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Moving the Community from Hunger into Health

FoodfirstThe recent heat wave makes us feel like summer has already arrived, and at the Foodbank, summer very much preoccupies us at the moment. Two reasons – one short term and one long term. Firstly, summer sends warning bells to us about the need for good nutrition to be made available to school children of food insecure families during a time of the year when they are guaranteed no lunch or breakfast at school. Young minds need to grow yearlong with good nutritious food, which is why we have been tasting food and making our plans for our biggest summer lunch program ever.

41,272 children K-12 countywide are eligible for free/reduced priced meals. Of these, over 34,000 of them will not have access to reliable, nutritious meals this summer. This means 1 in 5 children in our county is at risk of hunger and we have to act.

Our Picnic in the Park program provides delicious cold lunches at open sites around the county, run by community volunteers and offering games and nutrition education too. Please consider getting involved with this crucial program, providing either funding or volunteer hours. Both are urgently needed!

So what about all the summers to come? The Foodbank is a partner (along with Community Environmental Council, Santa Barbara Foundation and Orfalea Foundation) in a process to create a Food Action Plan for the county. Listening sessions were held across the County. A wide variety of community members attended, from farm workers to farm owners, those involved in the provision of services to those receiving them. We had some incredibly stimulating conversations, collecting hundreds of ideas to be submitted for inclusion. The next stage is the creation of working groups in the key pillar areas (nutrition and health, economic development, agricultural viability, food access and justice and environmental issues).

If you were not able to attend one of these listening sessions and would like to offer your input on any aspect of the food system in SBC, you can do through this survey on the Food Action Plan website: http://sbcfoodaction.org/how-to-get-involved/community-input.

We’re excited to be working with you to secure the healthy future of our county, this summer and for all the summers to come.

Thanks for your partnership.

Best,

Erik Talkin Chief Executive Officer etalkin@foodbanksbc.org www.foodbanksbc.org (805) 967-5741 X100

PLANNING FOR THIS SUMMER AND ALL THE SUMMERS TO COME

BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Melissa R. Petersen, ChairJim Stollberg, Vice Chair Deborah Adam, Secretary

Frank Abatemarco Peter N. Brown Dianne Dawes Narded EguiluzWayne EliasJohn LaPuma, MD FACP Carol OlsonLisa Przekop Carla Rosin Barry M. Spector George Thurlow, Chair EmeritusBarbara TzurVibeke Weiland

When Bill first signed up to volunteer years ago, he thought he was taking on a simple project - packaging food to distribute to seniors through our Brown Bag program. This program relies heavily on long-term dedicated volunteers and Bill soon discovered that the program really needed a leader to organize all of the volunteer paperwork and get the sites running more efficiently. Bill’s not the kind of guy to just sit around - if something needs improvement, he will help in any way he can. “It is easy to be committed to the Brown Bag program because the 1,200 participating seniors truly need and very much appreciate the assistance we provide. Helping coordinate the activities of the site based volunteers and the Foodbank project management and operations personnel is both challenging and fun. We strive to make participation in the Brown Bag Program an enjoyable experience for both the seniors and the volunteers,“ said Bill. Bill is adding new eager volunteers at the distribution locations to help us continue and hopefully expand the program. We are so thankful to have Bill on our team.

Nick has worn many hats as a Foodbank volunteer since he started in 2011. He’s helped fill bags for children, families, and seniors in our Healthy School Pantry and Brown Bag programs, participated in our 1st Annual Car Show and Turkey Drive, and for the past 3 years, he’s done a wonderful job leading the Mobile Food Pantry program in the Tanglewood community. He’s generously lent his 30+ years’ experience in project management advising the Foodbank on various projects. Many Foodbank staffers comment “Nick is great! Very reliable, detail oriented. He has a positive spirit and truly cares for people.” When we thank Nick for his help, he humbly says “No. Thank you. It’s my pleasure to help people in my community.” We are very fortunate to benefit from Nick’s leadership.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Bill

Nick

www.foodbanksbc.org

Santa Maria Facility490 W. Foster Road

Santa Maria, CA 93455T: (805) 937-3422F: (805) 937-8750

info@foodbanksbc.org

Santa Barbara Facility4554 Hollister Avenue

Santa Barbara, CA 93110T: (805) 967-5741F: (805) 683-4951

info@foodbanksbc.org

Education & Administration Center1525 State St., Ste. 100

Santa Barbara, CA 93101T: (805) 967-5741F: (805) 683-4951

info@foodbanksbc.org

Support the Foodbank of Santa Barbara Countyand you support over 330 local non-profits and programs.

If you want more information about applying for CALFresh (Food Stamps) benefits with Foodbank support, please contact: Amy Lopez, Outreach Manager elopez@foodbanksbc.org (805) 967-5741 x 115.

1 out of 6 households served by the

Foodbank have a member who has

served or is currently serving in the US Military

Each summer, children wait for the last bell of the school year. Summer should be an exciting time to enjoy being a kid. But for many children who receive free and reduced-priced meals at school, summer can mean hunger. An astonishing 1 in 5 children in our county is at risk of hunger and over 34,000 of them will not have access to

nutritious meals this summer. To support these children, we operate a summer nutrition program, Picnic in the Park, which provides free, nutritious meals, activities and enrichment opportunities to ensure that summer is fun for all kids in our county. Healthy summer meals are served at various locations countywide – Monday through Friday. Foodbank volunteers lead activities, games, and physical education enrichment lessons at our sites throughout the summer months, June to August. This summer, our goal is to distribute 35,000 nutritious meals. We Need Your Help. You Can Join the End Summer Hunger Campaign:

Donate $10 to provide lunch for 3 kidsDonate $50 to provide lunch for 14 kidsDonate $100 to provide lunch for 28 kidsDonate $500 to provide lunch for 140 kids

VOLUNTEERIf you are interested in getting involved as a Picnic in the Park site volunteer or an activity leader, please contact:

North County: Darlene Chavez, dchavez@foodbanksbc.org (805) 937-3422 x109South County: Melissa Howard mhoward@foodbanksbc.org (805) 967-5741 x112

We invite you to learn more about our work and

support us through our community-sponsored events. Please visit our website for

event information.

May 3Fork & Cork Classic

Montecito Country Club

May 9

Letter Carriers Food Drive &Santa Barbara Wine

Country Half Marathon

June/JulyEnd Summer Hunger

CampaignFood from the Bar

July 16 - 18California Wine Festival,

Santa Barbara

October 17Table of Life Gala

Montecito, CA

For event details, visit foodbanksbc.org

LEAVE A LEGACYThe Foodbank is privileged to have many generous donors that give of their time, talent and resources. Just as donors have made helping people and

organizations their passion in life, others have chosen to continue their work in the future through

our Legacy Giving Society.

Please contact Diane Durst, (805) 967-5741 x104, to

learn more about planned giving opportunities.

MAKES 4 BURRITOS Since 1984 OASIS, Inc. (OASIS standing for Orcutt Area Seniors in Service) has served as a premier senior advocate agency, providing many programs for seniors, including nutrition education and fitness programs. For the last 10 years, they have been a very active member of the Foodbank nonprofit partner network, filling a crucial need as one of two agencies that distributes food in the Orcutt area. They have an open food distribution on the 3rd Wednesday of every month for seniors and provide produce bags as well for senior participating in activities.

NON-PROFIT PARTNER

OUR LOCAL TRIATHLETE PHILANTHROPIST

END SUMMER HUNGER

The enthusiasm for learning new cooking skills at Carpinteria Middle School is contagious. This year, 22 after-school students lined up to participate in Teens Love Cooking, our nutrition and culinary education class, all eager to learn about and cook delicious and healthy food. Teens Love Cooking, or TLC as we like to call it, teaches adolescents the importance of paying attention to where their food comes from, what foods provide them with the most nutrients, and what foods they should avoid for optimal health. They learn valuable kitchen skills such as knife skills, how to prepare quick and healthy lunches or dinners, and how to read and follow a recipe. These are skills that will prepare them for the years ahead when they must independently cook for themselves, such as when their parents work late or when they leave home for college. The majority of these students have never cut a vegetable with a Chef’s Knife or measured out a cup of flour so these skills will prove priceless to them in the future.

The Foodbank is proud to offer this program to so many deserving middle school students this year and thanks its partners and volunteers for their dedicated service to theprogram. TLC, currently in partnership with Carpinteria Middle School and the afterschool ASES Program, is a regularly offered program in the Fall and Spring of each school year. The program will soon run in three Santa Maria Middle Schools starting in the Fall of 2015. Sample lesson: Students learned how to make Burritos Supremos, simple and healthy burritos during the lesson Sugar, Fat, and Salt: The Hidden Truth. With burritos often filled with fattening ingredients and loaded with sodium, this simple and healthy recipes shows them that is all that is not needed to make a delicious burrito.

TEENS LOVE COOKING

Backyard Bounty, our volunteer powered gleaning program, is in full swing. In one month, we harvested over 2,500 pounds of fresh beautiful fruit including grapefruits, lemons, avocados, oranges and tangerines.

DONATE YOUR PRODUCEDrop off your harvested fruit or vegetables at either of our warehouses weekdays between 7:30am - 3:00pm and receive a tax deductible receipt for your donation. REGISTER YOUR BACKYARD BOUNTYIf you have more than two trees or are unable to harvest them yourself we can provide volunteers and equipment. We properly train, supervise and hold liability coverage for all volunteers. Harvesting also helps fruit trees become healthier and more productive. BECOME A VOLUNTEERDon’t have a yard but want to help out? Register as a volunteer to help us make sure that none of our local produce goes to waste. Give back and have fun at the same time. Visit www.backyardbounty.org or call 805-403-8327

SHARE YOUR BACKYARD BOUNTY

YOUR NUTRITION BURRITOS SUPREMOS

SAVE THE DATE

Ingredients: 1 15-ounce can vegetarian refried beans4 whole wheat flour tortillas1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)1 cup romaine lettuce, shredded1 tomato, diced2 green onions, sliced1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced1/2 cup salsa

Roasted Bell Pepper (optional)Directions:1. Heat beans in a saucepan or microwave. Warm tortillas, one at a time, in a large dry skillet, flipping to warm both sides until soft.2. If using rice, cook according to package directions.3. Spread warm tortilla with approximately 1/2 cup of the beans and 1/4 cup of rice, if using.4. Top with lettuce, tomato, green onions, avocado, salsa, and roasted bell pepper if using. Roll tortilla around filling.5. Serve or wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Three years ago, Jacob Mansbach volunteered at the Foodbank and saw an opportunity to make a difference. Combining his love for triathlons with his desire to help kids in his community, Jacob has inspired all ages to donate, volunteer and get fit. Last summer, Jacob, now 11 years old, invited an entire team of kids to join him in completing the Santa Barbara Triathlon. The team (comprised of third to seventh graders from the Santa Barbara and Goleta School Districts) dedicated their summer break to volunteering for the Foodbank, raising money and awareness, and learning all about the sport of triathlon. Together, they raised over $20,000 to provide nutrition and education to kids and families in our community through the Foodbank. The team’s work also

led to $10,000 worth of milk coupons for the Foodbank network from Feeding America.

In 2014, Jacob was selected by Disney to be featured in their online series “Disney Citizen Kid” focusing on ordinary kids doing extraordinary things. His Citizen Kid video focuses on his ability to get kids and families involved through activities like Saturday Family Day, a Foodbank volunteer program. On the second Saturday of every month (9:30 – 11 am), the community is invited to come visit the facilities, tour, and take part in a volunteer project.

We are beyond grateful to Jacob and his supportive family Jen, Mike and Joe for their steadfast commitment to bringing the community together!

These burritos at easy to make, healthful, and can be refrigerated for last minute grab-and-go.

DO YOU KNOW ONIRACOM?Oniracom has been helping organizations worldwide build authentic communities for over 15 years. Based in Santa Barbara, they sponsor many local non-profits to help solve pressing issues in the region. Their team is now proudly partnering with Foodbank to actively engage Santa Barbara County residents in vital initiatives and events. By streamlining online donation systems, creating dynamic social and print media campaigns, and developing in-kind sponsorships, they aim to build Foodbank’s capacity to create sustainable nutrition solutions for everyone. “Oniracom is thrilled for this opportunity to directly connect with the community and help create a healthier society,” Jacob Tell, CEO, Creative Lead.

Will you JOIN JACOB this summer? For information about Join Jacob, the triathlon team, and Saturday Family Day volunteer sessions, visit www.foodbanksbc.org/joinjacob.