29,400 Pounds of Food - Behind the Scenes

Number of Folks Helping Out Today: Accomplished: Idaho Hunger Fact of the Week:

A few weeks ago , (see post May 7,2010) we spent most of our time making up boxes for the impending Postal Workers Food Drives . The Journal reported the result on May 22. Here's the report. It's nice to know that our efforts helped facilitate this successful drive!

Making up Boxes for the Postal Workers Food Drive

POSTAL WORKERS DRIVE COLLECTS 29,400 POUNDS OF FOOD FOR LOCAL GROUPS POCATELLO — On May 8, the postal workers put on their annual food drive.   Food was picked up all over the Pocatello and taken to the Idaho Foodbank on South First Avenue, where it was sorted, boxed, and placed on pallets.
   Fourteen pallets were filled and more than 29,400 pounds of food were collected.
   This food was distributed among organizations such as The Salvation Army, Southeast Idaho Community Action Agency, Aid for Friends, and St. Vincent de Paul.
   Food that was collected goes toward feeding those in need through soup kitchens, food boxes, and food for the shelter.
   Much appreciation to those that donated food to these organizations, who are working to stamp out hunger in the area. 

Another successful GAP Friday!

Number of Folks Helping Out Today: 2
Accomplished: Friday GAP delivery weighed, sorted and boxed 
Idaho Hunger Fact of the Week: The foodbank was recently  awarded  a 4 star rating from  Charity Navigator, America's premier charity evaluator, for sound fiscal management.  Forbes, Business Week, and Kiplinger's Financial Magazine, among others, have profiled and celebrated  their unique method of applying data-driven analysis to the charitable sector. Only 25% of the organizations they evaluate get this rating!  See more about the announcement here...

This is an example of some  bakery  items delivered to the foodbank via the GAP program. (see Post dated May 16, 2010). It looks good, for the most part. What isn't, we  discard. Today we spent our time sorting and boxing donated deliveries from the local grocery stores. 

This is some folks from the Fort Hall Assembly of God Church loading up to stock their pantry. They operate a pantry which is open one Saturday a month. They are also open whenever they have church services, Today they picked up boxes of canned goods as well some fresh and frozen items.

A year ago this would have been going into a dumpster....

Number of Folks Helping Out Today: 1
Accomplished: Sorting and re-packing GAP deliveries
Idaho Hunger Fact of the Week:The following cities are serviced by th Foodbank's Pocatello Warehouse: Aberdeen, American Falls, Arco, Blackfoot, Challis, Chubbuck, Downey , Driggs, IdahoFalls, Lemhi, Mackay, Oneida, Pocatello, Preston, Ririe, Roberts, Salmon, Shelley, Soda Springs, St. Anthony

Boxes and Crates of Food From Grocery Stores
As we weighed, sorted and re-packed the truck load of fresh meat, eggs, dairy, eggs, produce and bakery goods, the food looked amazing. Items included chicken, top quality steaks, hamburger, sausage, organic milk, name brand yogurt, orange juice, cauliflower, mushrooms, peppers (not just green but red, yellow and orange), as well as countless bread, rolls, cakes, doughnuts and other assorted bakery items. All of which I would personally use and serve my family. A year ago this would have been destined for the dumpster. But thanks to GAP,the Grocery Alliance Program, implemented by the Idaho Foodbank in the last year, this food was on the way to local pantries and food distribution centers throughout southeast Idaho.

The Gap program, was recently described in the January newsletter published by the Foodbank. "Gap is a partnership that currently includes the Foodbank, Albertsons, Walmart, and Costco. As food approaches its sell-by date, the stores' managers designate what they want to donate, and the Foodbank picks it up. This keeps the store from having to pay disposal costs, and the Foodbank provides each store with a donation receipt that can be used for tax purposes. Most importantly, the food goes to hungry Idaho families. This is high-quality nutritious food, and the Foodbank distributes it to its partner agencies within 48 hours of receiving it to ensure its quality remains high . Fresh, perishable food is in high demand, especially high-protein items such as meat. These generous donations enable the  Foodbank to provide more well-rounded and healthy choices to hungry Idaho families
 
The GAP deliveries are made to the food bank every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and must be quickly processed. All the food is weighed by store so they can get the tax credit. Then it is repackaged for distribution to the partner agencies. Meats first, which are quickly taken to the freezer. Then dairy and eggs, which is placed in dairy crates and carted off to the refrigerator. Next comes the fruits and vegetables, also packaged and refrigerated. Lastly bakery goods are packages and then frozen to keep as fresh as possible.

 Re- packing GAP donations

The Community Breakfast

Number of Folks Helping Out Today: 4
Accomplished: Lots of Boxes Taped, 1 pallet (45 boxes)  of bread packaged, Meat, Dairy, Eggs, Produce packages
Idaho Hunger Fact of the Week: The Pocatello Food Bank serves 52 Partner Agencies throughout Southeastern Idaho

Idaho Food Bank Partner Agency - First United Methodist Church

On the 2nd & last Sunday of each month, from  7:30am-10:00am, the First United Methodist Church holds a community breakfast. All are invited. They even send a van around to pick up folks who want to attend but don't have transportation to get there. Today, while we were working, two ladies came to pick up food for the breakfast: eggs, milk, juice, bread, bacon and today three flats of strawberries!  The ladies said others in the church cook up a few breakfast casseroles, serve it with bacon or sausage, juice, milk, coffee and various breads and donuts and pastries.  They supplement what the food bank can't provide.  This is just one example of where the food from the food bank goes.

Strawberries!

 













Bread & Pastries.

Postal Service Food Drive  
Tomorrow, the Postal Service is sponsoring a food drive.  The food they pickup will  be delivered to the food bank. sorted an packaged and then delivered to the partner agencies. The food bank, while not a recipient of the donated food, none the less is lending a hand to coordinate the effort, providing it's facility, know how and resources.  Our group helped out by taping hundreds of boxes in preparation for the food coming in tomorrow.


  Boxes stacked up ready for food drive











Packing Bread!