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Summer 2012Summer 2012

GraceGraceFindingFindingFindingGraceFindingGracein the Trials

of Life

Georgia Couple Shares Th eir Story of Grace

Good News for Metro Seniors

Plant a Row for the Hungry

Help or Hypocrisy?

Each year, a magazine of Georgia business, government, politics, and economic develop-ment, Georgia Trend, recognizes the 100 most influential people in Georgia. Out of those 100 influential leaders they choose one person as Georgian of the Year.

This year I was chosen. I was incredibly honored, as were all of us who work and volunteer at the Food Bank. There has been a great outpouring of affirmation and support from across the community. I think a lot of people feel a sense of connection, as they should. My success has clearly been built upon the tremendous support and involve-ment of people and organizations from every part of the community.

I think the significance of this recognition is not so much that I was chosen, but that someone from the nonprofit sector was chosen. In a time of great challenges in our com-munity, I think Georgia Trend is saying that nonprofit leaders will be an important and essential part of how we rebuild our community. It is an acknowledgement that government and business alone cannot rebuild the trust and spirit of coopera-tion that will be needed to collectively move forward.

William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher said, “The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.” I think that can also be true for a community or even a society.

Our attitude in how we approach our work plays an enormous role in the nonprofit sector. It’s based on our belief that with hard work and sustained effort, things will work out; that people are generally good,

Contents

2

Summer 2012

Letter from the Director 2

Feeding People Together 4

Volunteers Make a Difference 5

Finding Grace in the Trials 6 Of Life

Hunger Walk/Run 2012 9

Senior Community Gardens 10 Initiative

Thank You Donors! 11

What’s Cooking at 12 The Food Bank

Upcoming Events 14

For the Kid in All of Us 15

Plant a Row for the Hungry 16

Help or Hypocrisy?Bill Bolling, ACFB Executive Director

and given the right circumstances, will do the right thing. If a community believes in itself instead of blaming others for negative situations, fearing that others are getting something undeserved, or waiting for others to solve its problems, then I think it can accomplish anything that it commits itself to.

We can move from entitlement to shared responsibility; from a false prosperity to shared sacrifice and shared rewards; from fear to knowledge; from blame to respect; from despair to hopefulness.

In a time of uncertainty, I think we desperately need something to believe in again, something that we can devote our lives

to, and be willing to work hard for, something that speaks from a deeper, purposeful place in our being. I think that ideal can rise up from the community and connect our deeper purpose with what collectively needs to be done.

As anyone who has ever volunteered at a community kitchen, food pantry, or social service organization has found, there is something quite remarkable about those who request a helping hand. Facing uncertainty and hardship, most people who come for help do not complain, blame others, or otherwise

Let me begin by saying this has been a diffi cult article to write. I most often usethis space to tell an instructive story or sharean aspect of a situation that puts things in perspective. But I, like all of you reading this article, have days when I just shake my head and wonder – is this really what it’s come to?Today is one of those days, and I feel compelledto share my thoughts.

Last month, I got a call from NPR’s Marketplace radio show. Th ey were coming to Atlanta and wanted our help with a national feature on how hard the recession has hit the middle class. Th is is not a new story, but after several years of high unemployment, it is still very much a reality for so many people.

Georgia has been one of the hardest hit states in terms of job loss, so it wasn’t diffi cult to locate a family for Marketplace to feature. (See our cover story on page 6.) Steve and Suellen Daniels’ story is similar to those of countless others, but like every story, theirs has its own unique set of circumstances. Th e Daniels haven’t had to apply for food stamps or receive assistance from a food pantry. Th us far, they’ve somehow gotten by, working several part-time jobs between the two of them. But there are hundreds of thousands of others insimilar circumstances who have had to seek temporary assistance to help weather the storm.

Twenty percent of the people asking for help report that it’s the fi rst time in their lives thatthey have ever asked. Th at reality would bevery diffi cult for most of us to imagine, much less deal with. Approximately 40% of those seeking assistance report that someone in the household has a full or part-time job, but they are still unable to make ends meet.

Imagine that after working all your life, pay-ing your bills, even volunteering and making charitable contributions, you lose your job,your home, your car, and even your health care. Along with all of this comes the struggle to maintain your sense of confi dence and dignity.

Not the image that our state legislators must have had in mind during the last legislative session.

Contents

2

Summer 2012




Finding Grace in the Trials 6Of Life


Senior Community Gardens 10Initiative


New Food Source BringsHope For the Hungry 11

What’s Cooking at 12The Food Bank

Upcoming Events 14



EDITORSAngie ClawsonAmy Hudson

CONTRIBUTORSBill Bolling, Ben Burgess,Angie Clawson, Michael DeCoursey, Chris Ferguson, Cicely Garrett, Daphne Hill, Amy Hudson, James Johnson, Kim Kurtz,Valderia Mathis, Janice Reece, Emily Reineke, Holly Royston,Naretha Timberlake, Lindy Wood and Allison Young

COVER PHOTOAmy Hudson

INSIDE PHOTOSLouie Favorite, Amy Hudson,Ken Jones, Marcus Kraus,Allison Young

DESIGNFain & Tripp, Inc.

Help or Hypocrisy? Bill Bolling, ACFB Executive Director

In the same month the Marketplace story ran, Georgia legislators took a great deal of time and commitment to pass two bills aimed at low-income families, including those hit hard by the recession. HB 861 has recently been signed into law, even though it has been declared unconstitutional in other states. It requires drug testing within 48 hours foranyone approved for Temporary Assistancefor Needy Families (TANF). Applicants must arrange for the testing to take place at their own expense of $17 within 48 hours of their approval. Th at might not seem like a lotof money to some people, but for those whoare already struggling, it may as well be $100. Childcare is not taken into account, and neither is transportation to and from testing sites.

SB 312 was passed by the Georgia Senate. While this bill never made it to the fl oor of theHouse during the 2012 session, it could returnin the next session. SB 312 would require foodstamp recipients to “earn their GED, pursue technical education, attend self-development classes or enroll in adult literacy classes” inorder to receive their benefi ts.

Providing people with opportunities andsupport to fi nd work is a wonderful idea. But making this a stipulation to get help feeding your family? Th is would simply add one more ?burden to an already heavy load for mostfamilies.

While the current version of the bill hasexemptions for the disabled and those working 30 hours or more per week – among other exemptions – there are so many real-life situa-tions it doesn’t take into consideration. What about the person who has lost their job, and haseven found part-time work, but the hours don’t add up to the required 30 hours? Meanwhile, they’re spending every other waking hour looking for that full-time job, caring for their childrenand trying to put food on the table. And now,on top of all that, the government is going to require them to participate in prescribed “personal growth” activities? ?

I am all for accountability in governmentand in our personal lives. In fact, those of us who have been involved in helping others

afb8469_foodsharing_may_2012_1d_plus_bill.indd 2 4/24/12 12:36 PM

3

have found thattransformation most often comes out of mutual account-ability. Being clean and sober,and involved in healthy, life-giving activities is only the beginning of what it takes tobe successful in life. It also takes

the belief that others are on our side, that weare not alone in our situation.

But government choosing one group (the poor and suff ering) and saying, as one of the sponsoring legislators did, “we only want to help them” seems an odd way to help. Th is“help” is being mandated from the same groupof legislators who refused to pass meaningful ethics legislation, and who run against biggovernment. It strikes me as being hypocriti-cal.

I’m not making this up – SB 312 proposes that the state would spend millions of taxdollars to insure the poor have “enriched” activities on top of their long suff ering lives. It’s estimated to cost $23 million just for a pilot program involving fi ve Georgia counties. Statewide enactment would cost $772 million.

When problems are up close and personal, we often see them very diff erently. When we face personal challenges, we often come upwith diff erent remedies for ourselves than we do for others. If a stream is polluted in frontof our house we will inevitably get personally involved in being sure someone cleans it up. We might engage the EPA, the Department of Natural Resources, the City or County government. But if a stream across town ispolluted, we often think it’s not our problem and shouldn’t be the government’s business either.

None of us would tell a hungry childstanding directly in front of us they should

go without a meal, yet we allow one in four children across the state to do just that. (27.9 percent of Georgia’s children live in foodinsecure households according to Feeding America’s Child Food Insecurity Studyreleased last August.)

None of us would want our own grownchildren to suff er the indignity of having the government regulate how they spend theirtime, and yet legislators seem to have no problem regulating people they don’t know and have never met.

How we treat the children and the least of these is one of the most critical moral issuesfof all time, and one that helps defi ne a society. How will we be defi ned? Did we come together or turn on each other when times got tough?

Making poor peoples’ lives harder and more miserable when they are already down is not a recipe for success, and I don’t think it is how we would choose to treat that individual hungry child standing before us looking for hope. We certainly do need accountability, but we need it consistently and fairly distributed.

Wouldn’t it be better, more satisfying and meaningful to work for something diff erent,something bigger and more aspirational, something that would take the involvement of all of us to be successful for our children and grandchildren and for all children and grand-children to look forward to? We could, if we chose, treat each other with a lot more dignity and respect. Most of us are doing the best wecan and are working in our own limited way tomake things better. All of us do better when we feel appreciated and supported.

So, let’s invest in education, training,and other methods to help build a person’ssustainability for the long run, but not with the stipulation that these things are mandated in order for that person to receive food assistance. Playing to our fears and legislating to the lowest view of ourselves will only delay the important work of rebuilding our country and ourselves. We can do better and we must. Our futuredepends on it.

Board of Directors

Our Mission

Who We Serve

2011/2012 OFFICERS

ChairDavid LeedsVice ChairArlene GlaserSecretarySteven J. de GrootTreasurerDavid EidsonAdvisory Board ChairRobby Kukler

2011/2012 BOARD MEMBERS

Joe ChowEd FisherAJ JohnsonMike Kane

Mary MooreJackie ParkerWayne VasonJerry WilkinsonHilary Wilson

GENERAL COUNSEL

David Long-DanielsEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Bill Bolling

Our mission is to fi ght hunger by engaging, educating and empoweringour community.

To learn more or get involved inthe fi ght against hunger, please visit

ACFB.org

Th e Atlanta Community Food Banksupports more than 700 local non-profi t organizations with hunger-relief programs. Food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shel-ters and senior centers are among the agencies that receive product from the Food Bank and provide food and other critical resources for low-income Geor-gians who suff er from hunger and food insecurity. Th e Food Bank also operates several community projects to aid our agencies in community building, techni-cal assistance and advocacy eff orts.



CONTRIBUTORSBill Bolling, Ben Burgess, Angie Clawson, Fred Conrad, Michael DeCoursey, Chris Ferguson, Sarah Fonder-Kristy, Daphne Hill, Amy Hudson, Kim Kurtz, Valderia Mathis, Janice Reece, Emily Reinecke, Carol Richburg, Suzanne Roush, Jessica Seales, Naretha Timberlake, Vilma Wallace and Allison Young


INSIDE PHOTOSEmily Cameron, Louie Favorite, Amy Hudson, Ken Jones, Marcus Kraus, Allison Young


3

express their negativity. It’s just the opposite. They are often thankful even for small gestures of love and caring. Over the years, I have experienced a remarkable attitude of hope and graciousness.

In the nonprofit sector there are similar attitudes and accompanying values that permeate the culture of how services are delivered. I would characterize those at-titudes and values as collaborative, inclusive, trusting, patient, and kind.

We clearly live in a time that promotes and celebrates win-lose and de-emphasizes collaboration and cooperation. Especially during an election year, the tendency toward “gotcha” journalism makes us all more cynical and less trustful. Being successful in the nonprofit world requires that we find ways for everyone to win, which hinges on creating a way for everyone to do their part.

By their very nature nonprofit organizations must be inclusive if they want to succeed. The old saying, “it takes a village” is true. It takes the investment of individuals, founda-tions, businesses, the faith community, the educational community, and the public sector to be successful in almost any endeavor.

Those of us who work in service to others are sometimes characterized as naïve and too trusting. The truth is we create a trusting environment by giving people a chance to be trustworthy. Of course, we sometimes get disappointed, but when we have high expecta-tions, people often rise and even surpass those expectations.

Another important characteristic of a successful nonprofit is patience. Without patience we can often get discouraged and even cynical. It calls on us to delay gratifica-tion, to work for the long haul, to invest in children if you want healthy adults, and to invest in education if you want those children to one day be the leaders we need them to be.

Without kindness, consideration, respect for others, and a belief that most people and organizations are doing the best they can, we

have little hope of finding common ground. The remarkable thing is we have a choice

every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is change our attitude.

I would suggest that the underlying philosophy of facing uncertainty with a positive attitude is one of the hallmarks of a healthy community.

I once heard a Native American story in which an elder – a grandmother – was asked what she had done to become so happy, so wise, so loved and respected. She replied, “It’s because I know that there are two wolves in my heart, a wolf of love and a wolf of hate. And I know that everything depends on which one I feed each day.”

I have been blessed to have a loving family, a supportive community, and a lifelong calling to serve others. These all encourage and motivate me to feed the wolf of love.

We all have a choice. It does not depend on our educational achievements, our station in life, our job, or the things we have. It is as simple as finding common ground in service to others – a foundation that we all can build upon.

We live in a time of significance, and the choices we need to make have never been more critical or clear. Let us choose life, love, and goodness. We cannot wait on others to act. The future is ours to create.

Maybe the majority of us have been silent too long. It’s not that our actions have been wrong; it’s that we have not shared the lessons learned and demanded a middle way that includes all of us. Our response is an opportunity to find common ground and common solutions, to be leaders instead of silent followers. But it won’t be easy. Nothing of real value ever is.

Board of Directors

Our Mission

Who We Serve

2011/2012 OFFICERS

ChairDavid Leeds

Vice ChairArlene Glaser

SecretarySteven J. de Groot

TreasurerDavid Eidson

Advisory Board ChairRobby Kukler


Joe Chow

Ed Fisher

AJ Johnson

Mike Kane

Mary Moore

Jackie Parker

Wayne Vason

Jerry Wilkinson

Hilary Wilson

GENERAL COUNSEL

David Long-Daniels

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Bill Bolling

Our mission is to fight hunger by engaging, educating and empowering our community.

To learn more or get involved inthe fight against hunger, please visit

acfb.org

The Atlanta Community Food Bank supports more than 700 local non-profit organizations with hunger-relief programs. Food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shel-ters and senior centers are among the agencies that receive product from the Food Bank and provide food and other critical resources for low-income Geor-gians who suffer from hunger and food insecurity. The Food Bank also operates several community projects to aid our agencies in community building, techni-cal assistance and advocacy efforts.

Let me begin by saying this has been a diffi cult article to write. I most often usethis space to tell an instructive story or sharean aspect of a situation that puts things in perspective. But I, like all of you reading this article, have days when I just shake my head and wonder – is this really what it’s come to?Today is one of those days, and I feel compelledto share my thoughts.

Last month, I got a call from NPR’s Marketplace radio show. Th ey were coming to Atlanta and wanted our help with a national feature on how hard the recession has hit the middle class. Th is is not a new story, but after several years of high unemployment, it is still very much a reality for so many people.

Georgia has been one of the hardest hit states in terms of job loss, so it wasn’t diffi cult to locate a family for Marketplace to feature. (See our cover story on page 6.) Steve and Suellen Daniels’ story is similar to those of countless others, but like every story, theirs has its own unique set of circumstances. Th e Daniels haven’t had to apply for food stamps or receive assistance from a food pantry. Th us far, they’ve somehow gotten by, working several part-time jobs between the two of them. But there are hundreds of thousands of others insimilar circumstances who have had to seek temporary assistance to help weather the storm.

Twenty percent of the people asking for help report that it’s the fi rst time in their lives thatthey have ever asked. Th at reality would bevery diffi cult for most of us to imagine, much less deal with. Approximately 40% of those seeking assistance report that someone in the household has a full or part-time job, but they are still unable to make ends meet.

Imagine that after working all your life, pay-ing your bills, even volunteering and making charitable contributions, you lose your job,your home, your car, and even your health care. Along with all of this comes the struggle to maintain your sense of confi dence and dignity.

Not the image that our state legislators must have had in mind during the last legislative session.

Contents

2

Summer 2012




Finding Grace in the Trials 6Of Life


Senior Community Gardens 10Initiative


New Food Source BringsHope For the Hungry 11

What’s Cooking at 12The Food Bank

Upcoming Events 14




CONTRIBUTORSBill Bolling, Ben Burgess,Angie Clawson, Michael DeCoursey, Chris Ferguson, Cicely Garrett, Daphne Hill, Amy Hudson, James Johnson, Kim Kurtz,Valderia Mathis, Janice Reece, Emily Reineke, Holly Royston,Naretha Timberlake, Lindy Wood and Allison Young


INSIDE PHOTOSLouie Favorite, Amy Hudson,Ken Jones, Marcus Kraus,Allison Young


Help or Hypocrisy? Bill Bolling, ACFB Executive Director

In the same month the Marketplace story ran, Georgia legislators took a great deal of time and commitment to pass two bills aimed at low-income families, including those hit hard by the recession. HB 861 has recently been signed into law, even though it has been declared unconstitutional in other states. It requires drug testing within 48 hours foranyone approved for Temporary Assistancefor Needy Families (TANF). Applicants must arrange for the testing to take place at their own expense of $17 within 48 hours of their approval. Th at might not seem like a lotof money to some people, but for those whoare already struggling, it may as well be $100. Childcare is not taken into account, and neither is transportation to and from testing sites.

SB 312 was passed by the Georgia Senate. While this bill never made it to the fl oor of theHouse during the 2012 session, it could returnin the next session. SB 312 would require foodstamp recipients to “earn their GED, pursue technical education, attend self-development classes or enroll in adult literacy classes” inorder to receive their benefi ts.

Providing people with opportunities andsupport to fi nd work is a wonderful idea. But making this a stipulation to get help feeding your family? Th is would simply add one more ?burden to an already heavy load for mostfamilies.

While the current version of the bill hasexemptions for the disabled and those working 30 hours or more per week – among other exemptions – there are so many real-life situa-tions it doesn’t take into consideration. What about the person who has lost their job, and haseven found part-time work, but the hours don’t add up to the required 30 hours? Meanwhile, they’re spending every other waking hour looking for that full-time job, caring for their childrenand trying to put food on the table. And now,on top of all that, the government is going to require them to participate in prescribed “personal growth” activities? ?

I am all for accountability in governmentand in our personal lives. In fact, those of us who have been involved in helping others


3

have found thattransformation most often comes out of mutual account-ability. Being clean and sober,and involved in healthy, life-giving activities is only the beginning of what it takes tobe successful in life. It also takes

the belief that others are on our side, that weare not alone in our situation.

But government choosing one group (the poor and suff ering) and saying, as one of the sponsoring legislators did, “we only want to help them” seems an odd way to help. Th is“help” is being mandated from the same groupof legislators who refused to pass meaningful ethics legislation, and who run against biggovernment. It strikes me as being hypocriti-cal.

I’m not making this up – SB 312 proposes that the state would spend millions of taxdollars to insure the poor have “enriched” activities on top of their long suff ering lives. It’s estimated to cost $23 million just for a pilot program involving fi ve Georgia counties. Statewide enactment would cost $772 million.

When problems are up close and personal, we often see them very diff erently. When we face personal challenges, we often come upwith diff erent remedies for ourselves than we do for others. If a stream is polluted in frontof our house we will inevitably get personally involved in being sure someone cleans it up. We might engage the EPA, the Department of Natural Resources, the City or County government. But if a stream across town ispolluted, we often think it’s not our problem and shouldn’t be the government’s business either.

None of us would tell a hungry childstanding directly in front of us they should

go without a meal, yet we allow one in four children across the state to do just that. (27.9 percent of Georgia’s children live in foodinsecure households according to Feeding America’s Child Food Insecurity Studyreleased last August.)

None of us would want our own grownchildren to suff er the indignity of having the government regulate how they spend theirtime, and yet legislators seem to have no problem regulating people they don’t know and have never met.

How we treat the children and the least of these is one of the most critical moral issuesfof all time, and one that helps defi ne a society. How will we be defi ned? Did we come together or turn on each other when times got tough?

Making poor peoples’ lives harder and more miserable when they are already down is not a recipe for success, and I don’t think it is how we would choose to treat that individual hungry child standing before us looking for hope. We certainly do need accountability, but we need it consistently and fairly distributed.

Wouldn’t it be better, more satisfying and meaningful to work for something diff erent,something bigger and more aspirational, something that would take the involvement of all of us to be successful for our children and grandchildren and for all children and grand-children to look forward to? We could, if we chose, treat each other with a lot more dignity and respect. Most of us are doing the best wecan and are working in our own limited way tomake things better. All of us do better when we feel appreciated and supported.

So, let’s invest in education, training,and other methods to help build a person’ssustainability for the long run, but not with the stipulation that these things are mandated in order for that person to receive food assistance. Playing to our fears and legislating to the lowest view of ourselves will only delay the important work of rebuilding our country and ourselves. We can do better and we must. Our futuredepends on it.

Board of Directors

Our Mission

Who We Serve

2011/2012 OFFICERS

ChairDavid LeedsVice ChairArlene GlaserSecretarySteven J. de GrootTreasurerDavid EidsonAdvisory Board ChairRobby Kukler


Joe ChowEd FisherAJ JohnsonMike Kane

Mary MooreJackie ParkerWayne VasonJerry WilkinsonHilary Wilson

GENERAL COUNSEL

David Long-DanielsEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Bill Bolling

Our mission is to fi ght hunger by engaging, educating and empoweringour community.

To learn more or get involved inthe fi ght against hunger, please visit

ACFB.org

Th e Atlanta Community Food Banksupports more than 700 local non-profi t organizations with hunger-relief programs. Food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shel-ters and senior centers are among the agencies that receive product from the Food Bank and provide food and other critical resources for low-income Geor-gians who suff er from hunger and food insecurity. Th e Food Bank also operates several community projects to aid our agencies in community building, techni-cal assistance and advocacy eff orts.


4

The Clarkston Community Center is a new partner agency of the Atlanta Community Food Bank that offers a little something for everyone. The City of Clarkston is known as a place for refugees to begin building a new life, and the Community Center helps to make the transition easier with activities that bring refugees together with the rest of the community.

Started in 1994, the Clarkston Com-munity Center is a gathering place for art, education, recreation and commu-nity building. The numerous programs and activities are open to anyone in Clarkston and DeKalb County, whether native or new to the country. They pro-vide wonderful opportunities to learn about the different cultures of people residing in the Clarkston community, including Somali, Burmese, Congolese, African-American and many others.

In addition to offering programs and activities that bring the community together, the Clarkston Community Center provides food assistance through a Food Pantry and Food Co-op. “Many of our residents have limited finan-cial resources,” said McKenzie Wren,

Feeding People Together

The Clarkston Community Center The Food Bank currently distributes two

to three million pounds of food every month to a network of 700 nonprofit partner agencies that provide food for families and individuals in need. Where does all this food come from? We utilize a large fleet of trucks and a 129,600-square-foot facility to rescue and distribute food and grocery products from hundreds of donors including manufac-turers, wholesalers, retailers, brokers, restaurants, food drives and individuals. The products are easily accessed by our partner agencies. They simply view our inventory online, place their orders and choose a convenient time for pick up!

Are you involved with an organization that is feeding people? Would you like to learn more about becoming a partner with the Food Bank? If so, visit acfb.org, scroll down the right hand menu, and click “Become a Partner Agency.”

Amrita Chatterjee and Rachel Cawkwell – Community Garden Volunteers

Overall health, wellness, and food secu-rity planning are important to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and that’s why we’re glad to be a key collaborating partner in the multi-sector Atlanta Promise Neighborhood Alliance. This program currently provides healthy supplemental snacks to more than 350 students at Mary M. Bethune Elementary School. Stu-dents also benefit from a comprehensive focus on a more nutritious school menu and on nutrition education for their entire households. Due to the program’s suc-cess, ACFB is glad to announce it has just expanded the program to serve over 600 students at a second school, M.A. Jones Elementary School.

What’s New?

How It Works

executive director of the Commu-nity Center. “Providing them with food assistance allows them to direct money to other living expenses like rent or utilities. And now that we’re a partner agency of the Food Bank, we’re able to provide even more food than we could before.”

In addition to the Food Pantry and Co-op, the Community Center also has a Community Garden. The garden was started in 2002 with the help of ACFB’s Community Gardens project and now has over 20 plots managed by residents who grow food for their own families, as well as three larger “farm” plots with one produc-ing food for the Co-op. Some of this produce will also make its way to the Clarkston Farmers Market, which will take place from 11:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Community Center starting Sunday, May 20, with following mar-kets to be held on the last Sunday of every month through September. The market will enhance residents’ access to fresh fruit and vegetables, which is incredibly important as most of them walk to do their grocery shopping, and shopping options are rather slim in the area.

Participating gardeners are a mix of Americans and Karen Burmese, Bur-mese Muslim, and Chin, plus a few from Ethiopia, and the pantry garden is worked by student volunteers and master gardeners. But Wren encour-ages others to join in. “We welcome anyone who wants to help!”

To learn more about the Clarkston Community Center, call 404.508.1050, or visit their website at clarkstoncommunitycenter.org.

creo

5

Volunteers Make a Difference

Dr. Larry Blumer and Morehouse College Students

One of the things that walkers and runners say they love about the annual Hunger Walk/Run is that they’re cheered along the route by volunteers. For the past 10 years, a large group of those volunteers have come from Morehouse College. This longtime tradition has been led by Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Blumer, a professor of biology, ecology and environmental studies at Morehouse.

“I’ve always felt we need to make a stronger connection between our academic studies and the community that surrounds us,” said Dr. Blumer. He definitely puts the walk be-hind his talk in the dedication he’s shown, consistently bringing a group of students from his classes every year since 2002.

Volunteering is not a requirement in his class but the students are given a small incen-tive. Dr. Blumer notes that even with the incentive, most everyone gets the message that volunteer work is worth doing for its own sake. “It’s just the right thing to do.”

When asked what he thinks is the best thing about volunteering for Hunger Walk/Run, Dr. Blumer said, “It’s seeing the crowds of people who are taking the time to make a differ-ence for those who really need our help. It never fails to make me feel good to know that we can make a big difference in the lives of others if we each do our small part to help.”

Although he also spends time volunteering in the Product Rescue Center, Dr. Blumer al-ways looks forward to the Hunger Walk/Run. “It’s one of the most fun events of the year!”

5

Do you like participating in special events? If so, we have a great opportunity for you! Our event volunteers work some of the premiere social and food security events in the metro Atlanta area: Taste of the Nation, the Can Can Ball, and the annual Hunger Walk/Run, just to name a few.

Upcoming Special Event Volunteer Opportunities for May:

1. Receive Food Drive donations from the Legal Food Frenzy, May 7 through May 11.

2. Assist at the Doctors Against Hunger Golf Tourney, Thursday, May 17.

For information on more event opportunities, age requirements, orientation and how to sign up, visit acfb.org/volunteer or email [email protected].

• Agency Loading Dock

• Community Gardens

• Hunger 101

• Kids In Need

• Office or Administrative Assistance

Featured Volunteer Opportunity:

SpecialEvents

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities:

• Product Rescue Center

• Special Events

• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)

For more information on our ongoing opportunities, visit www.acfb.org/volunteer

Dr. Blumer (center) celebrates another fantastic volunteer experience with his Morehouse students at Hunger Walk/Run 2012!

6

It was November of 2010, and Suellen Daniels was volunteering at the annual Fall Family Day hosted by Grace Chapel Church of Christ in Cumming, Geor-gia. Like most festivals, this one had bouncy houses, concessions and face-painting. But, beyond the fun, some es-sential needs were being met. Clothing, blankets and food boxes had been pre-pared for 50 of Forsyth County’s poorest families to take back home. Suellen was puzzled when the festival ended and 18

food boxes remained. Two weeks later, when the volunteer coordinator for the county came to the church to thank the volunteers, she found out why those boxes never got picked up. “He told us that while it’s true Forsyth County is still very wealthy, there are some seri-ous pockets of poverty,” said Suellen. “If we were wondering why some of the families didn’t show up, it was because they didn’t have the transportation to get to the event and pick up the things

people wanted to give them. And he said there are thousands of children here who go to bed hungry every night.”

Suellen vividly recalls turning to her husband Steve and saying “NOT on my watch – we’re going to find a way to feed these kids.” She meant business, and Steve did too. Just two months later, in January of 2011, Steve and Suellen started Grace Chapel’s first-ever meal delivery program Meals by Grace out of their house. The first week they deliv-

Finding Grace in the Trials of LifeHow one Georgia couple’s journey down a rocky road has taken an unexpected twist to bless the lives of others

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ered a hot meal and bread to 18 people. By March, they were preparing so much food, they could no longer continue operating the program from their home, and the church offered up its kitchen space. As they entered into January of 2012 – only a year after starting the program – they were serving more than 100 people. Meals by Grace also signed on as a brand new partner agency of the Atlanta Community Food Bank this January.

Here’s where we come to the rocky place in the road. Since September of 2009, Steve and Suellen have been strug-gling themselves. Up until that point, they had been living the typical middle class American life, which included renovations to the Cumming home where they raised three children and still live. After a 27-year stint with Hewlett Packard, Steve signed on with a new

company that provided software for commercial real estate. Things looked promising, but it wasn’t long before the industry took a hit, and the new company that hired Steve folded. “We had just returned from a trip to Europe when we got the news that the funding for my position was gone,” said Steve. “We thought we’d be weathering a tem-porary storm, but it wasn’t long before our investments were drained.”

Currently, between the two of them, they work six part-time jobs to pay the bills – everything from customer relations management consulting to bookkeeping, organizing, and even bak-ing cakes. On top of all that, according to Kurt Picker, pastor at Grace Chapel, they’re putting in a 40 hour week for Meals by Grace. “And, at least for now, they’re not getting paid for it,” said Picker. “For years, Suellen has been say-

ing ‘I just wish God would tell me what I’m supposed to do.’ I told her she’s the most organized person I know, and she’s got a gift and passion for cooking. I en-couraged her to figure out a way to turn those gifts into a ministry. I believe she’s found the answer to that question she’s been asking all these years.”

Everyone involved in the program has hopes that one day there will be enough funds to bring on staff in addition to volunteers. But for now, Meals by Grace is strictly operated by volunteers, and they are a critical ingredient. “God always provides the volunteers we need,” said Suellen. “Some weeks I wonder how we’re going to pull it off, but we always do.” Every Sunday, a large group of volunteers gathers at noon for lunch and a meeting where they go over the menu and assign jobs. One of the regu-lar volunteers, Bill Carroll, is a trained

Finding Grace in the Trials of Life

Opposite Page: Steve and Suellen Daniels stop for a photo outside their home in Cumming, Georgia. Above, left: Steve Daniels doesn’t mind dish duty! Center: Tom Pernice volunteers alongside Grace Chapel’s Rev. Kurt Picker and Kenneth Brannen. Right: Suellen Daniels and volunteer Bill Carroll (who also happens to be a trained chef) get the recipe started.

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chef who has worked at The Renais-sance Pine Isle and the Augusta Country Club, among others. He often leads the decision making process when it comes to menus. His favorites include Baked Spaghetti and Caribbean Jerk Chicken. On the day we visited, we arrived around 1:30 p.m. The delicious aroma of Cajun food filled the church kitchen where several volunteers worked the stoves and filled huge bowls with a colorful blend of rice, beans, sausage and peppers. Mean-while, the fellowship hall was buzzing with activity as food and toiletry boxes were being packed. The food boxes con-tained a variety of nonperishables, bread and eggs, as well as a blend of fresh fruit donated by Edible Arrangements. Before we knew it, more than two hours had passed and everything was ready to be loaded into volunteers’ cars for delivery to the client families.

“By and large, the families we serve are dealing with circumstances beyond their control,” said Steve. “These are not bad people. They’re doing anything they can to get by. They’re just folks like you and me.” It would take several pages to share all the stories the Daniels told us about their clients, who are clearly very precious to them. There’s the grand-mother caring for seven children in a single wide trailer, and the mom who’s been fighting cancer while she’s try-ing to raise two teenagers and a young daughter. There’s the boy with the brain aneurism whose dad has to walk to work at a chicken plant every day. Perhaps the most memorable story is the one about the cupcakes. “While we always provide healthy meals, we also like to include a little something sweet when we can,” said Steve. “We had received this package of 12 cupcakes and decided to take them to a home with two families and 12 kids. One of the moms was standing in the doorway handing out the cupcakes, and the kids were just swarming all around her. We were so busy watching the kids that we almost didn’t notice the mother

was crying. Turns out, it had been months since she’d been able to give a sweet treat to her kids.”

In order to serve their growing base of clients, the Daniels must rely on donations from the community, and they often see God’s grace working behind a donation. For instance, when they moved into the new kitchen at the church, the stove wasn’t working. Out of nowhere, they received a grant they didn’t even apply for and were able to purchase three ovens that can cook up to 18 casseroles. “It happens all the time. We’ll have a need, and someone will step forward with that thing we need,” said Suellen. When we inter-viewed the Daniels for this story in late

March, we asked them what their biggest needs were. One of the first things they mentioned was walk-in freezers. Just days ago, they shared the good news that a recently closed Winn Dixie store in South Carolina had offered to donate their walk-in coolers, walk-in freez-ers, a huge bakers oven and any other equipment they want for free. Now all they have to do is convince someone to donate a semi to transport it! “I’m almost giddy thinking about what God’s plan is in giving us such a huge gift,” said Suellen.

The Daniels say one of the best things that has come out of their ministry is the opportunity to collaborate with other groups in the community who are also providing resources to people in need. They’ve even been asked to participate in the county’s five-year strategic plan. They hope to see Meals by Grace grow from one meal preparation and delivery day to three days, but they also want to share the model with other churches in the area so more families and chil-dren will have enough to eat. “In 2010, Forsyth County schools reported 7,516 children on free or reduced meals,” said Suellen. “But what about the times when they’re out of school like spring or summer break, and even the week-ends? That’s one of the reasons we chose Sunday for our delivery day. We wanted the kids to be well fed for the beginning of their school week.”

As they anticipate the potential for Meals by Grace, the Daniels can’t help but reflect on how their own personal journey has woven into the work they’re doing. “Here we are, two and a half years later, and somehow, everything we’ve needed, we’ve had,” said Suellen. “How can we not help these families that are struggling so much, when we’ve been so blessed?”

Get to know Suellen, Steve and Meals by Grace even better.

Visit: www.mealsbygrace.org.

Top: Volunteer Roxy Picker gets a workout mixing a batch of red beans and rice with sausage and peppers. Bottom: Suellen Daniels delivers a meal to one of the client families.

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Thank You! An estimated 15,000 people arrived at Turner Field on March 11 in an effort to ensure everyone in our community has enough

food for a healthy, active life. A big thank you from the Atlanta Community Food Bank and HWR 2012 benefiting partners: Action Ministries – United Methodists, Episcopal Charities Foundation, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Lutheran Services of Geor-gia, and St. Vincent de Paul Society. If you walked, ran, volunteered, sponsored or donated, YOU have done something tangible to put food on the tables of people in need. Thanks to you, we have raised over $540,000 for hunger relief!

Thanks to our HWR 2012 Sponsors!

Hunger Walk/Run 2012 Breaks All Records!

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April showers have officially brought May flowers! And the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Community Gardens Project team is ringing in the 2012 growing season with a new pro-gram especially for seniors. This year, Community Gardens will help manage the Senior Community Gardens Initiative, sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission. This pro-gram will improve seniors’ health through increased accessibil-ity to fresh produce while also providing a way for them to get active and stay social.

As with any community garden, the Senior Community Gardens Initiative will beautify senior-living residences and community centers, and will foster a sense of community. Furthermore, research shows that seniors who garden at least a few times a week report an overall better quality of life and are generally healthier and happier than those who don’t.

A number of senior gardens are already active, including one at Morrow Station Park where a thriving group of seniors prepped ten new plots in recent months. One particularly en-thusiastic volunteer, Jim, shared the plan for his plot; saying he plans to grow sweet peppers and okra, despite his okra allergy. Jim quickly explained that while he’s allergic to okra, he knows

it’s a favorite of his fellow community members. Little did Jim realize that he was perpetuating what the garden was all about … the collective contributions of growing, learning and sharing the garden as a community.

The Senior Community Gardens Initiative is funded by Kaiser Permanente. The Food Bank will provide guidance and leadership throughout the planning and execution while another local nonprofit, Open Hand, will provide educational classes about cooking and nutrition to garden participants.

For those inspired by the Senior Community Gardens Initiative, there are ways for you to get involved, too! With over 150 community gardens in Atlanta, plenty of volunteer opportunities are available for groups. Individuals can help as well. If you’re a backyard gardener, save some space and plant an extra row of vegetables for those in need in your community this season. You can donate the surplus directly to an agency near you. For more information on the Community Gardens Project or to find a location in your community to donate your produce, visit acfb.org/projects/community_garden. If your group would like to volunteer at a garden, visit acfb.org/volunteer/groups to register your interest.

Senior Community Gardens Initiative

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Loyal Source for Natural Foods

One of the largest independent distributors of natural, organic, and specialty foods is also a proud donor of the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB). Since our Fiscal Year 2007-08, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), has been regularly donating hundreds of thousands of pounds of food each year. To date, their East Region/Atlanta division has provided over 1,842,000 pounds! “It’s great to have this level of support, especially when it comes from

a local donor,” said ACFB Product Sourcing Coordinator Ben Burgess. “They’ve been a top local donor from the moment they came on board.”

According to Burgess, UNFI makes over 60,000 products. “Any of these products are fair game to donate to us at any given point in the year. We have a weekly scheduled pick up with them and we sometimes make additional trips, depending on the amount they have. Products run the gamut: chicken

broth, noodle bowls, tea, soups, chips, juice, cheese, ice cream, soy milk, rice cakes, gelatin, pudding, chicken nuggets, you name it.”

UNFI’s support for the Food Bank extends beyond food donations. Some of their management has volunteered at ACFB’s Product Rescue Center multiple times. They have also donated gift cards and hosted food drives. “They are everything you want in a donor,” said Burgess.

Help Generations Grow Up Fulland Healthy

Grainger Gives Big!

Please remember the Atlanta Community

Food Bank in your will or estate plans.

Consider making a beneficiary change with a

codicil to your will.

Contact Sarah Fonder-Kristy at 678-553-5960,

or [email protected] to learn more

or let us know of your plans.

Over the past two years, Grainger, through its Foundation, facilities and Charitable Gift Matching Funds has donated more than $100,000 to the Food Bank, and provided 285 hours of volunteer service sorting food. In addition, Grainger’s senior staff members have participated in ACFB’s Hunger 101 course and visited the Food Bank to tour our facilities. We at ACFB are very grateful to everyone at Grainger – not only for giving, but for diving deeper to understand the impact their gift makes!

Thank You Donors

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Gather with friends and family for an excellent meal while supporting the Food Bank. Each month, a dif-ferent restaurant hosts Supper Club and donates 20% of the evening’s proceeds to benefit Atlanta’s Table, the Food Bank’s prepared food rescue project. What a great way to try out the best restaurants in town while supporting hunger relief!

Thanks to last quarter’s host restaurants: Alma Cocina in February, Double Zero Napoletana in March, and Little Alley Steak, INC Street Food and The Salt Factory Pub in April, as well as our monthly sponsors CBS Atlanta, Ethic, Inc., Jezebel Magazine, and 92.9 davefm.

What’s Cooking at the Food Bank?

Monthly Supper ClubMakes Giving Back Easy

Our sincere appreciation to those who organized or participated in these events and promotions benefiting ACFB February 1 – April 30, 2012:Bruce Springsteen ConcertChinese New Year at Doc Chey’sGAMPI’s “The Gathering”Grape Crush Productions’ “Buckhead Wine Festival”Publix “Food for Sharing”Scikotics Sanitarium Car ShowShare our Strength’s “Taste of the Nation”Taste of the NFL Kick Hunger ChallengeWeTV’s Mary, Mary Premiere EventYacht Rock Revue’s “Summer Sunsets in the Park”Yard House Opening Celebration

Share Our Strength’s annual Taste of the Nation event on April 12 was a big hit once again, raising more than $750,000 for child hunger. Many thanks to all of the participating chefs, restaurants and supporters! Proceeds will support local organizations including the Atlanta Community Food Bank.Pictured above are (l-r) Pano Karatassos (Founder and CEO Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, Co-Chairman Taste of the Nation Atlanta), Karen Kierath (Cooking Matters), Nancy Friauf (Director, Genesis, A New Life), Debbie Shore (Co-Founder of Share Our Strength), Bill Bolling (Executive Director, Atlanta Community Food Bank), Floyd Cardoz (Chef of North End Grill in NYC, Taste of the Nation Atlanta Honorary Chef), Allison Palestrini (Southeast Director, Share Our Strength) and Christine Pullara (Host of WXIA-TV’s Atlanta and Company, Co-emcee of Taste of the Nation Atlanta).

The Atlanta division of The Kroger Co. donated eight tractor-trailer truckloads of food to the Food Bank this February after metro area customers and associates donated more than $257,500 during the 2011 “Can Hunger” Campaign. Thank you Kroger and Kroger customers! Photographed (l-r) are Kroger Director of Communications and Public Relations Glynn Jenkins, Atlanta Community Food Bank Chief Operating Officer Rob Johnson and Kroger Public Affairs Coordinator Nancy Scott.

SigN up TO reCeive The Supper CluB e-iNviTATiON SO yOu dON’T miSS OuT!acfb.org/events/supper_club

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Sharpen Your Cooking Skills at a Simple Abundance Cooking Class.

What’s Cooking at the Food Bank?

Don’t miss our exciting line-up of upcoming classes! See our calendar of events on page 14 for the current class schedule, or visit acfb.org/events/simple_abundance for full details.

Learn the finer points of gourmet cooking with Atlanta’s best chefs and support the Food Bank at the same time! Simple Abundance Cooking Class participants enjoy demonstrations, tastings and a chance to win fabulous door prizes. Each excit-ing course is held at one of three Cook’s Warehouse loca-tions, and is made possible by the generous support of many sponsors. 100% of class proceeds benefit Atlanta’s Table, the Food Bank’s prepared food rescue project. We are extremely grateful to the talented chefs who donate their time and to The Cook’s Warehouse for donating the class space.

lAST QuArTer’S Simple ABuNdANCe CheFS: Chef Archna Becker of BhojanicChef Drew Belline of No. 246Chef Anthony Gray of Southern Art and Bourbon BarSenior Wine Educator Don Hackett of Sherlock’s Wine MerchantChef David Sweeney of The Bakery at Cakes & AleChef Virginia Willis of Virginia Willis Culinary Productions

• Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles• Bella Cucina Artful Foods• Cabot Cheese• The Cook’s Warehouse

• Gordo Printing• Hey Roger, LLC• National Distributors• Sherlock’s Wine Merchant

mONThly Simple ABuNdANCe SpONSOrS:Sponsors & Door Prize Providers

The Atlanta Community Food Bank is very grateful to publix Super markets and Publix customers. You came through in a big way during the holiday season and donated nearly $154,000 to the Food Bank through the “Food For All” campaign. For every dollar you donated, the Food Bank can distribute over $8 in grocery products back into the community. We like that math!

Full Course Classic 2012 Raises $80,000

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doctors Against hungerAnnual scramble golf tournamentCobblestone Golf Course - Acworth

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17Simple Abundance Cooking Class 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.Chef David Bradley of Ecco and LureThe Cook’s Warehouse – Brookhaven

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Fourth Annual Twain’s SpringFest1:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.Local music festival with fun activities, great food and beer! $10 entry benefits ACFB.Twain’s Billiards & Tap – Decatur

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Simple Abundance Cooking Class7:00 – 9:00 p.m.Learn from the best chefs in town while 100% of your ticket benefits ACFB.Location and date TBD

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Supper Club5:00 – 10:00 p.m.Dine out and support ACFB. Host restaurant will donate 20% of your tab.Location and date TBD

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Visit acfb.org regularly for full details and up-to-date info on the many eventsbenefiting the Atlanta Community Food Bank!

National Association of letter Carriers’ Food driveAll DayWatch for postcards in your mailbox inviting you to donate nonperishable food. Metro wide

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Supper Club5:00 – 10:00 p.m.Dine out and support ACFB. Host restaurant will donate 20% of your tab.Location and date TBD

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Simple Abundance Cooking Class7:00 – 9:00 p.m.Chef Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene The Cook’s Warehouse – Brookhaven

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4Simple Abundance Cooking Class7:00 – 9:00 p.m.Chef Steven Satterfield of Miller UnionThe Cook’s Warehouse – Midtown/Ansley Mall

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11Simple Abundance Cooking Class7:00 – 9:00 p.m.Chef Hugh Acheson of Empire State South, Five and Ten and Top Chef FameThe Cook’s Warehouse – Midtown/Ansely Mall

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13Supper Club5:00 – 10:00 p.m.Dine out and support ACFB. Host restaurant will donate 20% of your tab.Location and date TBD

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eveNT NOTeS

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Kids of all ages came out to Turner Field on March 11 and had some serious FUN at Hunger Walk/

Run 2012. Not only that, they helped raise over $540,000 for Hunger Relief! If you didn’t get to

come this year, here’s a glimpse of what you can expect next year: games to play, treats to eat,

posters to make and steps to take. Hope to see YOU at Hunger Walk/Run 2013!

For the Kid in All of Us

Hunger Walk/Run = Recipe for Fun

Nonprofit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDAtlanta, GA

Permit No. 3763732 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd., NWAtlanta, GA 30318-6628(404) 892-FEEDACFB.org

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Plant an extra row!

Gardening season is here again, and ACFB’s Community

Gardens Project is gearing up to collect a record number

of produce donations through the annual Plant a Row

for the Hungry effort. When you’re digging in the dirt,

be sure to add an extra row of veggies to donate. Visit

acfb.org or listen to V-103, WAOK and dave fm to find

your nearest donation drop-off point and learn about

free seed give-away days at Publix Super Markets!

grace finding - acfb · and hardship, most people who come for help do not complain, blame others,...

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