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Fat for Food Fitness Challenge

Jacob Norby & Mike Winsor ask that as many people as possible join them for the Fitness Challenge with a goal of losing at least 10,000 lbs of fat by summer’s end. Corporate sponsors will match each pound lost (pound for pound) in a gift of 10,000 pounds of food to The Idaho Foodbank.
The challenge itself will include prizes & team competition which will culminate at a Final Celebration to be held for all participants and their families at Roaring Springs Water Park at the end of summer. >> more information HERE <<

Heatherwood's Spring into Summer Fling To Raise Food and Funds for Foodbank

What: Heatherwood Retirement Community’s Spring into Summer Fling to benefit The Idaho Foodbank

When: June 20, 2009, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Where: 5277 Kootenai St., Boise, Idaho 83705

Admission: $7.50 in advance, $9 at the door (all proceeds to The Idaho Foodbank)

Information and tickets: La Verne Rembowski at 345-2150 or Heatherwoodmktg@Frontiermgmt.com

Activities:

• Food drive – bring non-perishable food to donate

• Battle of the Bands with family-friendly bands

• Barbeque

• Jump house and water slide for children

• Cotton candy, snow cones and face painting

• Raffle for donated items

• Drawing for flat-screen TV

• Car displays by the Southwest Idaho Sports Car Club and the Idaho British Car Club

Biggest Loser Contestant to Volunteer Thursday at Foodbank’s Mobile Pantry in Wendell
GOODING’S AUBREY MILLER

Aubrey Miller, of Gooding, a contestant on NBC’s recently concluded “The Biggest Loser” reality show, will be a volunteer at The Idaho Foodbank’s Mobile Pantry food distribution in Wendell on Thursday, May 21.

Aubrey has publicly acknowledged that in the past she received food from the Foodbank and has offered her help to assist those in similar circumstances.

The food boxes will be given out at the Wendell Fire Station, 76 S. Idaho St., starting at noon. In past months, there have been 220 families fed, and people have waited in line for more than an hour to get food.

Karen Vauk, the Foodbank’s new President and CEO, will also be there and will be available for interviews.

The Foodbank’s Mobile Pantry program delivers food into 33 Idaho communities that don't have the financial ability to support food pantries. There are lines for all of them.

Each mobile delivery carries 5,000 to 8,000 pounds of food and goes to the same location – often churches, community and city buildings, or senior centers – on the same day and same time each month so families can depend on getting that food. The average distribution provides for 150 families. It takes about two hours, and community volunteers help to unload the truck and to hand out food.

Each delivery is a community effort. Local people volunteer and businesses will often donate sites, handcarts, fork lifts, grocery carts and grocery bags to assist at the distributions.

The Mobile Pantry system distributed over 2 million pounds of food to hungry Idaho families in fiscal 2009. That is a lot of food lines. 
 

Letter Carriers Food Drive Nets 218,139 Pounds

The economy may be down, but the generosity was up. The preliminary results from the Letter Carriers Food Drive on Saturday, May 9, show an increase of 10,000 pounds over last year.

Though a few food barrels remain to be picked up, the total today stands at 218,139 pounds. This compares well with the 207,976 pounds donated last year and the 199,649 pounds in 2007. It appears that once every last pound is weighed in, this year’s total will exceed the 218,320 pounds collected in 2006.

The success of the 17th annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive was the result of a concerted effort by 335 hard-working volunteers, 274 letter carriers who went above and beyond, 22 generous sponsors and in-kind donors, the cooperation of the U.S. Postal Service, the hard work of letter carrier Mike Morrison, who has coordinated the drive for the past five years, and the generous postal patrons who made the drive possible,

The one category that reflected the depressed economy this year was cash donations. This year’s total was $4,492 compared to $8,162.57 last year and the $5,841 donated in 2007.

This was the largest one-day food drive of the year, and it will supply the Foodbank and our partner agencies with one-third of the food-drive food that will be collected this year.

The sponsors who made this year’s drive possible included the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, US Postal Service, WinCo Foods, Valpak, Campbell Soup, Feeding America, Albertsons, CBS 2, KIVI Channel 6, KTVB Channel 7, KRVB-The River, Peak Broadcasting, Walmart, Metro Car Wash, Green’s Truck and Trailer, Swire Coca-Cola, USF Reddaway, A Company, West Coast Paper, Idaho Statesman, WE Enterprises, Tates Rents, Mayor David Bieter’s office and Angela R. Stewart Design. We also say thank-you to every one of our wonderful 335 volunteers who moved more than 100 tons of food in a single day.
 

The Great Frontier DONATE - Let’s Talk Up a Cause!
Frontier Communications Partners with Community Organizations to Help Families in Need

McCall, Idaho, May 11, 2009 - Employees of Frontier Communications (NYSE: FTR) throughout the country are helping fill local food banks. Through a new program, The Great Frontier DONATE - Let's Talk Up a Cause! Frontier is hosting food drives and donating a portion of the monthly revenues generated by residential and small business customers who use Frontier Long Distance in Idaho to local food banks to purchase needed supplies. The program will run from May through October.

"In the past, food banks have seen increased need during the summer, when children who rely on federal and state breakfast and lunch programs are out of school," says Richard Jayo, local manager for Frontier Communications in Idaho. "We know that hunger truly knows no season. As families and relief agencies struggle with the consequences of unemployment, foreclosures and a global recession, Frontier wants to help."

Jayo explains, "Frontier will make a monetary contribution to The Idaho Foodbank whenever our customers sign up for any of our long distance products."

In addition to donating money, Frontier employees will host food drives at its retail centers and at community events. The company is asking The Idaho Foodbank to identify recipients of these goods. "We are also gathering toiletry items like soap, toothpaste, shampoo and razors; baby items like disposable diapers and wipes; and household products such as dish soap, laundry detergent, light bulbs and other commonly used household items," says Jayo.

"This program is one more way to demonstrate Frontier's commitment to our local communities. Our employees live in the towns we serve. We care about our customers, our friends and neighbors and we are here to help."

There are several ways that you can help support The Great Frontier DONATE:

• If you are interested in making a donation - canned and dry goods or toiletries and household items - to The Great Frontier DONATE," please contact Frontier Communications who in partnership with The Idaho Foodbank will arrange for delivery of the goods to persons and organizations in need.

• You may also drop off food items at Frontier's offices, including the retail center located at 17 North Main in Homedale or 201 Lenora in McCall.

• If you become a new customer of Frontier long distance, or would like to switch your long-distance service to Frontier or upgrade your service package to one with unlimited long-distance service from Frontier, and have Frontier make a donation to a local relief organization, please call Frontier Customer Service at 1-800-634-6120.

• Frontier will have collection containers at booths/tents whenever we participate in local events. At the town festivals, fairs and other events, people can drop off their donation items at the Frontier tent.

"We are very excited to help Frontier ensure that those in our community have enough to eat. It's wonderful to have our friends at Frontier and our generous local citizens who will help make a difference in the lives of so many," says Karen Vauk, President and CEO of The Idaho Foodbank. Let's talk up The Great Frontier DONATE, because the more we talk the more the company will donate!"
 

Child Hunger Study:
Idaho 27th Worst Overall, 10th Worst for Young Children

A new study has found that 16.6% (68,803) of Idaho’s children are at risk of hunger. This ranks Idaho as the 27th worst state for childhood food insecurity. The study also found that Idaho is the 10th worst state for children under age five. Overall, this is an improvement from the previous study, which ranked Idaho 6th worst for childhood food insecurity. However, this is the first time the hunger data for children under five has been analyzed so no comparison to previous years is possible.

Food insecurity, or risk of hunger, exists when people lack sustainable physical or economic access to enough safe, nutritious, and socially acceptable food for healthy and productive lives.

The current study, Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2005 – 2007, released May 7, shows Idaho has improved from the 2003-2005 study that found 21.24% of children at risk and Idaho was the 6th worst state. However, in the new study 20.2% of Idaho children under age five are at risk of hunger, which is the 10th worst ranking. Nationwide, 12.5 million American children (17.0%) suffer from food insecurity.

Idaho has 414,478 children under 18. This means 68,803 children are at risk of hunger every day. There are 120,381 children under age five. Tragically, this means 24,317 children under age five are at risk of hunger.

“The first three years of life are the most critical period of brain growth and development. Child hunger causes physical and mental impairment that may never be reversed,” said nationally esteemed child malnutrition expert John Cook, Ph.D., of the Boston Medical Center, who did the study. “Child hunger also creates tremendous costs that are completely unavoidable. There is no better investment in a prosperous future than investing in ending childhood hunger.”

Overall, Idaho has the 24th highest rate of food insecurity in the nation according to the 2005-2007 USDA survey.

The study was done for Feeding America, the national network of food banks, of which The Idaho Foodbank is a member. The U.S. Census Bureau data Dr. Cook used were from 2005-2007 and averaged over those years to reduce the error rate and make the study as accurate as possible.

The complete study can be seen at http://Feedingamerica.org/childreport

17th Annual Letter Carriers Food Drive is Saturday, May 9
"Stamp Out Hunger"

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.

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

Foodbank CEO Karen Vauk will be available for interviews all day. Her cell phone: 695-4401.

She is scheduled to be at the following post offices:

• 9:30  - 10:00 -- Oregon Trail (2208 Summersweet) and Overland Station (1650 W Targee)

• 10:30 - 10:45 -- Eagle (141 N Palmetto)

• 11:00 - 11:45 -- Meridian Main (1200 N Main)

• 11:45 - 12:15 -- Five Mile (1350 Five Mile)

• 12:30 - 1:00 -- Cole [excellent location for interviews] (3485 S Cole)

• 1:30 - 2:15 -- Main [excellent location for interviews] (770 S 14th) – note address on 14th St., in parking lot

• 4:15 - 4:45 -- Garden City (8100 W Marigold)

• 5:00 - 5:30 -- Collister (4650 W State St)

May 9 to Be Proclaimed Letter Carriers Food Drive Day At News Conference Wednesday
"Stamp Out Hunger"

What: Boise City Council President Maryanne Jordan will represent Mayor David Bieter and read a proclamation naming Saturday, May 9, as Letter Carriers Food Drive Day.

When and Where: Wednesday, May 6, 11 a.m., at the Main Post Office, 13th & Shoreline.

Who: She is scheduled to be joined by Mayor Phil Bandy of Eagle and other officials from Ada County cities, Boise Postmaster Dan Frazier and postal officials from neighboring cities.

Why: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has listed Idaho as the 24th worst state for hunger in the country, with some 60,660 (11.4%) Idaho families worried that they can not afford to buy food (known as food insecurity). And 18,090 (3.4%) families had members who actually went hungry during the same period. Idaho has also been rated the 25th worst state for childhood hunger and the 10th worst for hunger in children under age five.

The Foodbank system provided food assistance over 938,000 times last fiscal year. The Letter Carriers Food Drive supplies The Idaho Foodbank with about one-third the food-drive food it collects every year. Last year, valley letter carriers picked up a remarkable 207,976 pounds of donated food and $8,162.57 in cash and three boxes of cell phones. The Foodbank will again collect old cell phones for recycling. In past years phones have brought in more than $600 in the fight to end hunger in Idaho.

The 17th annual drive is set for Saturday, May 9. That week most postal patrons will receive WinCo grocery bags in the mail.

All people have to do is leave bags of non-perishable food out near their mailboxes on that morning. After that, the letter carriers and hundreds of Idaho Foodbank volunteers will take care of the rest.

Red Robin to Inaugurate Foodbank Mondays - April 27 - July 27

In an effort to assist hungry Idahoans during this time of economic difficulty, on April 27, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers will begin a fundraising campaign for The Idaho Foodbank. Every Monday between April 27 and July 27, Boise-area Red Robin® restaurants will donate 50 cents to the Foodbank for every gourmet burger sold.

What a great way for people to feed themselves, their families and our hungry Idaho neighbors at the same time.

The campaign will kick off on Monday, April 27, at the Red Robin in Meridian. Dale Wilcox from Mach Robin, LLC, a franchisee of Red Robin International and owners of the participating restaurants, and Terry Graves of the Foodbank will be available at the Meridian Red Robin from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for interviews.

Participating Red Robin restaurants can be found in Meridian at 1475 N. Eagle Rd., Nampa at 2222 Cassia St., and in Boise at 211 W. Park Center Blvd. and 267 N. Milwaukee near the Towne Square mall.

Who: Dale Wilcox from Mach Robin, LLC, and Terry Graves of The Idaho Foodbank
What: Red Robin’s Foodbank Mondays kick-off event
When: Monday, April 27, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Red Robin restaurant in Meridian, 1475 N. Eagle Rd.

Note: The media will be fed.

17th Annual Letter Carriers Food Drive is Saturday, May 9
"Stamp Out Hunger"

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.
 

Karen Vauk Named Foodbank's President and CEO

The Idaho Foodbank Board of Directors is very pleased to announce that Karen Vauk has been named the Foodbank's new President and CEO. Karen will assume the position officially on April 6, but she is already spending time at the Foodbank.

She will be introduced to the public at a press conference set for Monday, April 6 at 10 a.m.

"Karen Vauk comes to the Foodbank with years of experience and an amazing can-do attitude," says Mary Anne Pace, Chair of the Foodbank Board. "We are a growing organization, and Karen is the perfect person to lead us into the future. We are thrilled that she will be joining us, and we all look forward to working with her."

Karen was born in Twin Falls and comes to the Foodbank from Boise State University where she was a University Advancement Development Director. In that position she was part of the team that defined, organized and implemented a comprehensive development program and managed the donor relations program. Previously, Karen spent 18 years at Micron Technology where she rose through several levels of management with responsibility for teams both here and abroad, and spent three years as Executive Director of the Micron Technology Foundation.

Karen's academic background is in education. She has a bachelor's and a master's in education, both from Boise State.

"At this point in my career, I have come to appreciate the importance of aligning career choices with personal values," says Karen. "Now, more than ever, it is clear that The Idaho Foodbank provides a vital service by supplying nutritious food to our communities and has led the fight against hunger for the past 25 years. It is an honor to be part of leading this organization to achieve its mission and vision. I truly believe that no one in Idaho should go hungry."
 

Wahooz Cares, Idaho Shares
Spring Break Food Drive 

When: March 21-29
Where: Wahooz Family Fun Zone (next to Roaring Springs Waterpark)
What: Save on Spring Break fun while helping Treasure Valley families in need

During the entire week of Spring Break Wahooz Family Fun Zone is offering “discounts for donations” with its Wahooz Cares, Idaho Shares food drive.

Guests who bring one non-perishable food item will receive $5 off a General or $3 off a Junior Unlimited Fun Pass (includes unlimited use of go-karts, miniature golf, laser tag, bumper boats, Kiddie Kove and 10 arcade tokens). Donations will benefit the Idaho Foodbank. Limit one per person, valid March 21-29.

“This spring break more families are staying closer to home,” says Wahooz Marketing Director Tiffany Quilici. “We want to encourage them to take a one-day vacation to Wahooz Family Fun Zone, and at the same time help local families who are just trying to keep food on the table.”

Wahooz is located next to Roaring Springs Waterpark in Meridian. It’s open 10am to 10pm during spring break. For more information please visit www.wahoozfunzone.com

Contact: Tiffany Quilici, Wahooz & Roaring Springs Marketing Director
(208) 724-3328 or tiffany@roaringsprings.com  
 

Students to Rally for Peanut Butter Thursday at City hall

Who:  GATE students from throughout the Boise School District

What:  Rally at City Hall to support PBJ Day (which is Saturday, March 7)

When:  Thursday, March 5 at 10 a.m.

Where:  City Hall front steps (Mayor David Bieter and students will speak)

Why:  Because Idaho is the 24th hungriest state in the country, and The Idaho Foodbank served children 372,975 times last fiscal year.

For the past 10 years, students from Boise’s Gifted and Talented program have organized and run the Peanut Butter and Jelly Food Drive. In turn, more than a thousand students, from kindergarten through university level, have participated. During the last student-organized drive, the Boise School District generated 13,202 delicious pounds for children served by The Idaho Foodbank. Students in Twin Falls brought in another 3,340 pounds.

Since 1999, the student-lead drives have totaled 92,280 pounds of nutritious peanut butter and jelly for their hungry fellow students.

GATE students have also participated in speeches, given media interviews and made public service announcements, and have volunteered at the Foodbank and at soup kitchens.

In 2006, the National Association for Gifted Children honored Boise School District's GATE Program by naming “PBJ Day: Putting the Crunch on Childhood Hunger in Idaho” as the Community Service Project of the Year.

Thursday is the rally to generate support for PBJ Day 2009, which is Saturday, March 7. Students and volunteers will be at Albertsons stores in Boise to collect donations of peanut butter and jelly for distribution by The Idaho Foodbank.
 

Foodbank Will Host Boise's Hollywood Awards Party

On Sunday, February 22

February awards parties have become an annual tradition for people who love movies. Friends gather and spend an evening watching the glitz and glamour on Hollywood's biggest night. This year, The Idaho Foodbank will throw its own Awards Night in Boise, and you are invited. The party will be at the Grove Hotel, Sunday, Feb. 22, complete with a red carpet for guests to walk.

This fundraiser for the Foodbank will start with the red carpet at 6 p.m., and the show will start at 6:30 p.m. There will be trivia, entertainment, food, photos, a raffle and a celebrity costume contest. And, of course, the awards on two big screens.

Tickets are $25 and can be ordered from the Foodbank. They will also be sold the night of the event for $30. Space is limited, so call Shauna Spencer at 336-9643, ext. 259 for more information. See you there.


What: The Idaho Foodbank’s Hollywood Awards Party
When: Sunday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m.
Where: The Grove Hotel in downtown Boise
Why: A fundraiser for The Idaho Foodbank
Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door
Information: Shauna Spencer at 336-9643, ext. 259 or sspencer@idahofoodbank.org
 

Tainted Fish in Bonner County Have No Connection to The Idaho Foodbank
BONNER COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK NOT A FOODBANK AGENCY

The Idaho Foodbank issued a statement today to clarify that it has no connection with the tainted fish given away by the Bonner County Food Bank.

The Bonner County Foodbank is not an Idaho Foodbank partner agency. There is no food distribution to the Bonner County Food Bank from The Idaho Foodbank and none from the Bonner County Food Bank to The Idaho Foodbank.

An Associated Press news story reported that the Bonner County Food Bank gave away thousands of pounds of mercury-contaminated fish donated by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The tainted fish could be dangerous if eaten by children and pregnant women.

None of the fish were distributed by The Idaho Foodbank or any of its 200-plus partner agencies.
 

Roger Simon Retires from Foodbank

The Idaho Foodbank Board of Directors announced today (Friday, Dec. 12) that Roger Simon has retired as President and CEO of The Idaho Foodbank.

The Board asked Mr. Simon, who became Executive Director of the Foodbank in 1994, to continue his service in a consulting capacity. Mr. Simon agreed.

Roy Lacey, the Foodbank’s current Vice President of Operations, will serve as acting President and CEO until a nationwide search has been conducted to find Mr. Simon’s permanent successor.

The Board acknowledged Mr. Simon’s long and valuable service in the fight against hunger in Idaho.

“When Roger joined the Foodbank, we were in a small, inadequate building and distributed 1.8 million pounds of food a year, mostly in the Boise area,” said Mary Anne Pace, Chair of the Foodbank Board. “We are now in a much larger and more efficient building, operate warehouses in Lewiston and Pocatello, as well as Boise, and are on target to distribute a record six million pounds this year.

“Roger’s contribution to the growth of the Foodbank and its leadership in the fight against hunger has been invaluable. We wish him the very best in his retirement,” she said.