Celebrate Food Day on Monday, October 24th!

We can do a lot as donors to help those in need, but sometimes we can do even more as voters! There are proposals leading up to the election year and the renewal of the Farm Bill, some want to cut USDA Commodities to Food Banks by as much as 40%, and to reduce support for Food Stamps (CalFresh in California), as well as other critical programs.  This will be devastating to our county if it happens, because alternative sources of food have diminished in recent years, and we have relied on the commodities program to fill the gap created by these losses.  We at the Food Bank Coalition are now able to use USDA food not only in our USDA distributions, but also in the Senior Brown Bag Program and the Healthy Food for Local Families Program.  Seniors and children will be the hardest hit, but everyone in the county, whether living in poverty or not, will be affected by this increased suffering.  Take a moment to ask for a healthy Farm Bill. To learn more about how you can help, please visit www.foodday.org.

Or click on the links below:

Food Day Farm Bill Petition

Organization Involvement

Have you ever noticed the abundance of fruit falling to the ground from the trees in your neighborhood?  Or the rows and rows of excess produce lining the fields of our county then being tilled under with ripe vegetables still on the ground?  Seeing this waste and knowing that 40,000 people in San Luis Obispo county do not have access to fresh, local fruits and vegetables prompted the creation of GleanSLO over a year ago.

Multiple groups passionate about gleaning joined together with a common mission of creating a community culture that utilizes healthy, locally grown food to sustain the needs for all people in San Luis Obispo County.  These groups include Central Coast Ag Network, Cal Poly’s STRIDE center, the Food Bank Coalition, One Cool Earth, SLO Grown Kids, SUSTAIN, Transition Towns.

GleanSLO is a new program under the umbrella of the Food Bank. This program unites farm workers, health advocates, food providers, backyard gardeners and community volunteers together to harvest and donate produce gleanings into San Luis Obispo County’s food system.  Last year, GleanSLO was able to harvest over 22,000 pounds of produce which otherwise would have been left in the trees and fields of our county.  GleanSLO volunteers have traveled throughout the county to harvest delicious, local produce for those in need, from apples and oranges to tomatoes and artichokes,.  Since the end of August 2011, GleanSLO has already picked and donated over 10,000 pounds of apples, tomatoes, and pears to be distributed through the Food Banks network of 200 agency partners.munity culture that utilizes healthy, locally grown food to sustain the needs for all people in San Luis Obispo County.  These groups include Central Coast Ag Network, Cal Poly’s STRIDE center, the Food Bank Coalition, One Cool Earth, SLO Grown Kids, SUSTAIN, Transition Towns.

This past summer, GleanSLO was awarded the United Way Innovation Award under the premise that “GleanSLO is not just a program; it’s a movement to purposefully reengage SLO County residents in farming, healthy eating, and providing nutritious food for those in need.”

We are always looking for volunteers and new places to harvest. If you are interested in GleanSLO please feel free to contact:

Caroline Ginsberg, GleanSLO Program Coordiantor                                                cginsberg@slofoodbank.org                                                                                                   (805) 835-3750

The Food Bank takes great pride in the fact that we have less than a 5 percent overhead. We could not do this without our extensive volunteer core of 400 to 500 hundred putting in thousands of hours each month.  This past summer we had the opportunity to host a different type of volunteer, an intern. We were leery at first and hesitated. Why would we not jump at the chance for the desperately needed help? It was our experience that others complained that interns weren’t useful and drained their time. The effort they put into them didn’t pay off and the bottom line that it wasn’t cost effective.  Rolling the dice we said yes and two fresh faced college freshmen arrived. Did we regret our decision? The answer is an outstanding NO! Tyler and Mayra made a huge impact on both our staff and the community.  Their time was mutually beneficial and we couldn’t have asked for two more incredible people.  Below they give their perspectives, and I think they went back to school with new life skills and a true sense of accomplishment. – Wendy Lewis, Associate Director

“Working at the Food Bank has been a wonderful experience. I was able to help out in many different areas. Not only have I helped out around the office and warehouse, I have also been fortunate enough to work one-on-one with the people in our community. I’ve been able to help with the Cal-Fresh Food Stamps program by pre-screening people who are in need of assistance and seeing if they qualify to receive food stamps. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with some of the children in our community by going to the Canyon Creek Learning center and handing lunches to the children in the area. Overall this experience has been amazing! I have truly enjoyed my time spent here.  It has been such a gratifying experience and it has shown me that anyone can make a difference.” - Mayra Velazquez, UC Santa Cruz

“Working at the Food Bank this summer has been a fun and rewarding experience. From bringing food to children through the Lovin’ Lunchbox program, to creating spreadsheets and reports; from answering phones to working in the warehouse, my time this summer has been well spent. I feel like I have contributed my insights and skills to a program that has taught me a lot as well. It has made me aware of how big of an issue hunger is, and how important the job is that everyone is doing here. Thank you to all of the Food Bank for making my experience a great one!” - Tyler Davis, Stanford University

Some years ago the Food Bank took on Food Stamp Outreach (now called CalFresh). This choice was controversial because many asked why a Food Bank should use its resources to help eligible individuals get food stamps.  Over the years we have helped hundreds of families take the steps to overcome the many obstacles they face during this process. Many are discouraged due to lack of transportation, long lines at Social Services, fingerprinting and excessive documentation. Our Food Bank is able assist applicants in overcoming some of these factors.  CalFresh provides their households with healthy food, and utilize more of their limited income for other urgent needs.

CalFresh is the most effective way to provide healthy food to hungry people, and it stimulates our local economy. For every CalFresh dollar spent this equals a 1.8 dollar boost into the local economy.  California has very severe policies with regard to Food Stamp enrollment.  CalFresh is not easy to maintain; with monthly income documentation and quarterly renewal.  You also have to be fingerprinted to make sure you’re not signed up in another county.  None of these are federal requirements for the USDA name for Cal Fresh, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). These restrictive regulations cause us to be on the bottom of all the states in the union for SNAP participation.  California can do better, with food insecurity rising over 40% in the last four years, we need CalFresh.

We also advocate for positive changes, including expanded use of the new EBT Card (Electronic Benefits Transfer) to remove the stigma of paying with “stamps,” and for the elimination of finger imaging. It’s good for hungry families, it’sgood for our local economy, and it’s good for the Food Bank because otherwise we would have even more people in our food lines. Our current CalFresh coordinator, Debbie Bilek, has enrolled almost 300 applicants in less than 5 months. Imagine the impact this has made on these families as well as SLO County’s bottom line.

Carl Hansen, Executive Director

I cannot begin to tell you what a joy and a privilege it has been to work as the CalFresh Food Stamp Coordinator for the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County.  To see the smiles on the faces of the people I get to serve each day after helping them obtain healthy food to place on their families tables is a reward I will never take for granted.  Many of these people have been hit hard by our country’s economic decline and have been struggling to make ends meet for their families.  They often wonder how they will ever find the money to pay their rent, buy clothes for their children, and also be able to put food on their table at the end of the day.

When I come in contact with these individuals waiting in line at our food distribution sites, I am able to offer them another alternative, the CalFresh Benefits Food Stamp Program.  I educate them on the program, pre-screen them, and when they find out that they qualify, often times they hug me and jump up and down in delight.  I am amazed at how many people do not know this program exists.

The majority of the people I serve are hard-working individuals struggling to make ends meet.  Others are disabled, elderly, have lost their jobs, or are just simply going through a tough time.  If we can take some of the burden off by helping to put healthy, nutritious food on their tables, it will often take the edge off of their stress load and give them that hope that they need to see more clearly and focus their efforts and energies on making a better life for themselves and their families.  I am thankful for the role I get to play in helping people get back on their feet.  It all starts with nutrition!

Debbie Bilek, CalFresh/ Food Stamp Coordinator

Dear Neighbor,

One of the Food Bank’s neighborhood distribution centers opened earlier this year at the Mission View Senior Residence in San Luis Obispo. As the current chairperson for the Food Bank, I wanted to stop by and congratulate them. This was very emotional and challenging for me since a few months earlier my Dad passed away at that very location. When I got to Mission View, I can’t tell you how rewarding it was for me to see all those volunteers, many of whom were current patients sitting in wheel chairs, putting together food baskets for those in need in our community. The appreciation for those I talked to who were receiving the food was overwhelming as well. These seniors exemplify our caring community!

This is why I love the Food Bank Coalition!

The Food Bank supplies food to over 200 agencies in our county which help feed 40,000 people annually. Unfortunately, about 40% of them are children. What a difference it makes to give 16,000 children access to healthy food. Without meeting this basic need, all other needs are magnified! We can supply 10 lbs. of food – about half now being fresh produce – for every dollar you provide.

On behalf of the entire Board of Directors of the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, I ask you to please help us now as you have in the past. An envelope is enclosed for your use, or you can go to our website, www.slofoodbank.org and make a secure credit card donation.

Oh, and here’s one more way to give that will only cost two minutes of your time: On August 10th, go to the Toyota Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Toyota , click on the 100 Cars for Good app and simply vote for us, as we are in competition with five other agencies nationally of our size and population to win a new Toyota car or truck! Our plan is to use it to expand our capacity for monitoring our children’s programs throughout the county.

Gratefully,

Ed Kurtz
Board Chair