Table Talk from The Food Bank

July 2017

Summer lunch includes fresh produce

Columbia families with children are receiving extra fresh produce this summer thanks to a $20,000 grant from Conagra.

The funding is providing bags full of fresh fruits and vegetables weekly to children who participate in the Summer Food 4 Kids program, which provides healthy lunches at no charge to those 18 and under. This year, Summer Food 4 Kids is being held at five sites in Columbia, as well as locations in Jefferson City and Kirksville.

The grant funding also allows The Food Bank to provide $5 vouchers to be used to redeem fresh produce at the Columbia Farmer's Market and a second $5 voucher to be used at any Hyvee, Gerbes or Moser's location in Columbia.

"Summer is a tough time for a lot of families with children who rely on free or reduced-price lunch at school," said Lindsay Young Lopez, executive director. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to get more fresh vegetables and fruits into their households. The Conagra Brands Foundation’s Hunger-Free Summer grant allows us to support more families in the Columbia community during the summer months by helping to ensure that children have access to healthy meals."

The Summer Food 4 Kids program in Columbia runs through Aug. 11. Click here for a list of locations in Boone County.

Help The Food Bank Feed Children This Summer

And enjoy a meal at Potbelly Sandwich Shop's new Columbia location

Potbelly Sandwich Shop is celebrating the opening of its new location in Columbia with a fundraiser for The Food Bank!

What: Enjoy a sandwich, chips and a drink for a $6 donation to The Food Bank. This Oven Warming event allows Potbelly staff to train prior to the shop's grand opening while also giving back to the community.

When: 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

and 5:30 - 8 p.m. Monday, July 24

Where: Potbelly Sandwich Shop
2500 Broadway Bluffs Dr Suite 102

Come and donate on the day of the event or reserve your meal in advance using the button below.

Donate/Reserve Your Meal

Donor Spotlight

A Boonville graduate recently raised $402 for the Buddy Pack program there after hosting a youth basketball camp and using the experience for his senior class project.

Alec Adair said he selected hunger as his project topic because he recalled volunteering for the Buddy Pack Program when he was in middle school. After helping assemble them, he had the opportunity to distribute the packs to elementary school children.

“You don’t think about hunger being a problem in Boonville,” he said. “You don’t think about it until you actually see it.”

This spring, Alec hosted a two-day boys and girls basketball camp, charging a $10 entry fee and asking parents for donations.

Then, he presented the project to his college preparatory English class.

“I presented to the class, but I didn’t ask for donations,” he said. “My teacher did, and $200 flew out of pockets. I was not expecting that. That was awesome, getting it from high school students. It restored my faith in humanity.”

Alec is now headed to Central Methodist University in Fayette, where he is considering a career in education, coaching or communications.

“I like working with people,” he said.

And he also plans to continue philanthropic efforts. “This was an awesome experience.”

Make a Donation

Staff Spotlight

When basic needs such as food are met, people can move on to accomplish other things.

That is the premise of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and a philosophy Eric Maly brings to the position of director of programs at The Food Bank. The position replaces that of associate director, vacated when Bobbie Kincade retired last month.

Maly comes to The Food Bank from The Heartland Alliance in Chicago, where he spent nearly 20 years helping immigrant and deaf youth.

“Dealing with difficult situations with youth, you learn that every behavior is communication of an unmet need,” he said. “You have to make sure those basic needs are met.”

At The Food Bank, Maly says his first priority is to get to know agencies and clients across our 32-county service area. “My goal is to build connections with the communities we serve,” he said. “Face-to-face contact is important.”

Maly’s first day at The Food Bank was July 3 and was especially exciting as he and Heather Akin welcomed their third child—daughter Willa—that night.

We ask our partner agencies to provide testimonials from their clients.

This story comes from Linda Price at Soup & More Community Kitchen in Benton County:

It was rewarding to see the joy of a first time visit from a family that had recently lost everything in a home fire. They were definitely hungry and grateful we were there.

From Pastor Dan Duckworth at Visions Unlimited in Miller County:

A family came through and the mother made the statement that she had never been hungry before and she was happy we were available for her family.

From Julie Jacobs at Versailles Nutrition Site and Westide Senior Center in Morgan County:

We are so thankful for the variety of food choices that we can send to the home bound participants. We have many food items we can use on the daily serving line.

Linda Lagergren at Food for Morgan County shared the following:

Many of our recipients share their time by helping with the distribution each month. They also give back by bringing other families with them or by delivering food to friends or neighbors. This month, one of our recipients shared a token of her appreciation with a volunteer. The recipient's husband had made a cup holder as part of his therapy. She wanted to pass it on as her way of helping those who had helped her.

Volunteer Spotlight

Roberta Norman, center, was named Volunteer of the Month in June. Since she began volunteering in August 2015, Roberta has logged more than 360 hours in the Volunteer Room and has assisted at special events such as Kids Helping Kids Day.

Kids Helping Kids Day is Aug. 26

Mark your calendars for the next Kids Helping Kids Day! This event allows children as young as 4 years old to volunteer with us and help neighbors in need. Each shift includes a peek at our Warehouse, which holds 2 million pounds of food, and a visit from Buddy the Backpack, our Buddy Pack mascot.

Morning and afternoon shifts are available. Email Melanie at [email protected] to register.