Remarkable routine - Northern Illinois Food Bank

THE FULL PLATE F E E D I N G

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IN THIS ISSUE

Remarkable routine Go behind the scenes at a soup kitchen that provides a daily meal

Starting the day off right Milk2MyPlate Program’s impact continues to grow

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Summer 2015

Beat the heat by volunteering

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ummer is almost here, and like everyone, I can’t help my mind from wandering to thoughts of vacation and spending time in the sunshine. At the same time, it’s important to remember hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Our neighbors in need rely on food from Northern Illinois Food Bank throughout the year, which means we need volunteers to help sort and repack all of the donations that come in over the summer months. I invite you to take a break from the heat this summer and join us at any of our three

centers in Geneva, Park City and Rockford. The satisfaction that comes from helping provide meals to our hungry neighbors is enough to brighten anyone’s day, no matter the time of year. Volunteer opportunities are available for groups of all sizes and children age eight and older when accompanied by an adult. Spending a morning, afternoon or evening at the Food Bank can be the perfect option for parents looking for a fun activity with their kids during the dog days of summer, or for a group of co-workers looking to get out of the office for a unique team-building opportunity. The best part is knowing your time spent will help a child who doesn’t have enough to eat during the summer when school lunch programs are not available, or a hungry neighbor who is struggling to make ends meet and provide food for his or her family. My office at our West Suburban Center in Geneva looks out over our volunteer hall, and seeing groups of volunteers selflessly donating their time gives me a daily reminder of just how much support we have in our mission of solving hunger. Last year, more than 23,000 volunteers donated 123,000 hours by volunteering at the Food Bank. These numbers are incredible, but we know that if we’re going

to reach our goal of distributing 75 million meals by the year 2020, we’re going to need even more support. Help us get even more food to our hungry neighbors by spreading the word among your friends and family about the volunteer opportunities at the Food Bank. Beyond sorting and packing food, we also have a new skills-based volunteer program for people who want to share their talents, and we are always in need of volunteers to help out at events. Learn more and sign up today at www.SolveHungerToday.org/volunteer. Volunteers truly are the lifeblood of our organization. Without their generous support, our work would be impossible, and hungry neighbors would not be able to rely on the nutritious food we provide throughout the year. Many thanks to all of our volunteers and supporters, and best wishes to everyone for a summer filled with happiness. We hope you’ll visit us soon. Warmly,

Julie Yurko, president and CEO

Trish’s Story

Food pantry makes a difference Trish (left) gets a hug from a volunteer during a recent visit to The Chapel of Lake County's Community Care Center.

F Calling all gardeners!

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s you prepare your vegetable garden this season, consider planting a row to donate to hungry neighbors. Fresh produce is always needed at community food pantries and feeding programs. You can drop off donations at any of the Food Bank’s three centers in Geneva, Park City and Rockford, or contact your local food pantry to schedule a drop off. To find a food pantry or feeding program in your area, visit www.SolveHungerToday.org/local

o r Trish, visiting The Chapel of Lake County’s Community Care Center in Grayslake is making a real difference as she and her husband try to make ends meet. “I can’t tell you the last time I spent more than $10 or $20 at the grocery store,” Trish said. “I used to spend a shopping cart full, but since I’ve been coming here I’m not having to choose between having food or paying a bill.” Trish and her husband both work, putting their household among the 77 percent that seek food assistance from Northern Illinois Food Bank and have a member that has worked in the past 12 months. In Trish’s case, she lost her job as a caretaker last year but was able to find part-time work at a local retailer. While she likes her new job, it only pays minimum wage. “We just can’t pay the bills,” Trish said.

“No matter how we cut expenses, we can’t make it anymore.” This reality is what prompted Trish to start making the trip twice a month from her home in Mundelein to The Community Care Center, which features a clothes closet and other resources in addition to the food pantry. “I’ve never felt embarrassed coming here,” Trish said. “The people here are really wonderful. I also like the variety of food. The meats are especially important to me because that’s the hardest thing to afford.” Maintaining a healthy diet is a main priority for Trish and her husband, who has undergone bypass surgery. However, even with food assistance, medical costs remain a burden for the couple, putting them among the 62 percent of households who visit the Food Bank’s network members and report

having to choose between paying for food and medicine. “I don’t go to the regular doctor because of the expense,” said Trish. “I only see my specialist because I have to in order to get my medicine.” For Trish, visiting the food pantry brings to mind fond memories of volunteering at Northern Illinois Food Bank’s previous West Suburban Center in St. Charles on several occasions a few years ago. While her circumstances have changed, she is grateful for the support from the Food Bank she finds through her local pantry. “I’m blessed,” Trish said. “And having been on the other side and volunteering at the Food Bank, I know what goes into this. Receiving food has made me want to go back and volunteer.”

EVERY $1 DONATED PROVIDES $8 WORTH OF GROCERIES FOR A NEIGHBOR IN NEED LIKE TRISH. To donate, visit www.SolveHungerToday.org or return your donation in the envelope provided in this newsletter. THE F ULL P L ATE

www.SolveHungerToday.org

Milk2MyPlate

According to the Hunger In America 2014 study, 37 percent of people who seek food assistance from food pantries and feeding programs in Northern Illinois Food Bank’s network report having to choose between paying for food and paying for education in the past 12 months.

Starting the day off right

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Hunger on campus

Helping college students in need

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s an employee in the Career Services Department at Northern Illinois University, Kathy Zuidema noticed how adept college students are at volunteering, fundraising and holding food drives for the DeKalb community at large. At the same time, Kathy recognized food insecurity as a serious issue for a number of students on campus. “I talked to students who said they would ride their bike six miles in the snow to get food from one of the food pantries in the community,” Kathy said. “My thinking was that some of this food being donated should probably stay on campus for students in need. That’s when I came up with the idea of starting a little food pantry.” Fast forward to the present and Huskies Student Food Pantry is fresh off celebrating its one-year anniversary in March. Open the first and third Thursday of every month, the pantry served more than 830 students at its location at Grace Place Campus Ministries during its first year of operation.

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The mission of Huskies Student Food Pantry is to provide emergency food to NIU students in times of need. This can be on one occasion because a student encountered an unforeseen expense, or on a more regular basis for students struggling to make ends meet. Stephen is a junior majoring in communications at NIU who hopes to one day work in sports broadcasting. He visited Huskies Student Food Pantry on its first distribution and never stopped coming back. Stephen has a part-time job but last spring found himself struggling to afford food, and he knew there were limits to the financial support he could expect from his parents. “There were some days where I had to stretch my meals,” Stephen said. “There were mornings I wouldn’t eat and try to make it all the way to dinner. I was finally able to get meals

situated by coming to the food pantry, and this helps me get through the day. I’m able to stock up on food like cereal, soup and bread.” Kathy says many of the students who visit the pantry work, and they are sometimes juggling two or three jobs in addition to their studies. She primarily sees undergraduates living in their own apartments coming to use the pantry. International students are frequent visitors as well, and Kathy has a goal of reaching out to students who are single parents or served in the military. “We’ve talked to a student who was eating plain rice all week long, and we talked to a student who just drank water to fill his stomach,” said Kathy, who serves as the Huskies Student Food Pantry coordinator. “That’s not what college is all about. We say you have to hunger for knowledge, not literally be hungry.” While college food pantries are popping up on campuses across the state and country, Huskies Student Food Pantry is the only college food pantry in Northern Illinois Food Bank’s network. “We get a lot of support from the NIU community and churches around the area,” Kathy said. “This is really rewarding work, but I couldn’t do it without Northern Illinois Food Bank.”

ne gallon of milk might not seem like much, but for Anna, the gallon she receives during each of her two monthly visits to Kendall County Food Pantry is vital. Last fall Anna became a foster parent for Dylan, a 5-year-old boy she began caring for in Yorkville. With an extra mouth to feed, Anna began turning to her local food pantry as a way to offset increased food expenses she was struggling to afford. “Every day we start off with milk and cereal I get from the food pantry, and that starts off Dylan’s whole day,” Anna said. “It gives him a healthy start so he can go off and at least not be behind the eight ball when he gets to school.” Anna receives milk through Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Milk2MyPlate Program, which provides hungry neighbors with the calcium, Vitamin D and other essential nutrients found in milk. Kendall County Food Pantry is one of 34 community food pantries in the Food Bank’s network participating in Milk2MyPlate. More than 11,000 gallons of milk are delivered each month through the program, representing a big jump from the 1,300 gallons distributed among six food pantries when Milk2MyPlate began in 2012. “When this program became available for us, it was kind of a no-brainer,” said Maria Spaeth, Kendall County Food Pantry executive director. “We always speak about how important that first meal of the day is, especially for kids, and breakfast is not as good for them without the milk. Kids need this nutrient-dense product for growth.” Cost is a barrier that often keeps hungry neighbors and food pantries from purchasing fresh milk, and donations have traditionally been hard to come by because

milk is heavily regulated and has a short shelf life. To overcome these challenges, Northern Illinois Food Bank forged a partnership with Prairie Farms Dairy - Rockford Division to directly deliver a weekly supply of fresh milk to participating food pantries. The Milk2MyPlate program allows hungry neighbors to take home milk that is as fresh, or fresher, than what would be found in the store. The Food Bank subsidizes a portion of the wholesale cost of milk for the food pantries. Kendall County Food Pantry started its own initiative called Project Get Milk to help fund its portion of the cost, and last year the pantry raised enough money to support its current weekly allotment of 140 gallons within eight minutes after showing a lighthearted video about the program at its annual fundraiser. With more than 300 people visiting Kendall County Food Pantry every week, the pantry only distributes milk to families with children and seniors. Maria hopes to double the pantry’s milk distribution soon, and she is confident this can happen since milk is a need that resonates with donors. “I haven’t had an issue with people understanding the need or the importance,” Maria said. “Our goal is to be able to provide milk to every person, every time.”

Milk2MyPlate garners national recognition

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he Midwest Dairy Council nominated Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Milk2MyPlate Program for consideration for a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award, which recognizes dairy farms and businesses for practices that deliver outstanding economic, environmental and/or social benefit. The Milk2MyPlate Program earned an honorable mention in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Community Partnerships. Representatives from the Food Bank attended an awards ceremony on May 7 in Washington D.C. as part of the Innovation Center’s Sustainability Council meeting.

JUNE IS NATIONAL DAIRY MONTH. To make a donation to Northern Illinois Food Bank’s

Milk2MyPlate Program and help the Food Bank subsidize a portion of the cost of milk for participating food pantries, contact Hester Bury at 630-443-6910 ext. 124 or [email protected].


Remarkable Routine

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¾This is an abridged version of an article written by our communications manager, Erik Jacobsen. View the entire article at www.SolveHungerToday.org.

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ith all the incredible work being done on a regular basis across Northern Illinois Food Bank’s network of food pantries and feeding programs, helping hungry neighbors can start to seem routine. Shepherd’s Table soup kitchen in Joliet offers a reminder that routine can be remarkable. Seven days a week, 365 days a year, hungry neighbors from the surrounding community come to Shepherd’s Table to receive a midday meal. We joined kitchen coordinator Gail Flatness on a Friday this spring to get a sense of all that goes into feeding lunch to an average of 100 neighbors in need every day.

¾9 A.M. Sunlight pours into the Shepherd’s Table dining hall through large windows and illuminates brightly painted walls. Last year 1,921 people came to Shepherd’s Table in search of a warm lunchtime meal, many on a regular basis. Shepherd’s Table is located within Daybreak Center's homeless shelter, and both Shepherd’s

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Table and Daybreak Center are operated by Catholic Charities Diocese of Joliet. Gail counts on more than 2,200 volunteers every year to help Shepherd’s Table run smoothly. These volunteers come from a wide range of organizations, including churches, schools and local companies. On this day, a group of volunteers from Hollywood Casino Joliet have stepped up to make the lunchtime meal. One by one the volunteers arrive, wash their hands and get to work preparing an enormous salad to feed 75-100 people. The group is led by Hollywood Casino executive chef Larry Alexander, who makes his way to the basement to survey Daybreak’s food closet. As he scans the shelves, he fixates on a stack of canned salmon Gail received from the Food Bank and begins mapping out the day’s menu. “We’ll make salmon cakes with a little cream sauce to go over it,” Larry says. “We’ll knock out some rice pilaf and green beans to go along with the salad. And I saw chocolate chip cookies upstairs that can be popped in the oven.”

¾9:30 A.M. While preparation continues in the kitchen, Gail is alerted that Northern Illinois Food Bank’s delivery truck has arrived. She meets Food Bank driver Kevin Buckley outside as he unloads four pallets stacked with Gail’s order. Back in the kitchen, Larry has water boiling in 20-gallon pots to cook the rice and canned green beans. Meanwhile, his co-workers from the casino are busy finishing up the salad and emptying salmon from dozens of cans for the main course.

¾10 A.M. Downstairs in the food closet, a group of community service volunteers is stocking shelves with the order that just came in from the Food Bank. In the kitchen, the attention turns to creating salmon patties. Peppers, onion, mustard and mayonnaise are mixed in a big bowl, and one by one the 125 salmon cakes are coated with the mixture and rolled through bread crumbs before being placed on a baking sheet.

“I love doing this because it’s so important to help others,” Larry said. “It’s truly a humbling experience. If it weren’t for the grace of God, it could be me needing a meal.”

¾10:45 A.M. Outside in the dining hall, a small group of people who are staying at Daybreak Center’s shelter are waiting patiently for lunch. One of these hungry neighbors is Mary Ellen, 59, a former public school teacher who lost her job in a round of layoffs. “Lunch is the highlight of the day here for everyone,” Mary Ellen said. “The meals here are really good. There is a lot of variety, and I’m really impressed that with every meal there is a fresh salad.”

¾11:30 A.M. “And we’re off,” says Gail as she and the volunteers open the kitchen windows. Just like that, lunch is ready to be served as the volunteers take their place along the serving counter and one-by-one place salmon cakes, rice, beans, salad and cookies on the plates of

hungry neighbors. Mary Ellen receives her plate and sits with a few other shelter residents, who all say they are enjoying today’s meal. “I’m not a fish lover, but you can tell a little extra care went into this,” she said.

¾NOON While lunch continues to be served inside, another Northern Illinois Food Bank delivery truck pulls up outside. This time the driver is Tom Aguirre, who covers a retail recovery route in Will County by picking up food donations from seven local grocery stores. “We hit the mother lode with eggs at one of the stores today,” Tom says as he lowers a pallet from his truck. “Gail is going to be really happy because she says she always needs more eggs.” Back in the dining room, several hungry neighbors return to the kitchen window for seconds. Included in this group is George, who is diabetic and staying at Daybreak Center’s shelter. “The salmon is delicious and the rice is excellent,” George says before explaining how

much he appreciates receiving a healthy meal that includes food that fits his dietary needs.

¾12:30 P.M. With everyone served and the lunch hour winding down, volunteers help clean dishes and mop the kitchen floor. Gail’s thoughts turn to the work she needs to do to coordinate meals for the upcoming weekend, but she spares a moment to reflect on Shepherd’s Kitchen’s impact. “People count on this every day,” said Gail. “It’s always fun to see what the volunteers come up with, and the best part of the job is knowing you are helping somebody. It might just be a meal, but you’re helping somebody.”

1. Chef Larry Alexander plans the day's meal. 2. Volunteers prepare a salad. 3. Kitchen coordinator Gail Flatness. 4. Mary Ellen appreciates the variety of food she receives at Shepherd's Table. 5. Food Bank driver Tom Aguirre makes a retail recovery delivery. 6. Larry prepares the salmon cakes. 7. Volunteers serve lunch. 8. Food Bank driver Kevin Buckley looks over Shepherd's Table's order with a volunteer. 9. Shepherd's Table serves an average of 100 hungry neighbors each day.

www.SolveHungerToday.org www.SolveHungerToday.org

No sc ...n No school... ...no lunch. FEED A CHILD @

Summer Meals


Reaching kids in need during the summer Northern Illinois Food Bank has opportunities for 11 AmeriCorps VISTAs in 2015-16 in community engagement, capacity building, communications, community gardens and senior programming. For information, visit www.nationalservice.gov and search under the programs tab or call Gloria Sanders at 630-443-6910 ext. 147.

AmeriCorps VISTA

Commitment to community service

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hat makes a recent college graduate decide to devote a year of service with Northern Illinois Food Bank as an AmeriCorps VISTA member? For Dylan Mooney, who grew up a few miles from the Food Bank’s West Suburban Center in Geneva in the community of Wayne, the attraction was the opportunity to make an impact close to home while gaining valuable experience at a non-profit organization. “If you talk about non-profits in suburban Chicago, Northern Illinois Food Bank is top tier in terms of the effectiveness of their services and their reputation in the community,” said Dylan, a 23-year-old graduate of Wheaton College. “I figured that if they put as much time and effort into their staff as they do their programs, I would be sure to grow personally and professionally.”

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This fiscal year Northern Illinois Food Bank’s mission of solving hunger is getting a significant boost from eight young professionals who are serving the community as AmeriCorps VISTA members. As part of their one year term of service, the VISTA members are aiding the Food Bank by focusing in the areas of community engagement, capacity building and volunteer development. Joining Dylan as VISTA members serving at the Food Bank this year are: Jennifer Baek of Northbrook, Ill.; Amanda Breitenstein of Crystal Lake, Ill.; Abby Johnson of Dodge City, Kan.; Jennifer Lesh of Elmhurst, Ill.; Joanna Magdelano of Schaumburg, Ill.; Kristen Pruitt of Flowery Branch, Ga.; and Jessica Thuma of Woodstock, Ill. The AmeriCorps VISTA program was founded in 1965 as a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty in America. Northern Illinois Food Bank received a three-year grant to use AmeriCorps VISTA members in 2012, and three former VISTA members have been hired to work full time at the Food Bank after their one-year term. “Our VISTA members come from all walks of life, and their fresh perspective has been really great because they challenge us on some of our programs and processes,” said Jennifer Rippi, Northern Illinois Food Bank’s director of human

resources. “The impact they make internally for the Food Bank has been tremendous.” In his role as a community engagement ambassador, Dylan gives frequent presentations to corporate and community groups, researches and writes grant proposals and manages the Food Bank’s poverty simulation program. He is also working with Lord’s Lambs Ministry in Kankakee County to set up a capital campaign to raise $300,000 that will be used to construct a permanent building for the organization’s food pantry. Dylan was presented with a Governor's Volunteer Service Award on April 20 in Springfield. The statewide awards program is run by the bipartisan, Governor-appointed Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. While Dylan appreciates the individual recognition, he is most proud of the day-to-day work he and his fellow VISTAs are doing at Northern Illinois Food Bank to help solve hunger. “We all have in common the commitment to community service, which is the essence of AmeriCorps and VISTA,” said Dylan, who hopes to continue working in non-profits after his VISTA term ends. “That’s the common thread in our very colorful cloth.”

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sk a kid what their favorite part of summer is, and you’re likely to get this answer: no school. But, no school means no school lunches, which for some kids in northern Illinois means no lunch at all. Tenae, a mother of four from Zion, knows the struggle of providing food during the summer all too well. “In the summertime, the kids are enjoying themselves and I’m happy they’re happy, but I’m looking at the fridge and the cabinets and thinking, ‘Where is the food going?” Tenae said during a visit to Abiding Love Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen in Zion. Thanks to Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Summer Meal Program, families struggling to make ends meet like Tenae’s can find a sense of relief. Through the program, families can get access to breakfast, lunch, and snacks for their children at nearly 100 sites across northern Illinois. Last year alone, the program served 283,894 summer meals to children in need by working with summer youth programs at parks, churches, schools, and other sites throughout the community. The program is expected to continue growing this year, meaning more kids can enjoy their school-free summer with a full tummy. The Summer Meal Program runs from June 1 to Aug. 22, and is still accepting new sites for summer 2015. If your youth program is interested in hosting the Summer Meal Program, please call Tracy Kelsey at 630-443-6910. Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Summer Meal Program is offered in partnership with the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program and administered by the Illinois State Board of Education. To locate a participating Summer Meal Program near you, visit SummerFeedingIllinois.org or call the Food Bank at 630-443-6910.

A Taste That Matters presented by Jewel-Osco

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e look forward to seeing everyone at A Taste That Matters presented by Jewel-Osco on May 21 at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Tickets are still available, so come enjoy tastings from Chicagoland’s best restaurants and celebrity wine makers, The Three Theives. For details, contact Tiffany King at 630-443-6910 ext. 136 or [email protected]. And watch for photos from this year’s event in the next edition of The Full Plate.

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n this issue we feature The Welcome Club of the Fox Valley, a group of wonderful ladies who volunteer every Wednesday at our West Suburban Center by folding, stuffing, sealing and stamping our acknowledgement letters and invitations. In one year, this group sends out more than 50,000 pieces of mail! Answering our questions is Sue Lingle, one of the group’s organizers.

www.Solve How long has The Welcome Club of the Fox Valley been volunteering at Northern Illinois Food Bank? For most of us, it has been somewhere between three and nine years. Ellie Radvanovsky started organizing the group nine years ago and brought all of us together. Why does The Welcome Club of the Fox Valley support the Food Bank? We have the time and energy, and a passion to help. We know that the need for donations to Northern Illinois Food Bank is greater than ever, and we are so happy to give back in a small way by acknowledging and thanking donors. What are your hobbies? We all have many interests and are a very vibrant group. Some of our hobbies are playing Scrabble, Mexican Train, Bunco and Mahjongg. We’re also involved in book clubs and enjoy movies and traveling. What is your favorite Food Bank moment? We really enjoy the volunteer appreciation events, especially the Christmas party. It’s always nice to comingle with Food Bank staff. What is the best advice you ever received? Volunteer whenever you can. What is your favorite part about volunteering at the Food Bank? Being with friends, old and new, and seeing a job done well.


AROUND THE FOOD BANK ®

Our thanks to everyone who joined us in early

More than 1,200 people participated in the Foodie 5K in April at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.

March for an open house at our Northwest Center in Rockford. A special thanks to all who participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the move, including members of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, representatives from food donors DelMonte and Tyson Foods, and representatives from food pantries and feeding programs in the Stateline area.

Foodie

5K

This year nine food trucks are taking part in each Foodie 5K post-race festival.

Thank you

to everyone who participated in the Foodie 5K presented by Meijer at Cantigny Park in Wheaton and Adler Park in Libertyville! Be sure to join us for our next Foodie 5K event Oct. 3 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet. Registration is open at www.SolveHungerToday.org/Foodie5K 10 / 11

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Registration is open for the Foodie 5K on Oct. 3 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.

In recognition of Canned Food Month in February, Ryan Companies US, Inc. created a can sculpture of a bulldozer that was on display in the lobby of our West Suburban Center in Geneva. The sculpture was built with nearly 700 cans in conjunction with a food and fund drive held by Ryan’s Great Lakes region office in Naperville. The campaign raised more than $6,000 and approximately 1,000 pounds of food for hungry neighbors. Ryan Companies constructed our West Suburban Center in 2011, and we are grateful for its continued support of the Food Bank!

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273 DEARBORN COURT GENEVA, ILLINOIS 60134

Upcoming Activities

MAY

See our complete calendar of events at www.SolveHungerToday.org

May 21

A Taste That Matters presented by Jewel-Osco Join Northern Illinois Food Bank and Jewel-Osco for an amazing night of tastes from some of Chicagoland’s finest restaurants at the fourth annual A Taste That Matters. For details, contact Tiffany King at 630-443-6910 ext. 136 or [email protected].

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Location: Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace

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AUGUST 25

SEPTEMBER

(Hunger Action Month) Go Orange Day September 3 Start planning how you will bring awareness to the issue of hunger during Hunger Action Month by wearing orange, holding a food or fund drive or starting a conversation about hunger.

(8:30 A.M. SHOTGUN START)

Reserve your place in our 17th annual golf outing. Enjoy a day on the links and then join us following the round for a 19th Hole Awards Reception in Cantigny Golf Club’s clubhouse. For more information, to register your foursome or become a sponsor, contact Hanah Papp at 630-443-6910 ext. 159 or [email protected].

OCTOBER

Location: Cantigny Golf Club, Wheaton

Join us for the Foodie 5K and post-race festival including gourmet food trucks, entertainment and activities for kids. Learn more at www.SolveHungerToday.org/Foodie5K

Foodie 5K presented by Meijer October 3

Location: Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet

“Like” us on Facebook to find out the latest happenings at the Food Bank. Send comments/questions about articles in this issue to [email protected]