The Auburn Food Bank
“As our fiscal year begins in July - it seems we always scratching for every dollar. Typically for most non-profits, this is the case. Vacations and summer activities take place and sometimes the need for the food bank is forgotten in our mind. We know this is an historic trend so we gear up for it and hope that we have saved enough to get us through…”
Food Lifeline serves nearly 300 local food banks, meal programs and shelters in Western Washington. This is an excerpt from “Agency Report, November 2010” from one of our member agencies, the Auburn Food Bank.
“As we head into September and October - our funds tighten up – school begins and there are clothes and school expenses that add to your worries, as well as the worries of our clients, and our numbers of clients rise. Then comes NOVEMBER! We always look forward to NOVEMBER! November brings our annual Harvest Breakfast - now 17 years in existence…This year our tally has reached $51,000.00...
It's always hard to find ways to help you understand that our need is daily - without sounding like we are forever asking! However - that is the reality! Serving over 135 families on an average every day takes a LOT of food and money. We need 10,000 pounds of food for every day that we serve. Seriously! Now, don't let this discourage you. Never think that what you have won't make a dent because it does! About half of this amount is received through Food Lifeline…They are a distribution site for food banks—basically a food bank for food banks! In order to give our client a "standard bag" with vegetables, fruit, meat, pasta, grains & bread (enough to meet the food pyramid guidelines), we make bulk purchases to always have these on hand if we don't receive enough through donations. We always make sure that at the very least – this is what a client would receive. Another great resource to add to those pounds of food - is from our local grocery stores and markets as well as the farmer. Then, there comes you and your donation...the donation that always comes through in a pinch and carries us through!
The breakfast "kick starts" our financial turnaround for the year and your donations carry through the holidays!
This November has been incredible. We had a record day of 207 families (November 20). We closed our doors that night - with maybe enough to help about 15 families - but we had no meat, produce or dairy…
Saturday, November 21 - Northwest Family Church blessed their neighborhood with the "Big Give": A sack of groceries for the holiday meal and a gift card to Fred Meyer for their meat. They served over 300 families and at the end of the day - they had leftovers. I was asked if we needed their leftovers! 100 grocery bags and $850.00 in gift cards - we RAN to Fred Meyer and ordered meat for Monday, picked it up at 8 a.m., opened the doors to the food bank at 9 a.m. and served 110 families on Monday. How incredible is that!?
I can't begin to explain how humbling it is to ask and you respond. I thank you for trusting us (The Auburn Food Bank) because I know if you didn't - you wouldn't help. I thank you for giving of yourself and your time to help your neighbor and friends - and strangers you have never met!”
Debbie Christian Pam Johnson Kayla Sargent
Executive Director Client Services Food Bank Coordinator & Volunteer Director
Gretchen Willard Timmy McCoy
Administrative Operations Manager
Assistant/Bookkeeping