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2009 Tax Form Includes
New Idaho Food Bank Fund
Check Line 43 on Your Tax Form

Support the non-profit groups and volunteers helping feed hungry Idahoans AND feel good about filing your taxes this year. When you fill out your 2009 Idaho state tax form, take advantage of a new donation option to benefit the IDAHO FOOD BANK FUND.

Before you sign your Idaho State Income Tax Form 40, look at line 43 under "Donations." You will find a place to designate a dollar amount for the Idaho Food Bank Fund. The donated funds will go directly to fight hunger in communities across the state.

The Idaho Food Bank Fund was established by the 2009 Legislature as a cooperative effort between three well-respected statewide Idaho non-profit organizations: Community Action Partnership Association of Idaho, Catholic Charities of Idaho and The Idaho Foodbank.

Non-profits that deal with emergency food will be able to apply to the Idaho Food Bank Fund for grants to expand existing food storage capacities and increase their support services related to hunger relief.

Currently, many food pantries – often run by volunteers – occupy small spaces and do not have adequate storage, refrigerator or freezer space. These limitations mean they cannot receive and store nutritious, perishable foods – including meat, dairy and produce – or even adequate amounts of long-lasting canned and dry food necessary to keep up with increasing need.

With the need for emergency food up 30% this year, community pantries and kitchens are stretched to the limit. Increased storage and distribution systems are among the most underfunded budget items, and the Idaho Food Bank Fund will provide critically needed financial assistance.

It is important to note that the Idaho Food Bank Fund and The Idaho Foodbank are separate entities. A donation to the Fund is not a donation to the Foodbank. With its mission of leading the effort to end hunger in Idaho, The Idaho Foodbank is proud to have the support to make this new grant source available.

Learn more about The Idaho Foodbank Fund and view the new PSA...
 

Dec. 29 - Feb 9

Dump Hunger 2010 Quadruples Goal

Western States Equipment's massively successful second annual Dump Hunger campaign concluded in early February after raising 587,861 equivalent pounds of food. This is nearly four times the company's goal of 150,000 pounds and a stunning five times the 116,837 equivalent pounds of food raised during last year's drive.

For the Dump Hunger drive, Western States Equipment worked with other businesses in Idaho, Washington, Montana, Oregon and Wyoming to raise food and funds for food banks in their communities between Dec. 29 and Feb. 9.

"The food comes at a very good time," said Terry Graves, Food Resources Manager for The Idaho Foodbank. "People are still hungry in January and February."

Of the total pounds raised, 298,302 equivalent pounds went to The Idaho Foodbank. Since both cash and food were donated, this total pounds number includes both food and the pounds the donated cash can purchase. (See note below). In addition to this donation, the Idaho Falls Food Bank received 70,327 equivalent pounds of food, South Central Community Action Partnership in Twin Falls received 16,444 equivalent pounds, and the Community Action Partnership in Hayden received 12,702 equivalent pounds.

"It blew away any expectations we had," said David Reimann, Vice President of Marketing for Western States Equipment.

The ingenuity of communities that participated in Dump Hunger was impressive, Reimann said. People held everything from bake sales to poker games to raise food and funds for Dump Hunger, and businesses helped organize events and collected food from their employees.

"Dump Hunger has benefited from the dedication and unique ideas of many employees and customers," said Western States President Tom Harris.

Dump Hunger had dedicated partners throughout the area, including ISI, Red Sky Publications, Fast Lane, 36th Street Garden Center and Bistro, Downtown Hound and Ogata Chiropractic in Boise. Idaho Central Credit Union in Boise, Nampa and Meridian also participated, as did Les Schwab stores in Meridian and Boise. Meridian Cycle and the University of Phoenix took part in Meridian, along with Kuna True Value Hardware.

Albertsons also joined the Dump Hunger campaign for the first time this year. The company gathered donations from its customers and contributed $25,000 to the food drive. The equivalent total of food pounds the cash can buy along with food donations equaled 239,526 pounds of food.

"We were excited to be involved with Dump Hunger and gather food during January, when food pantry donation levels are at their lowest," said Mike Clawson, President of Albertsons Intermountain West and a member of the Foodbank's Board of Directors. "It was especially rewarding to see the involvement of some of our smaller communities."

Each of The Idaho Foodbank's three branches saw high levels of generosity.

"It gave a lot of different people the opportunity to participate," said Joye Jones, Manager of The Idaho Foodbank's Pocatello branch. Dump Hunger led to such diverse events as food collections at Idaho State University basketball games, a trap shoot and a tailgate event before the Super Bowl, Joye said.

The Dump Hunger campaign in North-Central Idaho also generated special events and media coverage that prompted community involvement beyond collecting food, said Chuck Whitman, Manager of The Idaho Foodbank's Lewiston branch.

"There's a lot more to a food drive than food and money raised," Chuck said. Dump Hunger raised awareness of hunger issues throughout the state, he explained.

Terry Graves agreed. "We were able to extend our reach to educate people so they know the extent of hunger problems in Idaho," she said. That education can bring more support to food banks statewide as people join them in the fight against hunger.

"We can't do what we do without our partners in the community," Terry said. "I'm very grateful that Western States chose The Idaho Foodbank and our partners throughout Idaho."

Note: All total pounds numbers given are equivalent totals based on the fact that food banks may acquire donated food and pay only for transportation. The Dump Hunger drive brought in 319,606 pounds of food and $53,651. On average, a food bank can acquire five pounds of food per dollar, so the dollar total was multiplied by five and added to the food drive pounds to reach the equivalent total.

 

New Hunger Study
Shows Huge Increase in Food Demand

The Idaho Foodbank released a landmark study this month that showed more than 142,200 people in Idaho received emergency food last year. The findings represent a 59% increase since the previous study, Hunger in Idaho 2006.

Hunger in Idaho 2010 was released simultaneously in Boise, Pocatello and Lewiston, the cities in which the Foodbank has warehouses. The Idaho data were compiled as part of a national study by Feeding America, the nation's network of food banks. This is the first research to capture the significant connection between the recent economic downturn and an increased need for free emergency food assistance.

The national study found that Feeding America food banks, such as The Idaho Foodbank, provide free food assistance to 37 million people each year, including 14 million children and three million seniors. This is a 46% increase in the number of people who receive emergency food assistance compared to the 2006 study.

The Idaho study was built on 509 in-person interviews at more than 40 locations conducted over 12 weeks between February and April 2009, plus written surveys filled out by more than 180 of our partner agencies. The questions, the sites and the people interviewed were determined by the nationally respected, independent research firm Mathematica. They also calculated the results and compiled the final reports.

In its annual survey, USDA reported in November 2009 that an estimated 144,000 Idahoans, including 65,500 children, are at risk of hunger. Hunger in Idaho 2010 reinforces the dramatically increased need for food assistance in Idaho.

Among the key findings in the Hunger in Idaho 2010 report:

• 142,200 different people received emergency food in 2009
• 47% of clients in Idaho report having to choose between paying for food and
paying for utilities or heating fuel
• 34% had to choose between paying for food and paying their rent or mortgage
• 34% had to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care
• 37% had to choose between paying for food and paying for transportation
• 49% had to choose between paying for food and paying for gas for a car
• Only 36% of Foodbank client households receive food stamps
• Among the programs that existed in 2006, 83% of pantries, 60% of kitchens and 64% of shelters in Idaho have seen an increase in the number of people who came to their emergency food program sites

These results are a glimpse of what was happening in Idaho last spring and show clearly how the hunger challenges have grown in Idaho since the 2006 study. However, since the study was completed, those challenges have grown even larger.

The Idaho Foodbank has a network of 227 non-profit partner agencies across the state that deliver food directly to those in need. These agencies vary in size from the largest Rescue Mission and Salvation Army to the smallest church pantry.

We know, based on more recent information from these partner agencies and our own records:

• Total food distribution increased from 6.3 million pounds in 2008 to 7.87 million pounds in 2009.
• That is an increase of 25%, or from 4.9 million meals to 6.15 million meals.
• During the 2008 holidays we distributed 18,400 turkeys (holiday meats). In 2009 that figure increased by 75%, and we distributed turkeys to more than 30,000 Idaho families
• Mobile Pantries, which deliver free emergency food monthly to 37 rural and underserved areas of our state, increased from 43% in 2009.
• The Backpack Program, which provides nutritious weekend food for elementary-age children at risk of hunger, last year jumped from 1,100 backpacks per week to 1,580 per week or a 43% increase. We know there is a need for 7,000 per week or more.
• The Foodbank partner network provides emergency food on an average of 116,800 times a month, 29,000 times each week or nearly 4,000 times every day.

These reports provide valuable information for discussion and thought, but also for action. Here are three suggestions of things we can all do:

1. Examine poverty issues in Idaho and establish public policy. We recognize that a number of efforts are underway to examine poverty issues and establish new public policy. House Bill 513, for instance, would help low-income seniors improve their nutrition and increase the sale of locally grown farm products. We strongly encourage concerned constituents and our public leaders to follow through on these efforts.
2. Donate time, food and funds. The Idaho Foodbank and our network of partners are feeling the strain. Generous donors have increased the amount of food, funds and time they've given over the years, and for that we are very grateful. However, the growth in need for services is still outpacing the level of giving. Our network partners share similar concerns.
3. Be informed about available resources and inform others. The face of hunger is changing. Many Idahoans are unemployed and under-employed for the first time and are unaware of the resources available. We must be sure that our friends and neighbors know about the public services available. An important one is the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine, a statewide community information and referral service with access to a comprehensive list of programs that include emergency food, free or low-cost health and other human services.

See the entire Hunger Study...

Fred Meyer Employees Team with Foodbank to
Feed Horseshoe Bend Families

Sixteen Fred Meyer employee volunteers pitched in to distribute 6,800 pounds of emergency food in Horseshoe Bend, and Fred Meyer officials awarded checks to the Foodbank that totaled $42,725. The donations of time and funds came during The Idaho Foodbank's Mobile Pantry food delivery to the Horseshoe Bend community in late January.

It was the second emergency Mobile Pantry food delivery the Foodbank has made to the financially troubled Horseshoe Bend community.

The Mobile Pantry is a Foodbank program that takes truckloads of food directly into Idaho towns that cannot support brick-and-mortar food pantries. The first emergency Mobile to Horseshoe Bend took place in December, the result of a new partnership between Western Idaho Community Action Partnership and the Foodbank. The two organizations have been working with concerned citizens in the Horseshoe Bend community to increase the availability of free emergency food to residents of Boise County by supporting the Horseshoe Bend Community Pantry. The Horseshoe Bend Community Pantry serves Horseshoe Bend as well as Garden Valley, Gardenia and Placerville.

The value of each Mobile Pantry is $5,000-$7,000, including food and expenses. The Foodbank currently operates 37 scheduled Mobiles per month across the state, plus this one.

The success of this program depends on both the volunteers who help unload and distribute the food and the financial help of generous donors, which is why the financial and volunteer support from Fred Meyer was especially crucial to this effort. The $42,725 donation was comprised of $10,000 from the Fred Meyer Foundation and $32,725 from the customer-supported "Bringing Hope to the Table" program run by the stores. The funds will support Mobile Pantries in southwest and south-central Idaho.

Unfortunately, the situation in Horseshoe Bend is not unique. In 2009, Mobile Pantries delivered 2.66 million pounds of emergency food, up from 1.86 million pounds in 2008, which means both the need and the need for support are both growing.

An easy way to support the Mobile Pantry Program is to use our donation page...

Foodbank and Rescue Mission Partner
to Bag 35,000 Pounds of Simplot Spuds

This story perfectly illustrates the partnerships necessary in the effort to end hunger in Idaho:

The J.R. Simplot Co. had potatoes in Rogerson grown for french fries but with a sugar content that was too high. High sugar makes the fry turn too brown when cooked. A call went to Maurice Clements, an ex-farmer who is an agent at Brandt Real Estate in Nampa, to ask if he knew anyone who needed 70,000 pounds of potatoes. Maurice, along with Don Brandt (who serves on the Rescue Mission Board of Directors) and Marilyn Holly at the real estate office, began to make calls.

Ultimately, half the spuds went to the Foodbank's Boise warehouse, which has the capacity to handle 35,000 pounds. The other half is being stored in Brian Good's spud cellar for distribution to 20 non-profits in the Nampa area. Travis Christensen of Christensen Farms in Melba volunteered his conveyor truck and transported the Foodbank’s 35,000 pounds to Boise.

Once the spuds got to the Foodbank, volunteers from the Rescue Mission, Mission staff members, Foodbank volunteers and Foodbank staffers sorted them into five-pound bags ready for distribution. The Mission took the first 7,000 pounds for their food programs. The rest will go out to other partner agencies across the state.

A big thank-you goes to the J.R. Simplot Co., Maurice Clements and everyone at the Brandt Real Estate office, Travis Christensen and all the volunteers who helped get the potatoes bagged and ready. It was tremendous teamwork, which is exactly what it takes to feed hungry Idaho families.

You don't need a cellar full of spuds to donate food. How about a food drive?...

Deadline is Feb. 28 to Sign Up

Hurry If You Want to
Save and Give at the Same Time

As hard as it might be in February to think about your air conditioning bill, as sure as the earth revolves around the sun, summer will arrive in just a few months. With that in mind, the nice people at Idaho Power have an offer that will save on your electricity bill and bring money to the Foodbank to help us feed the growing number of Idahoans who find themselves in difficult circumstances these days.

Here's the deal: From now through Feb. 28, if you sign up for and participate in Idaho Power's A/C Cool Credit Program, the company will – with your permission – donate $20 to The Idaho Foodbank. As a participant you will also earn $21 in credits on your summer bills.


All the details of this great program are right here...

Dining for Dollars Is
New Spring Fundraiser

On Saturday, May 9, Treasure Valley letter carriers will join forces with The Idaho Foodbank in the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger! food drive. Now in its 17th year, the Stamp Out Hunger! effort is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, having collected more than 909 million pounds of food since its inception in 1993.

Last year, valley letter carriers picked up a remarkable 208,000 pounds of donated food and $8,162.57 in cash to help feed their neighbors in need. The drive also brought in three boxes of used cell phones that were recycled and the income added to the cash total. Those additional funds translate directly into food because the Foodbank pays only shipping costs on donated food.

Postal patrons can help Stamp Out Hunger! before they go out to the Susan G. Komen run or any other activities. All they have to do is leave sturdy bags filled with non-perishable foods such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailboxes prior to the time of regular mail delivery on May 9. Food items should be in non-breakable containers, such as boxes and cans.

Please, no homemade, perishable or out-of-date food.

The letter carriers will then collect donations and deliver them to nearby post offices where volunteers will pack the food for delivery to the Foodbank.

The Letter Carriers Food Drive supplies The Idaho Foodbank with about one-third of the food-drive food it collects every year. In a state that the USDA rates as the 24th hungriest in the nation, this food drive is vitally important.

# # #

The Idaho Foodbank distributes food to its network of 215 partner agencies statewide, including local rescue missions, church pantries and soup kitchens. As it enters its 25th year, the Foodbank system has provided 70 million pounds of food to hungry Idaho families since 1984. Our vision is that no one in Idaho will go hungry.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
 

Dining for Dollars Is
New Spring Fundraiser

Throughout the months of March and April, friends of The Idaho Foodbank will have the opportunity to host culinary fundraising events to aid in the effort to end hunger in Idaho.

It is simply a matter of inviting friends to enjoy a good meal at your home, place of business or any other location you choose while they learn about a cause close to your heart. Business proprietors can offer customers special opportunities to support the work done at The Idaho Foodbank with dinners or other events that offer unique culinary choices. Please be creative. The opportunities are almost unlimited.

The goal of Dining for Dollars is to build the Foodbank's individual donor base, raise money and offer guests an opportunity to learn more about an important cause.

A member of The Idaho Foodbank staff will make a presentation at each event and answer any questions. There will also be donation and collateral materials on hand.

We ask that the host or business invite guests who want to learn more about The Idaho Foodbank and who may contribute funds. The host or business will provide the food and beverage, and The Idaho Foodbank will share heartwarming stories for your guests to enjoy.

For more information, you can contact Adrienne Swain Smith at 208-336-9643, ext. 232 or aswainsmith@idahofoodbank.org. Thank you and bon appetite!

Pound for Pound Challenge:

Lose Weight, Raise Money

The Idaho Foodbank has teamed up with Feeding America, the nation's food bank network, "The Biggest Loser" reality program and a host of other partners to raise funds for the Foodbank's hunger-relief efforts and to encourage Americans to lose weight.

Through the Pound for Pound Challenge, individuals pledge to lose weight, and for every pound pledged, the Pound for Pound Challenge sponsors will donate 14 cents to Feeding America, up to a maximum donation of $800,000. The funds pledged by Idahoans will come directly to the Foodbank, and it will cost you nothing.

The challenge encourages contestants to shed pounds in a safe manner through diet and exercise. There are no weigh-ins, gym sessions or penalties for not hitting your goal.

All you have to do is go to the Pound for Pound Challenge web site (the link is below), click on "pledge" at the top of the page and sign up. The deadline is June 30. Based on the number of pounds pledged, Idaho is currently in 37th place with 965 people who have pledged over 30,000 pounds.

Our thanks go to sponsors General Mills, Subway, 24 Hour Fitness, Walgreens, and "The Biggest Loser." Their support is what makes this event possible.

Calling All Community Gardeners

By Beki Parham
VISTA

Community Gardens of Idaho is proud to announce a partnership with Sharing Backyards, a national organization that links people with unused yard space with those looking for a place to grow food. This is a wonderful opportunity to grow fresh veggies and get to know your neighbors at the same time.

Boise Yardsharing is the Boise branch of Sharing Backyards. It will match up people in the Treasure Valley who would love to explore the joys of gardening but lack the land with others who have enough space but lack the time and energy to work a garden alone.

This is a great way to increase our local food supply and build community connections at the same time. If you have a yard you want to share, or if you are looking for a space to garden, Boise Yardsharing is for you. Just go to the link below, click on the Boise, ID link and post your free listing. Questions? Contact Molly at boiseyardsharing@gmail.com or Beki Parham, 208-336-9643 x 246 or bparham@idahofoodbank.org.