle. At the end of the reception I spoke to the Education Director, Emma Moore, of the Crocker. She made the comment that “none of these women will be the same after this; this experience will change their lives.”

We are planning a second reception for Sunday, February 20. This is a free day at Crocker so please join us along with your friends and families. The show runs though February 28th.

www.sacramentofoodbank.org/programs/womenswisdom.aspx

www.sacramentopress.com/headline/20111/spreading_joy_through_womens_wisdom

CalFresh Outreach: A New Focus for People in Need.

“Are you eligible to receive CalFresh?”. Many clients at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services have picked up fliers asking this question. In response they want to know, what is CalFresh anyway?

CalFresh is the new name for the Food Stamp program for California, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (S.N.A.P). This federal program, administered at the county level, provides money for eligible households for the purchase of food every month. While the benefits were formerly received as “stamps” or coupons, for the last ten years they have come in the form of electronic benefits transfers (E.B.T.) on plastic cards that are used like debit cards. The new name seeks to reflect the change from stamps to cards and focus on fresh, nutritious food that comes from our region.

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services has joined a host of non-profit agencies in carrying out CalFresh outreach: prescreening individuals to see if they might be eligible and assisting with the initial application and follow-up. This outreach is crucial as only about half of eligible people in California actually receive the assistance to which they are entitled. Enrollment in CalFresh assists individuals and families to need meet their nutrition needs in the face of economic challenges, in fact, most CalFresh recipients are children. Increased enrollment in CalFresh benefits the local economy as every $5 of new SNAP benefits generates $9.00 in total community spending. By reaching out to our clients, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services helps to overcome some of the barriers to enrollment in this essential program and end hunger in our region.

To learn more about S.N.A.P. outreach and the economic benefits of the program go to http://www.foodstampguide.org/
or http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/outreach/SNAPandSFSPmap.htm
or follow the link on the food assistance page of our website at www.sacramentofoodbank.org