September, 2017 Newsletter

Foothills Empty Bowls Lunch and Art Auction October 20,2017 Bidding begins online September 20

The Foothills Food Bank is busy preparing for the 17th annual Empty Bowls Lunch and Art Auction on Friday, October 20 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral, 6895 E. Cave Creek Road. Once again, you can select a locally made, hand-crafted bowl (a treasure that you keep) and fill it with fresh pasta donated by Harold’s Corral for a suggested donation of $15. But new this year, we are placing the art auction online because we listened to those of you who weren’t able to attend last year but still wanted to participate. You will have plenty of time before the event to preview the auction items and learn about the artists because the auction will go live and begin accepting bids on September 20. You also can place bids at the event on your own smart phone or with one of our tech volunteers. But time runs out at 1:00 PM when the bidding closes. Please watch for an email announcement and link to the online auction, or visit our website to find the latest information. We’ll also have a boutique with items for purchase only at Harold’s, so we look forward to seeing you there. We are grateful for the generous donations from artists and bowl makers and the many others who have helped make Empty Bowls so successful. And, a special thanks to all who come to support this important fund-raiser.

Carole Perry’s glasswork to be featured at Empty Bowls

Carole Perry’s Laughing Glass Contemporary Glass Art Studio has been pro-ducing beautiful glass artwork for more than 27 years, and she was one of the original contributors to the Food Bank’s Empty Bowls event. Perry says she began working with the project because her local community supports artists, and as an artist, she wanted to give back in a meaningful way. Perry and her Sonoran Arts League friends began by creating and donating bowls to the Empty Bowls project at the Arizona Center in 1997, where she did everything from washing bowls and serving food to making beautiful bowls for others to enjoy. The Empty Bowls event moved to Cave Creek in 2000, and in 2016 the festival garnered more than $16,000 for Foothills Food Bank.

Today, Perry continues giving back while enjoying her own success as one of the top glass artists of her kind. “When I came back to the desert, every magical, mystical thing came together for me,” says Perry. “I love what I do and this is where I learned the simplest of rules: the more you give, the more you receive…and, I get to live in the greatest place on Earth.” Perry’s work includes both sculptural and functional pieces. Known for her glass “tapestry” sculptures created with thousands of fine glass cane threads, she also claims there are more sets of her custom glass dinnerware in the Cave Creek/Carefree area than any other place on the planet. On behalf of the Food Bank and our clients, thanks to Carole and her colleagues for helping fill empty bowls by creating artistic treasures on their behalf.

Mission

The Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center provides food, referral information and financial assistance to individuals and families in need within our service area.

Hours of Operation

Cave Creek Facility Mon.—Fri. 9 am—3 pm Tues. & Thur. 5:30 —8 pm Black Canyon Facility Tues. & Thur. 9 am—3 pm Care Club Monthly 3rd Thursday 9 a.m.-— 3 p.m. 5:30 p.m.—8 p.m. Physical & Mailing Address Cave Creek Food Bank 6038 E. Hidden Valley Drive Cave Creek, AZ 85331 Physical Address Black Canyon City Satellite 34501 Old Black Canyon Hwy Black Canyon City, AZ 85324

Contact Information Email info@foothillsfoodbank.com Phone 480-488-1145 Fax 480-488-9008 Twitter www.twitter.com/FoothillsFood Website Foothillsfoodbank.com Facebook www.facebook.com/FoothillsFoodBank

Thanks to our volunteers….

Letter from the Food Bank Board President

Hello ,folks, welcome to September. School is back in session and the Food Bank is busy pre-paring and delivering weekend meals to students that want and need to participate in the program. We continue to grow in client size and we have many events like Empty Bowls, Taste of Cave Creek, Christmas Adopt- a- Family and many more projects that will keep the Food Bank folks very busy over the next few months. The food bank has grown so much over the past five years that our operation has turned into a medium-sized business requiring reorganization, more planning, improvement in our pro-cesses, better work tools and much more service to our clients. We are undergoing all of the above. My thanks to our Executive Director, Pam DiPietro for juggling so much all at once.

As you know, most of our organization is made up of volunteers with just a few staff mem-bers. As one of the volunteers, I can tell you that I have seen so many other volunteers mak-ing contributions way above what The Food Bank has ever expected. We have fantastic help from people that have years of experience excelling in very diverse working environments. This diversity and dedication to doing great work is the reason why we have been able to grow and respond to the ever-changing needs of our clients. So, let this note sincerely thank all of the wonderful people that are stepping up and helping the Food Bank be something special to the folks that need help in our community.

With the final quarter of the year at hand, please remember that the Arizona Tax Laws al-lows a family to reduce their AZ Tax Bill by the exact amount contributed to the Food Bank up to a limit of $800.00. Thanks for all the support you have given to the Food Bank and we hope your coming holiday season will be the best one ever. Thank you for helping us help others. Sincerely,

Chuck Weirauch Board President

What We Always Need

Lunch soups, chunky soups Stew, chili Canned tuna, chicken, spam, salmon Canned tomatoes, sauce, paste Pasta, rice and potato sides Peanut butter and Jelly Sugar, flour Tea, coffee Dried beans, Canned beans Diapers—sizes 5 and 6

Calendar of Events September 20 Bidding for Bowls Begins 23 Outlets Shopping Extravaganza October 14 Relay for Life 20 Empty Bowls 28 Shred--a-Thon November 25-26 Nativities of the World Exhibit December 9-10 Adopt-a-Family Events

…….and for many opportunities to help others

Foothills Food Bank Glass Tile Wall is Growing

If you would like to support the Food Bank and have your names join our wall of tiles, please contribute $150 per tile in support of the Foothills Food Bank Glass Tile Campaign. Your donation helps offset the cost of expanding facilities and services. Each glass tile is 2” x 5” and will be displayed on an outside wall of the food bank. Please print clearly and mail to the food bank at PO Box 715, Carefree, AZ 85377. Thank you! Your Information: Name _______________________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________________ City, state, zip ________________________________________________________________________ Email ______________________________ Telephone # ____________________________________ ______Check enclosed, or ___Charge my VISA ______ MC ______ Discover ______ #_______________________________ Expiration: _____/______ Security code: _______ (3 digits on back of card) Signature____________________________________________________ Date_________________ Charge my card for $________________________ The Glass Tile(s) should read: (1)________________________________________________________ (2)_________________________________________________________

Black Canyon City Facility Opens

As we head into fall and the holiday seasons, we continue to provide support in new and varied ways. On September 7, we will begin providing service at the new facility in Black Canyon City on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This will provide easier access to food and service for those who live in the area. We thank everyone who has helped to make this possible—just one more way the com-munity supports those who need assistance in difficult times. Thank you to all who helped create this new facility. We so appreciate your hard work and do-nations.

So many ways to help….

Thank you, volunteer van drivers! The Food Bank sent out an appeal for volunteer van drivers to conduct food pick-ups at local stores during the summer time. ABC15 grabbed onto the story and pro-duced several comprehensive segments about the need. Other media outlets in-cluding The Arizona Republic also ran multiple stories —all resulting in an amazing number of volunteers calling every day for more than two weeks. The result? We have plenty of van drivers and found some other wonderful volunteers as well. Thanks to everyone who assisted in this effort —especially the media and our fan-tastic group of volunteers! On another note, we appreciate the generous anonymous donation of a van, num-ber four, for our busy food bank. This kind donation will allow us to pick up more food to feed our community residents. Thank you!

Two young brothers —helping hearts help others

Two youngsters, five and seven years old, showed their entrepreneurial spirit and zest for helping others by launching their own food drive to benefit Food Bank. The broth-ers, Sy and Zac, live in Anthem and decided to give back to their local food bank by holding a food drive to celebrate their birthdays. The boys’ mother, Heather DoCanto, says the two love giving back and have big hearts. The duo finished accepting food donations at the Foothills Food Bank at the end of August. The pair has initiated other drives for different organizations and have a passion for doing so for their birthdays. “Every year, they do a drive and donate to something we are passionate about,” says DoCanto. “The boys reached their goal of delivering 1000 pounds of items to Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center. They also have a GoFundMe page (gofundme.om/zac-and-sys-food-bank-drive) for people who would prefer to send a donation to the food bank. The monies will go for food or directly to the food bank.” The fund-raising experts are keen on their idea and want everyone to help the food bank and neighbors in need.

Louie Smaniotto, Super Volunteer

Louie Smaniotto began serving Foothills Food Bank by providing pick-up from a num-ber of community stores. After the Food Bank moved to a larger facility, he also worked packing orders for clients. Smaniotto‘s interest in volunteering for the food bank grew as he found himself helping in many different areas from pick-ups and deliveries and warehousing to making sure food bank clients are well taken care of. Smaniotto helps at the food bank two to three times weekly and enjoys working in tandem with the other high-spirited volunteers. ‘We have a lot of young people who help out on different days,” says Smaniotto. “Everyone in the office and the volun-teers are great people who care about the needs in their communities.” Smaniotto especially thanks his co-volunteers adding “I couldn’t do it without them.”

……and we appreciate every one of them

Anthem Outlets Annual Shopping Extravaganza on September 23

Outlets at Anthem’s 13th Annual Shopping Extravaganza is scheduled for September 23. It is a philanthropic event where ticket holders receive exclusive discounts and offers, a special shopper lunch and wine tasting, and are eligi-ble to win over $30,000 in gift card prizes in four hours. There will also be many retailer demonstrations and silent auction opportunities throughout the day. Only ticket holders will be able to participate in this exciting event. The

tickets cost $25 each, of which $15 will go directly to the Food Bank if you purchase your tickets through us. This is a great way to spend a fun- filled day and help the Food Bank at the same time, so grab a group of friends and head to the Anthem Outlets on September 23rd to shop for a great cause. Tickets for the extravaganza will be on sale at the Foothills Food Bank starting August 1, 2017. You must purchase a ticket before the event to attend. Send a check for the tickets you need with infor-mation on where we should send the tickets, or call us at 480-488-1145 and charge the cost of the

tickets. We will mail them to you in either case. Mail your check to 6038 E Hidden Valley Drive, Cave Creek, AZ 85331.

American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Cave Creek-Carefree is set for October 14, 2017 from 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM. The Foothills Food Bank is an event partner, will be part of the action at Black Mountain Elementary School at 33606 N. 60th Street in Scottsdale. Food Bank participants will meet at the track and walk through the night. To serve as a relay team member, enter online at foothills-foodbank.com. To make a donation, visit the Food Bank website and click on the Cave Creek Relay for Life tab, www.foothillsfoodbank.com, or send a check to the Ameri-can Cancer Society in the name of the Foothills Food Bank. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/rflcavecreek or cavecreekrelay.org.

Car Donation Needed! Many Arizonans are working hard to make ends meet in a tough econo-my. However, it is even tougher when you find work but have no transportation. The Food Bank is reaching out to Arizonans and businesses for the donation of a vehicle for a Food Bank client who has no way to reach his new job. “Foothills Food Bank works to help the various humanitarian needs of its clients who are experiencing a rough time,” says Pam DiPietro, executive director of Foothills Food Bank & Resource Center. ”The kind donation of a vehicle will help ensure a positive outcome for a very deserving individual.” To donate, contact the Food Bank at 480-488-1145.

Shred-a-Thon to benefit Food Bank

On Saturday, October 28, 2017, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the public is invited to participate in the sixth annual Shred-A-Thon. The shredding event will be held at the Mariachi Plaza, located at 7171 East Cave Creek Road. Bring old documents to shred and donations of cash, food and gift cards to benefit the Food Bank. The event is being spon-sored by Gustafson & Associates, an accounting and tax business.

Help make happy holidays for others

Annual Adopt-a-Family Tradition Seeking Donors and Sponsors

The Food Bank is now seeking donors to brighten the holiday season for children, families and seniors in the northern Arizona foothills community. The 15th annual Adopt-a- Family program will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2017 in Black Canyon City at High Desert Park from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM and on Sunday, Decem-ber 10, at Holland Community Center in north Scottsdale from 1:00 PM-3:00 PM. We are now working with more than a dozen local organizations and churches to provide gifts, holiday meals and hope for those in crisis in the community at this special time of year. Families must be signed up by December 1 to participate in this year’s program. Individual donors as well as donor groups such as businesses, HOAs, churches, and schools are encouraged to participate in this year’s Adopt-a- Family program. Interested donors determine the size of the family they are willing to adopt and then a family wish list is provided as a shopping guide. All gifts must be wrapped and delivered before December 8 either directly to the family or dropped off at Holland Community Center. Alternatively, donors may support the program with a monetary gift. Checks are payable to Foothills Food Bank. All gifts and monetary donations are tax deductible according to tax laws. For information about the Adopt-a- Family program or to request a donor sign-up form, call the Food Bank at 480-488-1145.

Enjoy Nativities of the World

The sixth annual Nativities of the World fund-raiser will be held on Saturday, November 25, 2017 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and on Sunday, November 26 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. More than 150 nativity scenes from local community residents will be on display at the Desert Foothills Library, located at 38443 N. School House Road in Cave Creek. The nativity scenes are created by artists from around the world and are on loan for your enjoyment courtesy of artists, collectors and families. The nativities are made from a vast array of materials – from fine porcelain to craft sticks, rocks, gourds and even banana skins. Some are so large they require their own table while others can fit in the palm of a hand. Admission is free, but the donation of non-perishable food or cash for the food bank will help those less fortunate. “We hope our neighbors will continue to expand this tradi-tion and benefit the Food Bank, which serves an ever in-creasing population in need,” says Executive Director Pam DePietro. “Please help us by loaning us your nativity set or sets. We welcome any and all nativities that you wish to share with our community.” And by all means, schedule a visit to the library on November 25 and 26 to enjoy the dis-plays. For more information or to display a nativity, contact: Karen Pritchard at KPNativities14@gmail.com or 480.488.0423.

Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 N E W S L E T T E R

The Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center provides emergency food, financial assistance and other life necessities and resources to individuals and families in the desert foothills, which encompasses a 180-square mile area that includes Black Canyon City, Cave Creek, Carefree, Anthem, Desert Hills, New River, Rio Verde, north Scottsdale and north Phoenix. We are partnering with others and working together in our communities to provide needed services to help our clients succeed in becoming self-supporting. Donations of funds and goods are critical in helping to fulfill our mission. Thank you for your continued support.

2017 Charitable Donation Form The Charitable Tax Credit helps the Foothills Food Bank continue its mission and cover increased costs due to inflation. Support the food bank and reduce your Arizona tax bill with a tax credit of up to $400 for individuals and $800 for married couples. For more information, visit www.revenue.stat.az or call 1 800-843-7196. Name(s) ___________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip ______________________________________________________________ Telephone ___________________________ Email _________________________________ Amount Donated ______________________ Amount enclosed ______________________ Make check payable to Foothills Food Bank. -Or- Please charge my VISA _____ MC _____ Discover _____ American Express _____ Card number ______________________________________________________________ Expiration Date _____________________ Security Code (3 digits on back of card) _______ Signature _____________________________________________ Date ________________ Please mail this completed form to: Foothills Food Bank, PO Box 715, Carefree, AZ 85377

Fry’s Rewards Program Starts September 1 Great News! The Fry’s Rewards Program begins again on September 1, and if you are already en-rolled and linked to the Food Bank, you will auto-matically be re-enrolled. All you need to do is shop Fry’s to continue donating to the Food Bank.

Chuck Weirauch President Jeff Skoglind Vice President Gina Durbin Secretary Dave Loewith Treasurer

Rhea Acosta Director Angie Dietrick Director Glenn Ford Director Jacki Jobe Director Larry Mahaffey Director Frank Simanson Director

Board of Directors 2017