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CAFB Profiles
CAFB Profiles
Garry Davis
Garry Davis is a senior Communication Studies major with a concentration in Corporate Communication and a certificate in Business Foundations at the University of Texas. Garry joined CAFB as a Volunteer Intern in February. While Garry works on a variety of volunteer-related tasks, his primary research and development project is to enhance and expand corporate volunteer engagement.
"I enjoy interning here for a number of reasons, but mainly because of the people and the experience that I am gaining," said Garry. Everyone is so welcoming and genuine. When I first arrived, I was introduced to everyone from the top down. That really made an impression on me. Also, the experience that I am gaining in the workings of the organization is also applicable to my interests and what I want to do in life."
When Garry is not bringing smiles and much-needed support to CAFB staff, he enjoys being a community leader and serving those in need. His many roles include: Beta Upsilon Chi (Brothers Under Christ) worship leader and big brother, and group leader for a co-ed college ministry group at Austin Stone Community Church. Early Tuesday mornings, you can find him serving breakfast to the homeless at First United Methodist Church.
After graduation, Garry plans on entering the Peace Corp, pursuing a graduate degree in public policy/public affairs or urban ministry. "This all will play a major role in what I would love to ultimately do with my life," Garry said. "I pray that I am able to start and run my own non-profit organization to empower today's youth to become more than what society has restricted them to."
HomeAway
As local food banks across the country face food shortages, employees at an Austin start-up put its entrepreneurial spirit in overdrive during its first Food & Fund Drive, ultimately providing more than 41,000 meals for hungry Central Texans in need.
Focusing on the Food Bank's most-needed nonperishable food items, including rice, beans, canned vegetables and baby food, HomeAway employees collected more than 13,350 pounds of food – nearly 125 pounds raised per employee. The company also donated $5,000 and two dozen turkeys to match its employees' efforts. In total, with individual cash donations, HomeAway donated nearly $6,100 to the Food Bank.
"HomeAway employees went over and beyond expectations for this first-ever food drive," said CEO Brian Sharples. "Their impressive and inspiring effort was big-thinking at its finest."
The two-week food drive started out as a fun-spirited competition among work groups to raise the most pounds per employee. Soon, however, the 104 employees of this highly competitive start-up got energized and put their talents to work. Setting the bar from the get-go was the Product Group, which donated 730 pounds of food (or 73 pounds per person) within the first week.
"What the other teams didn't know is that our goal really wasn't to win, but to motivate them to give more," said Aaron Upshaw, a web designer at HomeAway. "It was a sort of reverse psychology and it worked."
Soon, the teams were consumed with statistical analyses, strategic maneuvering, secret meetings, creative problem-solving, and of course, smack talking, to figure out how to collect the most pounds per person and win the coveted "most giving" group.
Not to be outsmarted, HomeAway's Development Group (AKA "The Uber Competitive Group") did a cost-weight-benefit analysis to figure out the final numbers to win. Declaring an early victory, the Development team collected more than 8,600 pounds of food – or 430 pounds per person, requiring two rented moving trucks to deliver all the food to the Food Bank!
"While we won the competition by donating 600 pounds per developer, the real winner was the Capital Area Food Bank," says Jack Yang, whom, along with Tim Tischler led the Development Group's effort.
"Personally, I can't think of a better way to kick-off the holidays," added Yang.
Coordinate your own Food & Fund Drive and help the Food Bank move toward a hunger-free community.
Kevin Summers: AmeriCorps VISTA
"It's easy to pick up and move 1,800 miles to a city you've never visited when you know you'll have the opportunity to really own a project and make a difference in people's lives."
Kevin Summers is one of six AmeriCorps VISTA donating a year of service to the Food Bank, helping to create successful and sustainable programs to forward the Food Bank's mission to end hunger in Central Texas. When Kevin graduated from the University of Montana last year with a B.A in Organizational Communications, he, like many graduates, had a long list of opportunities to choose from.
"While I could have done the 'normal' thing and gotten an entry-level job with the hope of doing something that challenged me, I wanted to keep my options open. And those options included non-profit or volunteer opportunities," he said.
Kevin's primary project was to research and implement the Choose Healthy Options Program (CHOP), a nutritional rating system for all foods that come through the Food Bank's warehouse. CHOP helps Partner Agencies easily identify the healthiest foods at the Food Bank and make better, more informed shopping decisions for their clients.
In the wake of increased national focus on health and nutrition, the Food Bank needed a new level of nutritional sophistication to address the needs in the community. CHOP provides information about what types of food are distributed to the hungry, and ultimately, what shapes their diet.
"We consider nutritional content as part of our measurements of success," said Michael Guerra, Chief Operating Officer. "CHOP lets our Partner Agencies know what's in our warehouse without 'lecturing them' about nutrition. Kevin is part of that success."
"It's great to see more Partner Agencies choosing items from our warehouse with higher nutritional values," said Kevin. "Knowledge is power."
To spend time with Kevin is to be dazzled by his optimism, energy and attention to detail. "For someone who knew very little about the food industry when I started, it's easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated," he says. "But having a good support network, and being able to see the good that comes out of what I do really makes my VISTA experience worthwhile."
The Fresh Produce Harvest Mandala
The Fresh Produce Harvest Mandala is an initiative of the Freshman seminar class "Living Color: Light, Science, Art, Architecture, & Culture" at the University of Texas at Austin.
The purpose of the Living Color seminar is to investigate the place and role of color in the world. With a desire to bring students and community together through a celebration of color and life the class explored the ancient ritual of creating a mandala, an art form that represents wholeness and balance. Its "circle with a center" pattern appears in the celestial circles (earth, sun, and moon), as well as circles of friends, family, and community. A campus mandala would be designed to celebrate unity through diversity and the natural bounty of the harvest season.
The class then engaged Austin's Central Market to sponsor the full spectrum palette of produce. Doug Snyder, General Manger, was very gracious and supportive! On the evening of October 16, a long train of grocery carts full of multicolored produce made its way from the produce section to an awaiting caravan of cars. (One of the cashiers said, "Awesome – Epic salad!") The following morning, they created the 1st annual Fresh Produce Rainbow Mandala on the grassy south mall lawn, just south of the main tower building. Various dance groups joined in the celebration throughout the sunny afternoon.
At the end of the day, the students dismantled the mandala and boxed up the produce for its next destination – the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, where Food Bank staff were waiting to weigh it in. Everyone was pleased that the mandala event generated 425 pounds, or the equivalent of 340 meals and a wealth of good will!
Cathy Roach, CAFB Volunteer Leader
Cathy Roach has volunteered for the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas nearly every Saturday since 2000. Her ability to network and recruit volunteers at AMD and within her community has led to a visible increase in group volunteer hours.
"At AMD, we got a group together to work the Mother's Day 24-hour Sort-A-Thon on May 14, 2000," Cathy explained when asked about her first volunteer experience with the Food Bank. "I went, had a blast, met a lot of people, and have been going back ever since."
Cathy was drawn to volunteerism since a childhood disability left her partially dependent on the help of others. "I figure there were some volunteers that helped me out, so it is my turn to help others," she said. Before volunteering at the Food Bank, Cathy divided her time between Family Eldercare, Smith Elementary, AIDS Services of Austin, the Heart Walk, March of Dimes, and Walks for Safe Families. Now you can find her nearly every Saturday in the Food Bank's Product Recovery and at major Food Bank events.
Cathy's generous nature and kind heart extends to her fellow volunteers. One Saturday, Cathy had the opportunity to work with an unenthusiastic, court-appointed volunteer. "He would only respond with grunts and glares," she said. "By the end of the shift, I got somewhat of a smile on his face, and the next week, he came in, smiled, said 'hi,' and asked what he could do."
As one of the Food Bank's STAR Volunteers, Cathy truly makes a difference in our community.
Today's Menu: Hot Pockets, Fruit and a Side of Homework Help with Afternoon Fun.
It's 4:15 in the afternoon. After enjoying a hot meal at the Dove Springs Kids Cafe, Ivelisse, 8; Dawaun, 10; Matthew, 8; and Ryan, 9 settle in at the computers for their next big task - dressing virtual cartoon characters. With afternoon homework completed, it's computer playtime.
Dawaun enjoys the hot pockets, playing outside, swimming and art class while Ivelisse prefers the vegetable soup and "just laughing and sitting with my friends." Matthew shares his thoughts on his favorite foods: "I like apples, cranberries and all sorts of fruit." All agree that Kids Cafe has good food. When asked what they would like to see happen at a Kids Cafe, Ivelisse immediately offers her suggestion, "A giant party!"
Research shows that unsupervised children are more susceptible to injury and less likely to engage in constructive activity. Children in poverty face the added risks of cooking in the kitchen unsupervised, choosing unhealthy items or eating nothing for hours. Unfortunately, for the thousands of working poor families in Central Texas, after-school care is simply not an option.
That's where Kids Cafe comes in. An America's Second Harvest program, Kids Cafe decreases the "worry time" for working parents. Children receive a hot, nutritious, meal, and homework help in a safe, nurturing environment. There are 30 Kids Cafes in Central Texas, serving more than 25,000 meals to more than 2,800 children in need per month during the school year. Learn more about Kids Cafe.
Community Events Interns
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Amanda Sanchez, senior Corporate Communications and Business Foundations major at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) and a Community Events Intern for the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, has worked with us since January 2007. While her current project focuses on soliciting for in-kind donations for our raffle at the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival, she has worked on various Community Event-related tasks such as assisting with the preparation for and logistics of Food & Fund Drives and communicating with Food Bank supporters who raise food and funds on our behalf.
Amanda has long-held an interest in helping people in need and was involved with the Food Bank before she ever considered a Food Bank internship. As coordinator of "Hope for the Holidays", a student-run event, she helped raise food and funds for the hungry in our community. Amanda also works as an after-school counselor at St. Francis School and is an active member in her sorority, Sigma Lambda Gamma. As an active member she has worked on a committee that presents the "Christmas Kindness Dinner" for low-income families in Austin for the past two years, and has also been involved in the Latino Leadership Council, the umbrella organization for all UT Latino organizations.
When asked about why she chose to pursue an internship at the Food Bank Amanda replied, "My passion for helping others prompted my decision to choose the Food Bank. To know that I am a part of an organization that works so hard to touch the lives of thousands of hungry Central Texans is a great feeling." She notes the added benefits of her time here: "Learning about the vast amount of hunger in Central Texas and the percentage of children that face hunger inspires me to do my part to help out. Interning at the Food Bank has been such an eye-opening experience to the amount of hunger just in Central Texas, and to work with an organization that is focused solely on helping to end hunger in Central Texas is amazing. Children hold such a special place in my heart, and the very fact that 35% of people receiving assistance from the Food Bank are children, moves me to do what I can to help that change."
After completing her Spring 2007 internship here, Amanda opted to extend her service with us through the Summer 2007 internship. We are grateful for her time and extraordinary commitment.
Jessica Hager, senior Communication Studies major and Anthropology and Spanish minor at Southwestern University (SU), has been with us as a Community Events Intern since May 2007. Her internship duties focus on H-E-B's Help End Hunger campaign, in which H-E-B customers can donate to the Food Bank by tearing-off a $1, $3, or $5 coupon at the register and adding it to their grocery bill. The Food Bank has enjoyed much success from this campaign over the years because of the help of conscientious volunteers who monitor each store in our local and regional areas. Coordinating and maintaining this effort takes much time and attention to detail and has been the focus of Jessica's time here. From communicating with volunteers on a daily basis, to visiting H-E-B's and keeping up with weekly financial reports from the campaign, Jessica has managed this campaign with professionalism and diligence. She has also aided in preparing weekly event listings for the Food Bank's website and assists in daily tasks integral to the Community Events department.
Jessica is a Residential Advisor at SU and is responsible for developing community among the Civic Life/Green Hall building. Within this role she develops and implements events for residents, a skill easily translated to her internship here at the Food Bank. She also spent time as an Ambassador for SU, a position which required her to lead tours, act as an advocate for the university and provide insight to prospective high school students. Jessica recently completed her role as Volunteer Coordinator for SU's Habitat for Humanity chapter and will serve as President for the organization this coming school year. She recently returned from a study abroad program in Santiago, Dominican Republic, where she studied Spanish language and culture.
Jessica volunteered with the North Texas Food Bank in past years and was intrigued to find as fervent a passion to help end hunger among the staff of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. She notes her time here as valuable and says, "I found this internship to be beneficial to my awareness of community needs and the directions I may choose to take professionally." When asked what has been most gratifying about her experience she told the following story: "I sat in on a Nutrition Class with the Food Bank and greatly enjoyed meeting and speaking with those that we work to serve. The experience was not only beneficial to me as an intern at the Food Bank, but also moving in my personal life. With the tour of the pantry I was able to see the process that individuals and families go through each week to feed themselves and their families. I think it is important for employees to meet and know those who they are helping to feed."
Jessica will complete her Summer 2007 internship with us in late August. We are grateful for her curiosity and determination for the Food Bank’s work.
> Intern at the Food Bank: Learn about Fall student internships.
The Cox Family
The Cox Family began volunteering at the Food Bank in 1999. Matt, Amy, and their two children, Ty and Courtney, can be found in the Bread Room or Product Recovery nearly every month.
The Cox Family makes volunteering at the Food Bank a regular family activity. Eight years ago, Matt and Amy Cox made a family commitment to serving their community. “We wanted Ty and Courtney to recognize they have been blessed and to understand the importance of giving back if blessed,” Matt explained. “If kids get involved at a young age, they will take the focus off themselves and use their energy to help others,” he continued. From an early age, the Cox children learned the difference between having enough to eat, not having enough, and what they can do to help. “It is a lesson for the kids each time,” said Matt.
While sorting fresh bread and baked goods in the Bread Room, the Cox family often encounters Partner Agency volunteers collecting fresh food for clients. Matt said this experience humbles them and reminds them of the importance of their work. “It also reminds me to handle food more carefully,” Amy said, “as if I were the one eating it.”
When the Cox family is not volunteering, you can find them camping, participating in church and family activities, and enjoying the laid-back nature and warm weather of
A Relationship of Giving: Carino’s Foundation
For eight years now, the Carino's Foundation has abundantly sustained the Kids Cafe Program, as well as donated $10,000 last summer to support the Food Bank's BackPack pilot program. CAFB's relationship with the Carino's Foundation is invaluable and greatly appreciated not only by the Food Bank staff, but also by the many children who's lives are affected every day by the meals the Foundation provides through Kids Cafe.
Debbie Mauldin started with Carino's Restaurants in 1998 as the Director of Real Estate and Development. At that time, Carino's owned eight restaurants. Now, Carino's owns 170 Italian Grills. In November 2006, Debbie was promoted to President of the Carino's Foundation, continuing her dedication and care for the Austin community. Here's what she said.
Why does the Carino's Foundation support the Food Bank's Kids Cafe program?
After our first fundraiser in 1999, we researched numerous local charitable organizations in hopes of finding a program that would directly impact disadvantaged children. One Sunday, the Austin American Statesman featured the Kids Cafe program, and we immediately knew it was a perfect fit. Partnering with the Capital Area Food Bank to provide a warm, evening meal for children was natural for a restaurant company.
What is the mission of the Carino's Foundation, and how does the Food Bank help you realize this mission?
The Carino's Foundation mission statement is to provide direct and immediate relief to children and families in crisis. The Kids Cafe program gave us the opportunity to reach children in need. When we heard that attendance in after school programs increased significantly when warm food was served, we knew this would be a long-term relationship.
How would you like to see the Food Bank and Carino's relationship grow in the next year?
We are working on a volunteer program called "Carino's Cares" that will provide opportunities for our employees to get involved with our major charities. Team Leaders toured the Capital Area Food Bank in March to prepare for the Carino's Cares campaign.
What is your favorite aspect of supporting the Kids Cafe program?
If you asked our employees, they would all agree it is the Carino's Annual Kids Cafe Christmas Party. Every year employees are asked to donate a $10 toy as admission. We collect over 350 toys from employees and the Carino's Foundation. In his seventh year, Chris Peitersen, Vice President of Culinary Development, kicked-off the festivities in full Santa Claus costume. Each child gets to select a toy to take home, and we donate the left over toys to needy families. We get to interact with the children participating in our Kids Cafe which is very rewarding.
The Foundation's generous donation of $10,000 last summer for the BackPack Pilot Program helped provide meals to 300 children a week. What was your motivation for funding the pilot BackPack program?
When I describe the Kids Cafe program to co-workers and our generous donors, they always ask, "If these children are hungry during the week, what do they eat when school is closed?" The BackPack Program complements the Kids Cafe program and fills that gap. Several teachers at our Kids Cafe site told us that they keep snacks in their desks for the children who arrive at school hungry. Children cannot concentrate when their stomachs are empty. It stays with you - you never forget that children in Austin wake up and go to bed hungry.
What was the most rewarding aspect of giving to the BackPack program last summer?
I visited Pickle Elementary one Friday afternoon to observe the BackPack Program. Children were lined up to get their backpacks filled with food for the weekend. Pickle’s neighborhood is extremely poor and distressed. When we drove up, I knew these children needed help. I’m so thankful that the pilot program was a success. We are impressed with the Capital Area Food Bank’s ability to identify and reach children in crisis. We feel very fortunate to have the resources to support CAFB programs.
Hester Weigand began her involvement with the Food Bank years ago when she chaperoned her daughter's third grade class trip to the Food Bank to volunteer. She recalls packaging carrots and boxing food with her daughter. Then, ten years ago, she teamed-up with ClayWays Pottery Studio & Gallery, which hosts the Austin Empty Bowl Project, where bowls created and painted by local potters and painters are purchased to benefit the Food Bank.
As a potter, Hester was naturally interested in this worthy cause. In her first year with the project, she created and contributed ten bowls to be sold in the fundraiser. Each year, her involvement grew, and today she is key in planning and running the event. When asked why she volunteers her time and her art, she explained that it is a lot work but a lot of fun, and, most importantly, she said:
"If you are hungry, you most likely won't be able to fulfill your potential. For our world to work it seems we need everyone working together at their best. We get to throw a huge party every year, invite hundreds of people, enjoy great food and music, have a blast, and make a positive difference in the lives of several hundred other people. What's not to love? And, the group of volunteers that pulls together to make this happen is awesome."
Hester believes in community and knows that a group of individuals can come together and make a valuable impact on hunger. 1 in 4 children in Texas are hungry or food insecure. Hester understands the meaning of this reality. "The number of children who are hungry [has a] tremendous societal cost," she said. "Not only are these children hungry, but they aren't learning [and] growing as they should and they will grow up more likely to have physical, emotional, and educational shortcomings."
While she spends a great deal of time collecting celebrity signatures on bowls to be auctioned at the Empty Bowl Project, gathering groups to give back by painting bowls and talking local chefs into donating soup for the project, she always has a little something else to give. Whether it’s a box of food from her pantry, a cell phone for Ink Out Hunger, or a visit with Food Bank staff to ask us how things are going, she is present in the mission to end hunger. Hester is a tremendous asset to the Food Bank. Her work continues to reach community members and educate people about hunger in Central Texas. Her commitment is one that is both genuine and necessary, and the Food Bank is grateful for her fervent support.
By "spreading love and humanity to beings who suffer unnecessarily," A Glimmer of Hope Foundation supports community organizations' operating programs that raise self-esteem, offer positive choices and develop life skills. Since 2003, young people in Austin have benefited from A Glimmer of Hope's generous giving, and now, the Capital Area Food Bank's Kids Cafe program will benefit as well.
This February, A Glimmer of Hope Foundation granted the Food Bank $25,000 in support of the Kids Cafe sites at Montopolis Recreation Center and the Boys and Girls Club at Pearce Middle School. Kids Cafe serves as a direct partnership between the Food Bank and existing after-school programs that address the holistic needs of children. The Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) currently operates 30 Kids Cafes in Central Texas, serving more than 25,000 meals to more than 2,800 children in need per month.
"We welcome you into the family," David Porter, Executive Director of AGOH said. "Our support goes deeper than just the grant awarded. It's the beginning of an authentic working relationship. Together we can make a difference in Austin, and we look forward to doing that with you."
This "family" to which Porter refers began in 1985 when Donna Berber, the foundation's co-founder, attended the Live Aid concert in London which brought light to famine in Ethiopia. This is where Donna met her husband, Phillip Berber, and they began their journey to make a difference in the world. In 2000, the Berbers sold their online trading company for a substantial profit and took the proceeds of the sale to create A Glimmer of Hope Foundation.
Initially, the Berbers focused on international work in Ethiopia. However, they grew their foundation to support inner-city programs in both London and Austin. In 2003, A Glimmer of Hope's Austin operation began with the mission of making a "significant difference in the lives of at-risk youth in economically disadvantaged parts of the city." Since its inception, A Glimmer of Hope's Austin office has funded 60 projects in East and South Austin spanning every subject area from arts to sports to literacy.
Seeking to do more work in East Austin, the Kids Cafe at Montopolis Recreation Center and the Boys and Girls Club at Pearce Middle School appealed to A Glimmer of Hope because of their North and Central East locations.
"Neighborhoods in East Austin are the ones most affected by economic disparities, and we want to ensure that kids have enough to eat in those areas. Our partnership with the Food Bank will help meet those needs," Porter said.
Indeed, it is the mission of the Food Bank’s Kids Cafe to provide meals to children in low-income neighborhoods who do not receive well-balanced meals because their caregivers work late hours or cannot afford nutritious food. And, the Food Bank could not fulfill this mission without the help of A Glimmer of Hope and their commitment of partnership and family. The Capital Area Food Bank gladly joins in their mission and their family to ultimately see kids supported, fed and nourished.
Racheal Banda, Communications Intern
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At the Food Bank, an internship is more than just a job; it's a learning experience that allows students to explore possibilities and give back to their community.
Racheal Banda, a Graphic Design senior at St. Edward's University, spent her fall semester with the Food Bank's Communications Department developing a promotional video.
"The goal of this project is to give people a sort of inside look into CAFB so that they can really feel like an important part of the Food Bank every time they donate," said Racheal. "I hope it will be both entertaining and informational."
Racheal's project combined her passion for video production with her desire to intern with an organization that shares her commitment for serving others, particularly through hunger relief.
As a regular volunteer at her church food pantry and Food Bank Partner Agency Heaven's Harvest, Racheal was familiar with the challenges of hunger and food insecurity. Her first encounter with the Food Bank was to help Heaven's Harvest food pantry volunteers pick up an order. Since then, she worked in the Food Bank's product recovery area helping to clean and sort donated food.
"When I learned that there was an internship available I was immediately drawn to the opportunity. I had already made preliminary plans for working at a different site, but I changed my plans in order to take advantage of the opportunity of working for a well-established agency that was founded on attitudes and values that matched my own," Racheal said.
Through her internship experience, Racheal enjoyed a closer connection to the Food Bank's mission. "The video project I am working on for CAFB is especially exciting to me because I am confident that people will not only learn new things about the Food Bank through it, but that they will also be compelled to help. By working with Heaven's Harvest and CAFB both, I am able to see the complete process – from what goes on at CAFB to how it affects and reaches the people," she said.
After graduating in 2007 Summa Cum Laude, Racheal plans on working toward her doctorate in Educational Administration. Her work with teenagers and children at her church inspired her long-term goal to begin a school in the North Austin Community. "Nearly all of the children I come into contact with receive assistance from Heaven's Harvest and have many physical needs. Those physical needs greatly affect children's learning, and I want to create a school where those needs are understood and addressed while academics are being taught so that students have a better chance for success."
When she's not in the director's chair or volunteering, Racheal enjoys playing the piano, teaching music, baking, and sharing a meal with her parents, sister and two brothers.
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CAFB Partner Agency of the Year, Haynie Chapel United Methodist Church in Del Valle, has a purely volunteer-run food pantry, that provides more than a meal to families each week. They also provide a personal connection to caring, loving people in true service. Born from an idea in a disciple Bible study class, the Haynie Chapel food pantry serves families in need while providing a meaningful opportunity for church members to put their faith into action. CAFB interviewed David and Victoria Rogers from Haynie Chapel.
CAFB: How did you get started?
Haynie Chapel: We saw and recognized the enormous need in our Southeast area and found people dedicated to helping us. Plus, the Food Bank staff was an invaluable resource to get started. We continue to learn as we grow. We attend various workshops, volunteer at other food pantries, and get great ideas from others.
CAFB: How do you inspire and recruit volunteers?
Haynie Chapel: Since we started, we have never had a shortage of volunteers. We have folks who do ordering, others pick-up and do shop-for's, and we have one dedicated volunteer who maintains our bank account. We share and discuss all our efforts by meeting weekly after the distribution and making appropriate improvements and changes. On Tuesdays, there are volunteers responsible for the various tasks including sign-up, bagging, cleaning, making coffee, bringing cookies (that's very important, truly), carrying the groceries… and our Pastor comes weekly and ministers as only Pastors can. We post our call for volunteers in the church bulletin and in the church newsletter, which also includes statistics about our services. We ask our congregation to pray and uphold our ministry. We also hold a yearly volunteer appreciation and hand out certificates signed personally by our Pastor.
CAFB: How do you raise funds?
Haynie Chapel: We have a money "cow" pinata in the church narthex for donations, as well as a barrel for food donations. We also ask for specifics from the congregation. For instance, we'll ask for aluminum pans for Thanksgiving turkeys. We also have volunteers that have faithfully given donations to get us started and to maintain this important ministry. We're also currently getting funds from the United Methodist Foundation. We conduct youth scavenger hunts in the neighborhood for specific canned goods and clothing. We also get clothes and toys from several other non-profits during the holidays. Whatever the need, it's always been supplied. Some may laugh -- we have never run out of food, we always have just enough for everyone. The last one to walk through the door has never walked out empty handed. It's phenomenal. None of us could have believed the miracles that we've seen take place. We're awestruck every week, and that may be another reason we never run short of volunteers! (make this a call-out quote)
CAFB: What's the most rewarding part?
Haynie Chapel: As we strive to help each person live a better, well-fed existence, and we continue to serve them, we become vested in their lives and their daily struggles. Each of the volunteers gives of themselves to help whoever walks into our Food Pantry. Why, I don't know, I just know in my heart that's a fact. Seeing and hearing the successes personally touches our very souls. That's a reward that we'll treasure always. On the front line, we get the privilege of seeing not just the tragedy of it all, but also the wins. Whenever someone gets a job, or however small their joy, we get to share in that, it's awesome. Only God would have created us to be so connected, and to God be all glory and honor, here on Earth as in Heaven, that's the ultimate and only real reward, that we love as God loved, giving of ourselves and learning to be like Jesus, each step of the way, being present in each other's lives and reaching out, for no other reason than out of love for one another.
CAFB: What advice do you have for an individual or church group looking to get started?
Haynie Chapel: Call us, email us, come visit us. We have start-up information we're glad to share. Plus, of course, they should contact the Food Bank. We're so blessed to have this resource in our community! Take advantage of it!
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Miguel Barthe's life was already in transition, with a pending move to Houston. Then Hurricane Katrina hit. Concerned about his mother and sister who decided to ride out the storm, and torn about leaving his home of New Orleans, he headed for shelter in Austin. "I did not, myself, decide to come here," said Miguel. "Someone much higher than this Earth brought me here." Shortly after arriving at the temporary shelter in the Austin Convention Center, Miguel and two friends from home found an opportunity through Goodwill to join the Food Bank as Warehouse Assistants. In Miguel's time of great need, the job was a blessing in more ways than one.
"Just knowing that there are people willing to help others that are less fortunate means the world to me," he said. "The people at the Food Bank are wonderful, and they're willing to help others, which makes mine the greatest job in the world."
As the end of Miguel's Goodwill assignment approached, the Food Bank operations management team made him an offer: Join the staff as a full-time employee. He'd grown to love his new home city and the Food Bank, so he accepted.
Just over a year since the storm, Miguel gives this advice to fellow Katrina evacuees: "Stick together, work together, pray together. And thank God and the beautiful people of Texas and our country that you are still alive and can make a difference." Miguel's plans for the future? "To live my life and, with God's help, continue to help humanity as much as I possibly can."
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A passion for recycling and "using old stuff in new ways" led Wanda Mills to the Food Bank. Shortly after retiring three years ago, Wanda began coordinating the "Ink Out Hunger" program, encouraging local companies, faith-based organizations, schools, and others to recycle their used printer cartridges. Megabyte Express refills and resells the cartridges, and the Food Bank gets cash in return.
"It's something I can put my heart and soul into," she said. "I have two grandsons, and I don't want these cartridges going to landfills."
Wanda's also active as a Food Bank Ambassador, greeting folks at the Food Bank tent most Saturdays at the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market, collecting donations and sharing the Food Bank's message. "I like it when a little kid donates a dollar and I can engage them in a multiplication lesson," said Wanda. "Sometimes I tell them that their one-dollar donation just provided lunch for a family of five."
Wanda says she feels connected to the Food Bank's mission when she sees the "Ink Out Hunger" checks come in. "I multiply the number by five and think 'I had a hand in raising that many meals!'" And she said she recognizes that it's through efficiency and the use of thousands of volunteers that CAFB is able to keep administrative costs down and stretch every dollar to five meals. "The Food Bank addresses an overwhelming need," she said.
A call to others to volunteer is part of Wanda's passion. "If you're fortunate enough to not go to bed hungry, then you need to find a way to help. There's always a way. You just do what's important."
To send a message to Wanda, email: inkouthunger@secondharvest.org
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Laura Estes | |
Laura Estes is a food expert. Director of retail operations for H-E-B in the Central Texas Region, she brings her knowledge about the food industry to her work with the Capital Area Food Bank, where she has sat on the board of directors for six years.
Laura, a veteran of more than two decades at H-E-B, first encountered the Food Bank back in the 1990s thanks to its long-standing partnership with the retailer. After working with many Food Bank members over the years, Laura was asked to serve on the board.
For her, it's a labor of love. "H-E-B has a line in our mission statement that says 'each and every person counts,'" she says. "In working with the people of the Food Bank, it's obvious that they believe this too."
Laura remembers three Food Bank experiences in particular: the grand opening of the Kids Cafe at Becker Elementary School, a shift working at Fresh Food for Families at Church Food Pantry, providing produce and more to recipients; and the food drive held for the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the fall of 2005.
"From a business point of view, ensuring food security is vital. Businesses thrive when the community and their workers are healthy and happy," she says. "Businesspeople should care greatly about the needs of our community, and I'm so glad that H-E-B and I can work with the Food Bank to help make this a reality."
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Following in her community-minded parents’ footsteps, Carole Goff is one of a key group of individuals who make an extra commitment to the Food Bank by accepting additional responsibilities. As a “CAFB Volunteer Leader” for the past four years, Carole trains and oversees individuals and groups in the Product Recovery area and represents the Food Bank at community festivals, events and information fairs.
But the work itself isn’t all she says she gets out it. “I learned that 41,000 children in Travis County are confronted with food insecurity every day,” said Carole. “Volunteering at the Food banks helps me better understand the issue of hunger in our community and what we can all do about it.”
Last September, the Food Bank saw thousands of first-time volunteers, and Carole was there to greet, train and encourage many of them. “One of the most interesting and rewarding experiences for me was the Food Bank’s response to Hurricane Katrina,” said Carole. “What a team effort!”
Carole encourages others to join her in volunteering. “I leave the Food Bank with a positive attitude and feel good about myself,” she said. “I always look forward to my next day as a volunteer.”
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Keeping the shelves of LACare stocked with healthy, nutritious foods is a challenge. "We have a lot more clients than we did just two years ago," said Lottie McCorkle, Office Manager at LACare, a Burnet food pantry providing emergency food, prescription assistance and weekly nutrition classes. "And it's taking more and more money to meet their needs."
Helping needy residents through hard times is their top priority, and the meats and staple foods they receive from the Capital Area Food Bank every other week help complete the healthy meals they provide. "
If we didn't get food from the Food Bank, we'd have to buy it at the local grocery store at regular prices," said Lottie. "We also have a patient assistance program and a nutrition education program, so we simply couldn't afford to do that."
For 21 years, LACare has served Burnet's older residents, young families and transients. Their needs extend beyond food, and including medication, clothing and help with paying gas and electric bills. Lottie says although LACare would like to help residents with all their needs, they can only focus on a few for now. With the ever-increasing need, like most food pantries, they rely heavily on dedicated volunteers.
More than 60 community members help bring in food deliveries, transport groceries, work the front desk and fill orders. "They are always willing to help and without them we couldn't keep this place running," said Lottie. It's the "little miracles" that keep Lottie running. She told us of a particular client they recently helped through hard times. "One day, he just walked in with a big bag of groceries," she said. "He wanted to help others just as we helped him."
 Nora Barrientos | Dental Clinic Manager Manos de Cristo |
Nora first came to CAFB Partner Agency, Manos de Cristo as a client. She and her family moved from
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She and her family made the daily decision of whether to buy food or pay bills. Soon after moving here, Nora heard a radio advertisement for ESL classes at Manos de Cristo. Days after starting the class, she asked to volunteer, and soon after, approached the Executive Director for a full-time job in the clinic. She was hired as Dental Clinic Manager.
“I help people every day,” she said. “And the stories they tell make you cry. But those stories also make me appreciate what I have.”
At the agency, Nora refers clients to the food pantry, orders supplies, helps hire staff, and assists with other day-to-day duties. “It’s impossible to take care of everyone, but I get such satisfaction out of working here,” she said.
Does Nora still worry about having enough food? “No,” she said. “And, I’m very conscious of making sure I save to provide for my daughter so she doesn’t have to either.”
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