735 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA 01854 | Mailing: PO Box 8638, Lowell, MA

01853 phone 978-454-7272 | fax 978-454-1717 www.mvfb.org

Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Inc.Annual Report

Fiscal Year 2012

Help US...Help OTHERS

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WHAT WE DO The focus of the Merrimack Valley Food Bank is to help meet a person’s most profound need — adequate nutrition and freedom from hunger. Only through cooperative efforts can society initiate change, develop strategies to alleviate hunger and work toward the well-being of all people. It is a basic human need not a life privilege to have sufficient food, shelter, and clothing. So why should anyone be denied a basic need? The ease with which food is readily available in nearby stores can make us take for granted how vital food is to our well-being.

Why should anyone go hungry?

HIKE FOR HUNGER

CHECK PRESENTATION

NORTHEAST REALTORS FOOD DRIVE DELIVERY

CHELMSFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT

FOOD DRIVE

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59,359

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Individuals Served

FISCAL YEAR 2012 ACCOMPLISHMENTS In Fiscal Year 2012 the Merrimack Valley Food Bank distributed over 2.4 million pounds of food through a network of more than 100 member agency programs in 30 cities and towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

• Our food reached an average of 59,359 individuals monthly, a 14% increase from a year prior and served an all-time high of 65,568 individuals in November 2011.

• We added 12 agencies to distribute food and 2 communities to our distribution service area: Waltham and Saugus. Eight member agencies that were receiving only donated foods are now eligible to receive MEFAP, and 4 agencies are now offering meal programs in addition to food pantry services.

• We initiated a children’s feeding program, Operation Nourish that provided 255 Lowell Public School students with food to take home on weekends and school vacations.

• Food drives collected 68,726, slightly more than in FY 2011. Contributing factors included the Pantry Raid - generating 23,612 pounds, exceeding our goal by more than 7,000 pounds.

• New Corporate Partners: Stop & Shop, Kronos, Inc., Citizens Bank, EYP Architecture & Engineering, Maxim, Nobis Engineering, Village Electric, Carlton Properties, Oracle, and Life Technologies.

• Revenues from grants, direct mail, and events exceeded goals.

Christ Jubilee

Central Food Ministry

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HUNGER HEROES

The Merrimack Valley Food Bank hosted its 3rd Annual Hunger Heroes Awards dinner on November 10, 2011 at the Wyndham Boston Andover Hotel.

Award Recipients

Irene Reagan, Andover, MA MVFB’s founding Executive Director

Northeast Refrigerated Distributing Company, Inc.

Eastern Bank

3M Corporation, Methuen, MA

Edward "Bud Caulfield, former Mayor and City Councilor of Lowell

Agnes Kenyon, Lowell, MA

Farook and Sherrif Tafiq, Dracut, MA

Joel Droznick, Nashua, NH

Evangelical Holiness Food Pantry

Exchange Club of Salem, NH

American Training Co., Inc.

Hannaford Supermarkets

Our guest speaker Ms. Ellen Parker, Executive Director of Project Bread, reframed the issue of hunger from an enduring and unchangeable facet of poverty to a public health problem that requires a set of solutions tailored to specific populations.

Ellen Parker, Project Bread, Irene Reagan and Amy Pessia, MVFB Executive Director

Northeast Refrigerated Distributing Co. Steve Monoxelos and Mike Sancartier

Eastern Bank

Jonathan Vogt and Joe Bartolotta

Bud Caulfield Exchange Club of Salem NH Larry VanDeventer and Doug Seed

Suellen O’Neill, Mobile Pantry Director and American Training Volunteers

Photos courtesy of Jay Foley, Creativist Photography

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Caucasian

Hispanic

African American

Asian

American Indian Other

People Served by Race

AdultChildren

Senior 65+

People Served by Age

FEEDING THE HUNGRY

“I was forced to choose between a prescription for my daughter and food for our family…”

*Josie was stunned when the pharmacist told her the cream for her toddler’s rash was going to cost $50.00. That was after the insurance portion. This happens to many single, working parents who must pay rent or mortgage, childcare expenses and car payments. It also happens to seniors who need to take expensive medication and make the painful decision whether to buy the medicine or buy food. Food pantries that come to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank for food, help families like Josie’s to stretch their food dollars. They provide baby formula, peanut butter and personal care items, as well as eggs, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables. *Not their real names, but an actual family served by a local food pantry.

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LOWELL CITY HALL CHALLENGE

SPRING PANTRY RAID 2012

Collected 23,612 Pounds of Food

We broke records this past spring by collecting a whopping 23,612 pounds of food, equivalent to 30,696 meals. Our food drives add crucial resources to supplement our other food sources. The pantry raid helps stock our shelves with many basic staples. Weeks before the pantry raid our donated food shelves were empty, after the raid we barely had enough space to store the food! The success of this pantry raid can be attributed to our community’s commitment to helping their neighbors in a time of need. Thanks to the generous helping hands of many more groups our anticipated food donations increased by nearly 60%!

WAREHOUSE BEFORE PANTRY RAID

WAREHOUSE AFTER

PANTRY RAID

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BASEMENT EXPANSION

We are happy to announce that we have completed our first floor basement expansion project! This final portion of our basement renovation increased dry storage space by 40 pallets, increased freezer efficiency by replacing two old, outdated condenser units, and regulated the temperature and humidity in the area where Operation Nourish is located by installing a dehumidifier and gas heating unit. We thank all those who were involved in making this project happen!

CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDERS The Agnes M. Lindsay Trust $ 2,500

Amelia Peabody Charitable Foundation $25,000

Grainger $ 5,000

George A. Ramlose Foundation $ 2,000

Highland Street Foundation $30,000

Nathaniel & Elizabeth P. Stevens Foundation $ 5,000

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PROGRAM FUNDERS

$100 - $499 Bay State Federal Credit Union $ 250 Charles H. Hanson Fund $ 300 C. R. Bard Foundation, Inc. $ 350

$500 - $999 Anonymous Foundation $ 500 Curry Family Trust $ 500 Fallon Community Health $ 500 Hansom Middle School $ 700 John C. & Ruth Legget Fund $ 943 McLachlan Family Trust $ 550 Middlesex Community College $ 586 Pepsico $ 500 San Diego Foundation $ 500 Senior Family Fund $ 300 Speedway Children Charity $ 500 Other Unsolicited $ 557

$1,000 - $4,999 3M $2,000 Alice R. Bean Trust $4,000 Ash Charitable Corporation, Inc. $1,000 BJ’s Charitable Foundation $6,000 Boston Church of Christ $1,697 Digital Credit Union (DCU) $2,500 Enterprise Bank & Trust $2,000 Eastern Bank Foundation $2,500 Aubert Fay Foundation $3,000 Greater Lowell Community Foundation LeClair Elder Services $3,000 Greater Lowell Walk for Hunger $2,415 Life Technologies $1,000 Louis S. Cox Foundation $2,000 Mason Family Charity, Inc. $3,000 Project Bread $4,000

$1,000 - $4,999 continued

Research In Motion $2,500 Renaissance Charitable Fund $2,000 Roy A. Hunt Foundation $4,000 TD Bank $3,000 TJX Foundation $4,500 The Charlotte Home $1,000 Walmart $1,000 William Stronge Foundation $4,000

$5,000 - $9,000 John W. Boynton Fund $7,500 Cisco $7,424 Community Development Block Grant $6,860 Demoulas Foundation $5,000 Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund $5,000 Frederick E. Weber Charities $5,000 George & Jane Mifflin Memorial Trust $5,000 Horne Family Foundation $5,000 Medtronic Foundation $5,000 Millipore Foundation $6,000 The Lawrence Foundation $5,000 Project Bread $8,400 Thomas Anthony Pappas Charitable

Foundation $5,000 UW of MA and Merrimack Valley $7,500 Anonymous $6,247

$10,000 - $24,999 Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund $10,000 Citizens Bank Charitable Foundation $10,000 Community Development Block Grant $14,500 Deluxe Corporate Foundation $10,000 GE Good Neighbor Fund $10,000 Mable Horne Trust $10,000 Procter & Gamble Foundation $10,000 Tufts Health Plan Foundation $10,000

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OPERATION NOURISH

Operation Nourish began in September 2011 for the purpose of providing supplemental foods to children who may not have enough food to eat at home. In addition the program encourages better eating habits and promotes nutritional education and physical activity within the family. During the first year 155 elementary school students received food and 100 middle and high school freshmen enjoyed healthy snacks to curtail hunger during the school day. Elementary school teachers selected students to participate in Operation Nourish based on their knowledge of the student’s home life. Each elementary student received a bag of food to take home twice a month on weekends and over school vacations and holidays. A bag of food contains individual fruit and/or applesauce cups, whole grain cereals, juice boxes and shelf-stable milk, canned tuna fish or chicken, soups, snack bars, and fruits and vegetables when possible. Members of MVFB’s staff deliver the bags of food to the elementary schools’ administration that place the bags

into the selected students’ backpacks.

The school nurse or social worker received a box of healthy snacks and beverages monthly to hand out to middle and high school freshman students with hunger related complaints during the school day. The ultimate goal of Operation Nourish is to provide supplemental food to the students who are most at risk of food insecurity. Our FY 2013 goal is to serve five schools, providing 520 students with food either at school or to take home on weekends and school vacations.

CANSTRUCTION

The Merrimack Valley Food Bank was fortunate to benefit from the Annual “Canstruction” event that took place at the Boston Design Center from October 15-20, 2011. Event organizers invited area architectural firms to create a sculpture using cans of food as their medium. The structures were judged, and when they were disassembled, the food was given to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, a total of approximately 40,000 cans!

Volunteers from Life Technologies Fill Bags for Operation Nourish

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MEMBER AGENCY PROGRAMS MASSACHUSETTS AMESBURY

Community Action - Amesbury Our Neighbors Table – Food Pantry

AYER New Hope Community Church

BEVERLY Beverly Boot Straps Beverly SDA Community Harvest Food Pantry

BOSTON Red Cross Food Pantry

BRADFORD Presidential Gardens Neighborhood Assc.

CHELMSFORD Chelmsford Community Exchange North Village Senior Housing Table of Plenty

DRACUT Dracut Food Pantry Lifelinks

Gilmore Mammoth

St. Vincent de Paul – St. Marguerite D’Youville Parish HAVERHILL

Calvary Kitchen Community Action - Haverhill Haverhill Clubhouse Katydid Foundation, Inc. Merrimack Valley Catholic Charities

Open Hand Food Pantry Pregnancy Care Center The Salvation Army - Haverhill Somebody Cares New England Veterans Northeast Outreach Center West Congregational Church

LITTLETON Littleton Group Home

LAWRENCE A Hand to the Needy Cor Unum Meal Center In Need Food Pantry Lazarus House Ministries

Food Pantry Good Shepherd Center Meal Program Family Shelter

Neighbors In Need Food Pantries South Congregational Church Christ United Methodist Church Family & Youth Ministries Lawrence Boys & Girls Club St. Augustine's Episcopal Church Third Baptist Church

The Psychological Center Daybreak Shelter Pegasus People - The Recovery Center Safe Haven Women's View

Point After Club The Salvation Army - Lawrence YWCA - Merrimack Valley

LOWELL Alternative House Central Food Ministry Christ Jubilee Food Pantry Community Christian Fellowship Community Market Program of Merrimack Valley Food Bank Lowell Housing Authority

Bishop Markham Property George W. Flanagan Property North Common Village

Council On Aging Girl’s Inc. G.R.I.P. Project House of Hope

Living Waters Ministry Lowell Alliance for Families Lowell House Inc.

Darby Drop-in Center Sheehan Program

Lowell Recovery House Lowell Transitional Living Center Merrimack Valley Catholic Charities

Food Pantry of Merrimack Valley Mobile Pantry of Merrimack Valley Food Bank Open Pantry of Greater Lowell Pathfinder (Bridgewell) Place of Promise Renaissance Club The Salvation Army The Salvation Army SAGE Program Summer Lunch Program of Merrimack Valley Food Bank UTEC Youthbuild, Program of Community Teamwork, Inc.

LYNN L.I.F.T. – Love Is Forever Transforming My Brother's Table The Salvation Army - Lynn St. Mary's Tree of Life Washington Street Baptist Church

MEDFORD Evangelical Church of Holiness Food Pantry

MERRIMAC Our Neighbors Table - Merrimac Senior Center

METHUEN Changing Lives Christian Church Fidelity House Inc. Juvenile Recovery Academy (JRA) Key Program

New Direction Methuen Girls Program

Neighbors In Need Food Pantries Methuen/Arlington Neighborhood

NEW BEDFORD Red Cross Food Pantry

NEWBURYPORT The Salvation Army - Newburyport Turning Point, Inc.

NORTH ANDOVER People’s Pantry

NORTH READING Trinity Evangelical Food Pantry

SAUGUS Grace Ministries North Shore

SALISBURY The Pettengill House, Inc.

STILL RIVER St. Benedict Center

STONEHAM Gods Helping Hand

TEWKSBURY Lifelinks - Pondview Lowell House Inc. - Sheehan Program Tewksbury Community Food Pantry

TYNGSBORO St. Vincent de Paul – St. Mary Magdalen Parish

WALTHAM Waltham Church of Nazarene

WATERTOWN Haitian Baptist Church of Tabernacle

WESTFORD Westford Community Food Pantry

NEW HAMPSHIRE NASHUA

Grace Lutheran Food Pantry, Nashua, NH WINDHAM

Shepherd’s Pantry

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FINANCIAL SUMMARY FISCAL YEAR 2012 REVENUE

TOTAL REVENUE $ 3,610,441 Donated Goods and Services $ 1,229,419 Program Revenue* $ 1,770,968 Grants and Contributions $ 461,838 Special Events, net $ 140,757 Other $ 6,299 Interest $ 1,160 *Includes Federal and State Food valued at $ 1,475,679

TOTAL EXPENSE $ 3,658,364

Program* $ 3,486,319 Support $ 172,045 *Includes Federal and State Food valued at $ 1,605,997

Donated Goods and

Services

Program Revenue

Grants & Contribution

Special Events Other

Interest

Total Revenue

85% of dollars raised supports one of our 9 emergency food programs: Food Distribution USDA The Federal Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP) Nutrition and Safe Food Handling Education Program Mobile Pantry Summer Lunch Community Market Operation Nourish Guy Francesshelli Food Rescue

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS President

Jimmy Good Lowell Regional Transit Authority

Vice President George Anastas

Anastas Advertising Associates Treasurer

Peter Mullin Peter J. Mullin Law Office

Secretary Danielle McFadden

Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce

Deborah Belanger Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors’ Bureau

Peter Boyle Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union Linda Dawson Lowell General Hospital- Saints Campus Tami Dristiliaris Law Office of Tami Dristiliaris Wendi Giuliano Curtis 1000 Jeff Hall US Navy Chief (Ret.) J. Hall & Associates, LLC Hank Houle Chelmsford Fire Department Ray Laferriere Cerner Corporation

Meaghan Lally-McGurl Enterprise Bank & Trust Steve Mallette New England Medical Insurance Agency Terry McCarthy Mill City Management David Pelchat Friend/Volunteer Richard Rourke Tutto Bene Wine & Cheese Cellar Ricardo’s Café Trattoria Luis Soares Eastern Bank Jack Tiffany Friend/Volunteer Tony Wallace Friend/Volunteer Susan Zacharer Lowell Bank

Honorary Members

Jackie Lussier Dave Shaughnessy Christine Clermont Dennis Carragher

735 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA 01854 | Mailing: PO Box 8638, Lowell, MA 01853 phone 978-454-7272 | fax 978-454-1717

www.mvfb.org