Hunger In America » Good Cheer Blog

A Time for Concern and a Time to Say Thanks!

Dec 052011

December 5, 2011 Posted by Mark Clawson 1 Response »

In November the Food Bank served 962 families and that is an all time high. Our budget is really being put through the wringer. We had budgeted spending $220,000 on food in 2012 and the added pressure for food that we are experiencing is making that budget a difficult proposition.

While today we saw a nice drop in the unemployment rate, you still have to wonder about how many people have of just given up the search. Perhaps this is the glimmer of hope that we have all been waiting for. Let’s hope!

In the mean time, while our confidence has been rattled somewhat, we know our community will be here to help us during this incredibly challenging time. We will work to stretch our food dollars and we hope you can help us by shopping Good Cheer stores, buying gift certificates or the Good Cheer Cookbook.

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!

Hunger can happen to anyone. It’s the child that sits next to your child at school. It’s the family down the street, where both parents are working, but paying so much for health insurance and child care that it’s hard to make ends meet. It’s the senior citizen waiting with you at the bus stop that worked hard and saved for retirement and is now facing a depleted retirement account and outrageous prescription costs.

What Hunger Looks Like in Western Washington – A Survey from the Food Lifeline.

Hunger can affect anyone.

More than 45% of the individuals using a food bank, meal program or shelter in Western Washington have some form of post-secondary education. Only 9% are actually homeless.

35% of the people Food Lifeline serves are children.

14% of the people Food Lifeline serves are seniors.

Hunger causes many families to make difficult choices.

47% of the people Food Lifeline serves had to choose between food and paying for heat or utilities.

29% of the people Food Lifeline serves had to choose between food and paying for medicine or medical care.

42% of the people Food Lifeline serves had to choose between paying for food and paying for rent or mortgage.

Our community is what makes the food bank at Good Cheer so successful!

You may have read our most recent newsletter, but if you haven’t, here is what our clients are saying. The value of your donations and kind hearts is pretty evident:

“I come to the food bank and leave with bags of food and tears in my eyes. Thank you!”

“I am grateful for the dignity of the experience of coming to Good Cheer. Applying for federal aid programs is humiliating and demoralizing, but not so here.”

“A lady could tell that I was uncomfortable the first time here. She was nice and caring and made me feel O.K.”

“Working in the garden has blessed our whole family. Good Cheer has made us feel like a real part of the South Whidbey community and has been a ray of hope for us during bleak months.”

“Good Cheer helped me out when I was sleeping in a tent out in the woods in winter.”

“When a staff member walked me through the food bank to show me the great abundance of produce available for no points, I think I actually heard the angels singing… I really try hard to provide quality food for my kids.”

“It’s just like a grocery store. Rather than feeling shame, I feel proud to live in a community with such an amazing resource. Thank you!

“You are the kindest people on the planet! Thank you.”

“Thank you for helping me through my pregnancy as a single Mom.”

You can read more about the feedback that we are getting from our clients by clicking here. IT IS REALLY MEANT FOR YOU!

Kathy McLaughlin the executive director at the food bank made the following comments:

“When people read the headlines about unemployment and high poverty rates in the U.S., it doesn’t quite translate into how people are affected in our community. What the clients have shared with us in this survey puts a human voice to their needs, their worries, and the profound thankfulness clients have for the Food Bank and the community which supports it.”

Experiences of Poverty in Island County 2011 Report Online

Twenty-three Good Cheer clients were part of the 171 Island County households surveyed in a recent report on poverty by the Opportunity Council.

Key findings were presented in the areas of housing, employment, medical care, childcare, food security, education, finances, transportation, and community services.

Some of the findings:

In Island County 34% of single mother-headed households with children under 18 live in poverty.

Almost half the households surveyed had one employed family member whose wages were below federal poverty guidelines.

Half said they have fallen behind in rent or mortgage and a quarter had had utilities shut off.

Nineteen percent reported having to share a household with another household (doubling up) in order to prevent homelessness.

The full report is available by clicking on the link.

YOUR DONATIONS AND KIND HEARTS TRULY MATTER

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM GOOD CHEER

Food Lifeline a Partner in Fighting Hunger

Mar 152011

March 15, 2011 Posted by Kathy McLaughlin 2 Responses »

Food Lifeline is a special non-profit that we all need to know more about!

Once a week our volunteer drivers head to Seattle to pick up pallets of free food from Food Lifeline.

1. On an average we give out 53,800 pounds of food a month. Last year we received over 60,000 pounds of free food from Food Lifeline.

2. We have been a member agency of Food Lifeline for the last seven years.

3. Food Lifeline not only provides us with food, they also provide training at their yearly conference. They are a voice that gets heard, working on legislative issues both at the federal and state level.

Food Lifeline has a video presentation with their President and CEO Linda Nageotte; the video tells the story of Food Lifeline.

A Food Lifeline event that benefits you as well as our clients.

Do you like shopping at the Gap, Banana Republic or Old Navy? Of course you do and you can take advantage of the Gap “Give & Get” Campaign!

From March 17th-March 20th, use this 30% off coupon at Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy stores (including premium outlet stores), and Gap Inc. will donate 5% of the purchase proceeds to 1 of 6 charities. Be sure to choose Feeding America as your “charity” because Food Lifeline will receive 50% of all funds raised from stores located in Western Washington.

Enjoy a great deal and benefit Food Lifeline at the same time! Download and print this coupon or download it to your smartphone and present it to your cashier.

Here is the footprint of the Food Lifeline.

A couple of stories from the Food Lifeline:

• A little boy in south King County who was found alone in the parking lot of his apartment complex told his landlord that his mother had simply left him behind. When asked what he had been eating, the little boy showed his landlord the backpack full of food his local food bank had provided.

• Two parents still raising their younger children welcomed both their adult daughters and all of their children back home. There wasn’t enough room in the house for everyone, so the daughters and their children pitched tents in the backyard. At least that way they were together, and they had access to electricity and plumbing. Thank goodness for their neighborhood food bank whose staff and volunteers served this household of more than 20 people in need.

Volunteering and the Joy of Giving:

You know what makes me proud? You’ll notice that the Food Lifeline had almost 8000 volunteers that gave of over 39,000 hours to be of help. The totals in 2010, for Good Cheer, were 32,721 volunteer hours WOW!!!

Keep giving!

Good Cheer

It’s Still Here – Hunger in America

Feb 102011

February 10, 2011 Posted by Kathy McLaughlin No Responses »

Feeding America recently provided a review of Hunger in America 2010 and I wanted to share some of the comments. The recession of 2008-2009 is still a punishing force in many of our lives. Even today the Federal Reserve Chairman cautioned that ” it will take several years for hiring to return to normal.”

“Data collection for Hunger in America 2010 took place during the deepest recession the U.S. has experienced since the 1930s. During 2005, when the last Hunger in America data was collected, the national unemployment rate averaged 5.1%. By the time data collection for the 2010 study commenced in late winter 2009, the recession was in full swing and the unemployment rate was rising rapidly, jumping from 4.9% at the start of recession in December 2007 to 9.5% when client data collection was completed in June 2009.”

“In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in late 2009 that when individuals with marginal labor force attachment and those who were working part-time involuntarily were considered, more than 17 percent of the population was affected by the shifting employment trends.”

“The deteriorating economic climate was accompanied by other evidence of a dramatic increase in the number of individuals struggling with food insecurity. The USDA measures food insecurity on an annual basis……… based on data collection from December 2008 through December 2009 there was a 36% increase in the percentage of those dealing with food insecurity….. and an increase of 45% in those challenged by very low food insecurity. A total of 49.1 million individuals were identified as “food insecure,” the highest recorded by the USDA since the national household survey began in 1995.”

Is something broken in America? It would appear to be the case; just take a look at the numbers!

A report put out last year by the Sustainability Review shows that something has definetly changed in America over the last thirty years and the impact is far reaching. The graphs above only go through 2003 and my guess would be that this trend has accelerated.

Just review the two graphs above and you can see what has been happening in America. ”Since the 1980s incomes at the top have increased incredibly, while the bottom and middle classes have seen much lower growth rates. So, while GDP steadily increased, most Americans were not getting significantly richer.”

We always strive to be non-political. However, there is a need to explain how the problems that we serve may have developed. It is through a process of exploration that answers emerge.

We continue to ask for your support!!

Good Cheer!

Giving Thanks – What a Great Community!

Nov 252010

November 25, 2010 Posted by Kathy McLaughlin 1 Response »

The Good Cheer Food Bank is only as good as the community that it is part of. It is from this community that we find volunteers, charitable givers and businesses that have put their hearts into making Good Cheer the success that it is.

Below are photos of some of the organizations and people that make this community work. You can read the post that was written by just clicking on your photo of choice. I’m sure that we have missed someone but you all know that you are in our hearts and minds.

Fixing Homes………………… Thanksgiving on Wheels………………

Food Drives on South Whidbey Island…………………………………

Nourishing our young people…………………. Supporting our Volunteers………………….

Island wide food drive………………….. Affordable Housing…………………….

Grocery store partner…………………… Helping our children grow……………..

Harvest celebrations…………………… Fresh Fruit from our neighbors…………………..

Matching community donations…………… Support through arts and crafts……………………..

Volunteers asking for help………………. Businesses supporting raffles………………….

Providing community service………………… Supporting the best for women…………….

Gathering places and youth programs…………………… Sharing homes…………….

Local talent……………… Helping with medical expenses…………………..

Valued business partners………………… Promoting student success……………..

Click on the photo above and you can read a wonderful poem about never quitting. Good Cheer, like all of you who help, is here to enable people and families. It is up the the individual to succeed in life.

“Don’t Quit.”

Together we all bring good cheer!

Freedom From Want

Nov 172010

November 17, 2010 Posted by Kathy McLaughlin No Responses »

Freedom From Want – Norman Rockwell

Life can be very trying. When your child is hungry, your body wracked with pain, or you have no idea where you and your family will find a place to sleep, it’s hard to find something for which you can be thankful. So, for just a few minutes on Thanksgiving Day, step outside your situation and just “be”. Find something, no matter how small, to be thankful for because in giving thanks, you will be lightening your load, even if for only a moment.

These boxes don’t look like much but they are part of Good Cheer’s Holiday Fixings. Food Bank coordinator Damien Cortez and a crew of volunteers have stocked our walk-in freezers with 850 frozen turkeys!

The grocery racks at Good Cheer are full of supplies for our clients to cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

ZERO POINTS!

This food is in addition to a household’s food points and includes a frozen turkey (or a ham), 1 can of canned yams, stuffing mix, celery, canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce, a bag of rolls, and (thanks to Ula Lewis, our coupon Lady) a tub of Cool Whip.

This holiday basket is in addition to a household’s normal points, and is available again in December.

There is another group on Whidbey Island that brings happiness on Thanksgiving Day. The Mobile Turkey Unit is a community service organization that has been with us since 1999. It was founded by Tom Arhontas, who had a special place in his heart for people in need.

The goal of the Mobile Turkey Unit is to provide a free, home-delivered Thanksgiving meal for people who would otherwise not have one. This includes the elderly, shut-ins, low-income and unemployed people, plus employees working on Thanksgiving day on South and Central Whidbey.

This year they expect to provide Thanksgiving meals to at least 200 families on South and Central Whidbey Island. There are more than 150 volunteers in the program, a lot of people sharing from their hearts.

“Everybody wants to deliver,” Joan Smith the organizer for the group says, explaining that it brings great gratification to the drivers.

Smith recalled the story of a young girl who saw a Mobile Turkey Unit driver pull into her family’s driveway. She ran out into the driveway shouting, “Mommy, mommy! The turkey is here! Thanksgiving is here!”

You can volunteer or donate to the Mobile Turkey Unit at their website.

Happy Thanksgivings Day!

Love, Peace and Happiness to All!

Good Cheer Coupon Classes

Oct 022010

October 2, 2010 Posted by Kathy McLaughlin No Responses »

Want to learn about coupon clipping from a pro? Ula Lewis will be at the food bank in Bayview this coming week to help you learn how to maximize your dollars. Ula will have two coupon classes one on Tuesday, October 5th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. and again on the 6th from 10:00 a.m. until noon.

She will be back each week at the same time for consultations. If you would like to be on her email list you can send an email to damien@goodcheer.org and we’ll get you on her list.

Ula raised 11 children and she had to watch her food budget; clipping coupons was one technique that worked very well.

Lewis is a special kind of volunteer for the Good Cheer Food Bank. She’s a coupon-clipper, organizer and frugal shopper who saves us hundreds of dollars a month by using coupons for items purchased at chain stores offering double and triple coupon redemptions.

Does this get your attention? That looks like 100% savings; yes no bill.

Ula can spend up to 30 hours a week at her coupon and shopping work for Good Cheer; on top of volunteering at the Food Bank. This is a woman with a great heart!

You may be surprised by what you can learn!

Good Cheer!

Good Cheer Harvest Party and Music Fest 2010

Sep 082010

September 8, 2010 Posted by Kathy McLaughlin 1 Response »

The theme of this year’s Harvest Party & Music Fest is “Cultivating Community”. If you click on the above poster you can view a slide show of last years event. This is the second annual Harvest Party and Music Fest and it will take place this weekend on Saturday September 11th at the Bayview site.

Good Cheer believes in stressing the importance of understanding and strengthening our connection with food. We encourage healthy food choices and earth friendly cultivating techniques and the word is getting out! Organic farming is growing in response to the demand and that is a good thing for the community and the world.

Hunger in America touches more people than you can possibly imagine; hunger can be so close to home. It’s not easy to admit that you are in need. I did a post awhile back that had a short video on Hunger in America. Perhaps this is a good time to bring it forward once again. I can imagine that many of our clients at the food bank would like to convey their appreciation for helping them in their time of need.

Without your support we would find it difficult to be your steward in the fight against hunger in the community.

Thank you for being there. Just click on the thank you below to view the video.

Before I talk about the Harvest Festival it is important to give thanks to the community support that we recently received through Whidbey Island Bank’s Community Challenge in August. The total funds received, when added to the $5,000 matching grant from Whidbey Island Bank, plus an additional $5,000 match from an anonymous donor, will allow us to keep the Food Bank shelves stocked for the next three months!

Food is an ongoing need, though, so we are mindful that our upcoming holiday appeal is what will keep us going through the lean winter months of January through March. Let’s hope that the economy improves to the point that our record-number of clients begins to decline.

The Harvest Party and Music Fest is a time to celebrate the harvest; a time for the people in the community to gather and celebrate life! You’ll find garden workshops, local music, great food, a cook-off competition, raffles for the garden shed from Bob Bowling Rustics and the garden quilt created by the Trinity Lutheran Church Quilters. You can click on the links to find out more if you haven’t had a chance to read the past posts.

The Harvest Party and Music Fest is having a scarecrow contest and you’ll all have a chance to vote for the winner. Bunny was voted the top scarecrow in the staff scarecrow contest!

These types of events are special for the kids. Children can take part in Garden Bingo and win gift certificates, try their skill at a penny toss for glassware and crystal, and enjoy a crafts and reading tent with a garden story-time at 1 p.m. sponsored by the Sno-Isle Libraries.

Free Community Gardening Workshops:

9:00 a.m to 10:30 a.m.: Top Tips for Fall Planting (by Cary Peterson)

1:00 to 2:00 p.m.: Composting How-To Class

2:00 to 3 p.m.: How to Build & Maintain a Worm Bin (by JaNoah Spratt)

Local musicians (organized by Julie Pigott and emceed by South Whidbey’s “conductor of fun” Jim Freeman) will play sets between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Drawings will be held at 3 p.m. for the greenhouse/garden shed built and donated by Bob Bowling, and the garden quilt donated by the Trinity Lutheran Quilters. (Raffle tickets are available at all Good Cheer Thrift Stores and the Bayview site, with proceeds to benefit the garden).

Cooking teams from three local nonprofits will choose ingredients from the garden and the food bank (plus a surprise ingredient), then in a competition resembling “Iron Chef” and “Chopped!” create two out of three choices of an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert to be judged by the public for a dollar a vote. Cooking starts at 11 a.m. with judging beginning at noon.

This year’s festival artwork, created by local artist Kathy Marshall, will be auctioned off at noon.

You can view a complete schedule of events and musicians by clicking here.

Thank you to our Festival Sponsors!

Major Sponsors: Island Athletic Club • Nichols Bros. Boat Builders • Porter-Whidbey Insurance • The Star Store • Whidbey Marketplace and News •

Additional Sponsors: Music for the Eyes

Have a Happy Harvest Festival!

Good Cheer!

Good Cheer Thrift Stores – How They Work

Feb 232010

February 23, 2010 Posted by Kathy McLaughlin No Responses »

The Good Cheer Thrift Stores work because you make it possible. Without your donations the whole premise behind the Good Cheer Food Bank evaporates. We are currently running a little short on donations so keep that in mind as you start your spring cleaning.

The whole process starts with your donations. You should know that the items in high demand are housewares, linens, tools, books, men’s clothing, children’s clothing, antiques, jewelry, small appliances, and furniture.

When considering donating items to Good Cheer, please ask yourself; “Is this something that I would buy. Are my donations clean, complete, usable and saleable?”

If an item is donated and it is soiled; the expense of cleaning is just too much for Good Cheer. Some volunteers, in the past, actually would take the soiled clothing home and clean them. Obviously, that was not the answer.

Just a heads up on the issue.

This is where it starts as Good Cheer turns old furniture, clothes, appliances and knick-knacks into food for hungry families and individuals on South Whidbey.

To find out more about where to bring your donations and a list of items that we cannot accept click here.

The items are then sorted, placed into labeled boxes and put into storage. The volunteers then pull the boxes and the items are priced and placed in plastic containers. The truck drivers then deliver the merchandise to the two thrift stores where it is merchandised and ready for sale.

Rita Burns the Operations Manager at Good Cheer clearly states the importance of the volunteers at Good Cheer. Don Roan is her right hand man and has been around for as long as she can remember. His experience in pricing is an integral part of the operation. Sean McLaughlin spends 6-8 hours a day six days a week volunteering. He specializes in electronics and tests merchandise to make sure that it works.

If you find that the merchandise isn’t working; Good Cheer has a 3 day return policy. You can return the merchandise and receive a store credit.

Max the Good Cheer Guard Dog. Yikes!

Each sales ticket is marked with a date and after a period of time the item will repriced. There are a number of sales that take place and we will try to keep you informed on this blog. Remember, the Bag Sale, it happens on the first Tuesday of every month. You should note that some sales may exclude new merchandise. Be sure to check with the salesperson if you have any questions. They will be happy to help you out.

You can write a comment by clicking comments or no responses at the top right corner of this article.

Good Cheer!

We Are the World 25 – Whidbey Island

Feb 152010

February 15, 2010 Posted by Kathy McLaughlin No Responses »

We are the World began 25 years ago to support famine relief in Africa. Much has happened in this World of ours; the People of the World have begun to open their eyes and ears. You can just sense that humanity is ready for a change; though some will fight that change.

The World is a community of People who outside the structure of our societies truly desire to do good. We are truly a family of the Universe, here on Earth, and we can choose to bring light into the lives of others.

We are the Children. We all have a child that is still inside of us and for that we should all be grateful. There is a certain resiliency in children; a peace and happiness about life that we all can plainly see. Yes, we can come together and make this a better world.

Somewhere in every person’s soul are the seeds of kindness and compassion. Why it is not nourished is the question that we must ask ourselves. Why do we need to be right? Why do we fear other cultures?

There is a beauty to this World and it lies within in it’s People.

Your compassion for the food bank here on South Whidbey is a gift from the Universe.

Thank you.

You can view the “We are the World 25″ video by just clicking on the photo below; remember to view the video in full screen since it will give you a better visual impact. .

Prima Bistro in Langley recently hosted an event supporting aid to Haiti. A fellow blogger had a nice piece about the restaurant; you can click here to view his post.

The HELP Network – South Whidbey Island

Feb 102010

February 10, 2010 Posted by Kathy McLaughlin No Responses »

We have a HELP Network on South Whidbey Island that is truly amazing. Perhaps it’s time that we do our part in getting the word out! I plan on writing a post about each of these organizations over the next few months. People helping people and in so many ways.

Gary Zukov wrote in his book, The Seat of the Soul, that “millions of individuals are awakening sometimes to their surprise to a hunger for harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life. Their challenge is to create those things in a world of discord, competition, hoarding, and exploitation, a world in which life is a cheap commodity.”

I’m currently reading a book called “Blessed Unrest” which is a story about how the largest movement in the World came into being and why no one saw it coming. The author is Paul Hawken and the book was released in 2007.

In Hawken’s book he identifies one to two million organizations working toward ecological sustainability and social justice. This social movement is decentralized and has no specific leaders; hence no media following. “This is the largest social movement in all of human history. No one knows it’s scope, and how it functions is more mysterious than what meets the eye.”

“What does meet the eye is compelling: coherent, organic, self-organized congregations involving tens of millions of people dedicated to change. What I see are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in an attempt to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty in this world.”

“Collectively, it expresses the need of the majority of people on earth to sustain the environment, wage peace, democratize decision making and policy, reinvent public governance piece by piece from the bottom up, and improve the lives of women, children and the poor. Throughout history, armies, corporations, religious rulers, and political zealots have overpowered the majority world, which in our upside down world we consider to be minorities.”