THE DISH COUNTIES SERVED 2016 FALL NEWSLETTER Hunger doesn’t have a season. It doesn’t take a holiday for Christmas or Spring Break. And it doesn’t end when school lets out for the summer. For the nearly 20,000 children living at or below the poverty line in Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas, the school year isn’t just a time for learning, it’s a 36 week period of consistency for a child’s nutrition. “We see a significant increase in the number of families visiting food pantries and soup kitchens during the summer,” according to Camille Wrinkle, Executive Director of Harvest Regional Food Bank. “Families who are already struggling to put food on the table now have extra meals to provide and for those who have multiple children, that burden is even greater.” For several years, Harvest has provided childhood hunger relief through its Backpack for Kids program, which works with area schools to send nutritious foods home with food insecure children over the weekend. Last year, the program reached over 700 children and is expected to increase to nearly 800 students, during the upcoming school year. But what happens during the summer? “This year, Harvest Regional Food Bank began sponsoring Summer Feeding sites throughout its service area. While there are a number of established Summer Feeding programs in our more populated counties, there were areas where no Summer Feeding Programs existed,” according to Mrs. Wrinkle. “We chose sites based on location, need, and the willingness of volunteers to carry out the program.” Because of it being a first year pilot program, Summer Feeding sites were set up in the communities of Ashdown, in Little River County and Calhoun Heights and Emerson, in Columbia County. In addition, Harvest Regional Food Bank, received a grant from the C&S Packaging Company, a national partner of Feeding America, to continue its Backpack Program at various schools and sites, in conjunction with their existing Summer Feeding programs. “This year we were thrilled to serve hundreds of children with nutritious foods this summer, and as we continue the program, we hope to see great growth, in both its reach and number of children reached,” says Wrinkle. CHILDHOOD HUNGER TAKES CENTER STAGE AT HARVEST
Transcript
THE DISH
COUNTIES SERVED
2016 FALL NEWSLETTER
Hunger doesn’t have a season. It doesn’t take a holiday for Christmas or Spring Break. And it doesn’t end when school lets out for the summer. For the nearly 20,000 children living at or below the poverty line in Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas, the school year isn’t just a time for learning, it’s a 36 week period of consistency for a child’s nutrition.
“We see a significant increase in the number of families visiting food pantries and soup kitchens during the summer,” according to Camille Wrinkle, Executive Director of Harvest Regional Food Bank. “Families who are already struggling to put food on the table now have extra meals to provide and for those who have multiple children, that burden is even greater.”
For several years, Harvest has provided childhood hunger relief through its Backpack for Kids program, which works with area schools to send nutritious foods home with food insecure children over the weekend. Last year, the program reached over 700 children and is expected to increase to nearly 800 students, during the upcoming school year.
But what happens during the summer? “This year, Harvest Regional Food Bank began sponsoring Summer Feeding sites throughout its service area. While there
are a number of established Summer Feeding programs in our more populated counties, there were areas where no Summer Feeding Programs existed,” according to Mrs. Wrinkle. “We chose sites based on location, need, and the willingness of volunteers to carry out the program.” Because of it being a first year pilot program, Summer Feeding sites were set up in the communities of Ashdown, in Little River County and Calhoun Heights and Emerson, in Columbia County.
In addition, Harvest Regional Food Bank, received a grant from the C&S Packaging Company, a national partner of Feeding America, to continue its Backpack Program at various schools and sites, in conjunction with their existing Summer Feeding programs.
“This year we were thrilled to serve hundreds of children with nutritious foods this summer, and as we continue the program, we hope to see great growth, in both its reach and number of children reached,” says Wrinkle.
CHILDHOOD HUNGER TAKES CENTER STAGE AT HARVEST
HARVEST REGIONAL FOOD BANK BOARD OF DIRECTORS
For several years, the Walmart Foundation has supported Harvest Regional Food Bank in our efforts to fight hunger in Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas, with donations of both funds and food. In 2014, Harvest was one of fifty food banks to receive $60,000 through Walmart’s Fight Hunger, Spark Change Campaign. Later that year, Harvest received a grant toward the construction of a much needed commercial freezer.
Now, more than ever, Walmart has proven to be a friend to the Food Bank and food insecure families in our service area. In August 2015, through a grant from Walmart, Harvest was able to add a Retail Donation Coordinator position to our team. This position serves as the liaison between the Food Bank and our retail partners, and works to strengthen relationships and increase food donations. In addition, Harvest was also selected to participate in a Retail Donation Implementation Program, and developed a Three Year Retail Donation Strategic Plan. Because of the support of Walmart, and the goal driven actions of the food bank, Harvest has seen an increase in retail food donations of 630,000 lbs or 60%.
Once again, the Walmart Foundation has stepped up to support Harvest Regional Food Bank as we continue increasing services and food distribution. Harvest was recently awarded a $117,000 grant for the addition of a refrigerated truck to our fleet. “The heart of what we do each day is providing hunger relief to food insecure families, children and seniors,” according to Camille Wrinkle, Executive Director. “Our ability to provide that relief is directly tied to the amount of food we can safely accept and then distribute through our programs.” The addition of a refrigerated commercial truck allows Harvest to increase fresh, nutritious food donations and, as a result, increase the number of nutritious meals provided to those who need it most. “Harvest Regional Food Bank is truly grateful to Walmart for equipping us with the tools necessary to stay proactive as we expand our reach and close the meal gap for those we serve.”
Lydia Lawrence, PresidentLAL Marketing
Adra Hallford, Vice PresidentCity of Texarkana, TX
Jason Clanton, TreasurerCurt Green & Company
Josh Andrus, SecretaryEdward Jones
Charles Kent, Past PresidentKent & Associates, LLC
Frankie ConwaySuper1 Foods
Chuck CordellWalmart
Andi DarbyTownSquare Media
Brad DavisState Bank
Aaron GaylorStructural and Building Design of Texarkana
Mike IngramEZ Mart Stores, Inc.
George MattesonMoore, Giles & Matteson, LLP
Jordan MillerFarmers Bank & Trust
Pam OrrCommunity Leader
John PhillipsPhillips & Sons Refrigeration
Yolanda ThomasWells Fargo
Ron ThomasonFlowers Bakery
FOUNDATION SPOTLIGHT:
WALMART FOUNDATION
Sheryl Mohundro, Retail Coordinator, with Stephanie, Walmart Associate.
VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT:ON A MISSION TO HELP THE COMMUNITY
Who helps our warehouse guys organize donations? Who helps sort donations and makes sure food is on the shelves? Who makes sure food is available to our agencies for their pantries? It’s our volunteers. Only with help from our volunteers, are we able to efficiently help those in need in the community.
The dedicated volunteers at Harvest Regional Food Bank include Cathy Windstein, a retired mother and grandmother. Since starting at the Food Bank a year and a half ago, she has been on a mission to the help the community.
Cathy moved to Texarkana almost 5 years ago and is a regular volunteer at the Food Bank. She is instrumental in onboarding new volunteers and helps keep the program running smoothly. After retiring, Cathy found herself with time on her hands so she decided to give some time back to the community. At the time, Harvest was one of the few places that had volunteer opportunities and she was quickly drawn to the Food Bank because she had a desire to donate her time and help others that don’t have the resources due to the economy. Cathy said “I’ve been blessed and feel I should now help others.”
Everyone thanks Cathy for all the work she does to help us fight hunger and malnutrition in the community. Every effort counts when it comes to fighting hunger.
HOW ARE YOU CHANGING THE WORLD THROUGH VOLUNTEERISM?
WINE & JAZZ 2016On April 15th, community members joined together at Harvest Regional Food Bank’s annual Wine & Jazz gala to help fight hunger. The fundraiser was held at the Silvermoon on Broad, where guests dined on gourmet dishes and wine pairings prepared by Chefs Jeff Loving – Twisted Fork, Jennifer Tanner – Julie’s Deli, and Janet Bolls – Small Cakes. Wine and Beer was provided by Eagle Distributors, Glazer’s and Summerhill Winery.
The gala raised over $37,000 to support hunger relief programs throughout Harvest’s ten county service area.
SPONSORS:Ledwell MachineryMclarty FordORR EnterprisesTexar FCUPhillips & Sons RefrigerationState BankCHRISTUS St. Michael Health SystemCooper Tire & Rubber CompanyEagle Cutting & SupplyTexarkana Emergency CenterWells Fargo Bank Summerhill WineryE-Z Mart
Floyd Capital ManagementKelly & Lisa MitchellPediatric Dentistry of TexarkanaKent & AssociatesMike IngramMil-way FCUTexarkana Digital Press
Dear Supporters, Hunger Relief Agencies and Friends,
For Harvest Regional Food Bank, 2015 was a year of growth in both hunger relief services and hunger relief needs. The year was marked with accomplishments and milestones for the Food Bank as we continue to expand our existing programs and implement new ones.
Harvest finalized and began utilizing its new logo, Harvest Regional Food Bank. While the look and name may be different, the same commitment to alleviate hunger remains the same. The shift from Harvest Texarkana Regional Food Bank to the new shorter version reflected the Food Bank’s shift from a local charity to the truly “regional” hunger relief organization we have become over the last two and a half decades.
Throughout the year, Harvest made adjustments and revisions to our facility, as well. We spent much of the first half of our year making repairs to damaged insulation, upgrading bulbs and other equipment to meet higher food safety standards and modifying our fleet to make more deliveries to our agencies and communities. Along with our partners at Flowers Bakery, we also revised and rewrote our Food Safety policies and implemented stronger quality controls in preparation for our first Third Party Food Safety Audit, a new requirement for food banks across the country. The result was a score of 965 out of 1,000, one of our proudest accomplishments to date.
2015 also saw the completion of a new commercial level freezer that allowed us to double the amount of frozen and fresh items we can store and safely distribute. The addition of the cooler space came just in time for the Food Bank, as we began participating in a Produce Pilot program through Feeding America. Harvest was one of a handful of food banks selected to be part of the program, which provided us and, in turn our service area, with an additional 500,000 lbs of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Most importantly, 2015 was a year of growth in the amount of meals provided to Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas by the Food Bank. We saw a 25% increase in the amount of food we distribute, from 2.3 million to nearly 2.9 million lbs. That’s nearly 2.5 million meals.
While we celebrate the progress and growth of 2015, we know we still have far to go before we eliminate hunger for the 60,000 people in our community struggling to provide food for their families. Thank you for giving your time, your resources and your voice so that together, we CAN end hunger!
All the best,
Camille Coker Wrinkle, Lydia Lawrence, CEO/Executive Director President of the Board
Letter from the CEO and
Board President
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
the numbers
Food/Non-Cash 76%
The value of the food Harvest Regional Food Bank receives and distributes is included as Non-Cash under expenses and revenue.
Programs: All expenses related to reclaiming, storing and delivering food in the 10 counties we serve.
Fundraising: The cost of fundraising and marketing activities.
Administration: Compensation, accounting costs and other expenses not directly connected to food distribution.
EXPENSES REVENUEHandling Fees: Cost-sharing with partner agencies, who pay 6 to 16 cents per pound for grocery products.
Contributions: Free-will gifts from individuals, companies and other organizations.
Grants: Gifts from charitable foundations and government agencies.
Other: Income from investments, in-kind contributions, etc.
Handling Fees Contributions Grants Other Non-Cash (Food)
Total91% OF OUR RESOURCES SUPPORT IMMEDIATE FOOD DISTRIBUTION
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION, DECEMBER 31, 2015
Programs 18%
Administration 5%
Fundraising 1%
Food/Non-Cash 83%
Handling 2%
Grants 6%
Other <1%
Contributions 10%
$ 160,949$ 583,569$ 370,624$ 216$ 5,300,953
$ 6,416,311
2%10%6%
<1%83%
Programs Admin Fundraising Non-Cash (Food)
Total
$ 1,116,761$ 282,624$ 79,541$ 4,680,813
$ 6,159,739
18%5%1%
76%
60,000 food-insecure individuals.
NOURISHING OUR NEIGHBORS...
Harvest Regional Food Bank reaches more than
1 out of 4 we serve at harvest regional food bank is a senior.
75 partner agencies
1 out of 6 individuals in southwest Arkansas and Northeast
Texas struggle with hunger.
Harvest Regional Food Bank works closely with hundreds of volunteers, donors and corporate partners to fulfill our critical mission.
were distributed.
25,200backpacks
of the individuals served by the Food Bank are children under the age of 18. 25%
Nearly
16,000 individuals served each month.
That’s more than
Our Partner Agencies are spread across our
We don’t fulfill our mission alone. We count on our volunteers, who gave
75 partner agencies
10 county service area
and include meal programs, pantries, shelters, religious groups and a variety of other organizations.
BUILDING HUNGER-FREE COMMUNITIES...Last year Harvest Regional Food Bank distributed more than
2.9million pounds of food
2.4million meals
Which is the equivalent of
in addition to the direct programs we offer at our campus and at various locations.
And we rely on a vast network of
3,130 hours
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITESHarvest Regional Food Bank always has a place for volunteers! If you would like to volunteer, we have a variety of opportunities for groups ranging from one or two people to more than twenty. For more information or to be added to the volunteer schedule, call 870-774-1398 or email [email protected].
Turn your porch orange with an orange light bulb. Stop by Harvest to get your light bulb!
Stop in Julies Deli for a GO ORANGE cupcake — First two weeks of September.
Drop off a donation at Ledwell Machinery or Ledwell Office anytime in September.
Labor Day! Collect food from BBQ guests for the Food Bank.
Stop in Taste & See! 15% of all gelato sales go to Harvest Regional Food Bank!
Donate 10 non-perishable items to the Food Bank!
Drop off a donation for Harvest at Anderson Orthodontics all September. They will match lb. for lb.!
Raising Cane’s: 15% of sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer or mentioning the Food Bank
Like Harvest Regional Food Bank on Facebook!
Grandparents Day!Send a donation to the Food Bank in their honor.
Take a plate selfie and tag it on social media using #hungeractionmonth
Make coffee at home and donate what you would have spent to the Food Bank.
Do you know someone with extra garden produce? Tell them about our Gleaning Program!
Donate your status for hunger!
Contact the Food Bank to schedule a tour of our facility!
Harvest Volunteer Day! Call Harvest for available time slots!
Purchase your ticket to Taste of Texarkana. October 18th benefiting Harvest Regional Food Bank!
Texas Roadhouse: 10% of food sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer posted on Facebook.
Stop by the ATV show at Gander Mtn. and grab some food! A portion of sales will benefit Harvest.
Retweet or share a Food Bank post on social media.
Orange Leaf: Go get some frozen yogurt! 15% of all sales will benefit Harvest!
Go Orange & attend Hunger Action Month Luncheon at Williams UMC 12:00pm.
HungerActionMonth.org
SEPTEMBER 2015
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1. Post this calendar on the office or home fridge!
2 Turn your porch orange with an or-ange light bulb from Home Depot for hun-ger awareness
3 Go Orange & attend Hunger Action Month Luncheon at Wil-liams UMC 12:00 pm
4 Talk to your employer about matching donations to the Food Bank
5 Get The Dish! Request the print copy of our newsletter, The Dish. Har-vesttexarkana.org
6 Organize a food drive
7 Labor Day! Collect food from BBQ guests for the Food Bank
8 Orange Leaf: Go get some
frozen yogurt! 5-10pm 15% of
all sales will benefit Harvest
9 Donate 10 non-perishable items to the Food Bank
10 Raising Cane’s: 15% of sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer or mentioning the food bank
11 Drop off a donation for Harvest at An-derson Ortho-dontics anytime in September. They will match lb. for lb.!
12 Like Harvest Texarkana on
13 Grandparents Day! Send a donation to the food bank in their honor.
14 Texas Road-house: 10% of food sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer posted on Facebook
15 Fairfield Inn Cereal Drive & Cookout 5:30 at Texarkana, TX location
16 Make coffee at home and do-nate what you would have spent to the Food Bank
17 Stop in Taste & See! 10% of all gelato sales go to Harvest Texarka-na!
18 Donate! $1 = 7 lbs. of food or 5 meals. Give today! Harvesttexarka-na.org
19 View poverty statistics for your county at Map the Meal Gap
20 Donate your status for hunger
21 Contact the Food Bank to schedule a tour of our facility.
22 Volunteer at
the Food Bank
23 Donate a gro-cery store gift card to the Food Bank
24 Raising Cane’s: 15% of sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer or mentioning the food bank
25 Purchase your ticket to Taste of Texar-kana October 20th benefiting Harvest Texar-kana
26 Coordinate a benefit tasting-event
27 Bookmark our website
28 Request a guest speaker to talk to your group, class or organization about the Food Bank
29 Retweet or share a Food Bank post on social media
30 Watch the film 30 Days on Minimum Wage
FeedingAmerica.org/MaptheGap
Throughout September:
Purchase tickets to the 24th annual Taste of Texarkana! Tuesday, October 20th at the Four States Fairground Arena.
Anderson Orthodontics: Accepting donations and will match lb. for lb. Patients will receive one point on rewards card for each item.
1. 2. 3.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.4. 5.
13. 14. 15. 16. 17.11. 12.
20. 21. 22. 23. 24.18. 19.
27. 28.25. 26.
Organize a food drive!
HungerActionMonth.org
SEPTEMBER 2015
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1. Post this calendar on the office or home fridge!
2 Turn your porch orange with an or-ange light bulb from Home Depot for hun-ger awareness
3 Go Orange & attend Hunger Action Month Luncheon at Wil-liams UMC 12:00 pm
4 Talk to your employer about matching donations to the Food Bank
5 Get The Dish! Request the print copy of our newsletter, The Dish. Har-vesttexarkana.org
6 Organize a food drive
7 Labor Day! Collect food from BBQ guests for the Food Bank
8 Orange Leaf: Go get some
frozen yogurt! 5-10pm 15% of
all sales will benefit Harvest
9 Donate 10 non-perishable items to the Food Bank
10 Raising Cane’s: 15% of sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer or mentioning the food bank
11 Drop off a donation for Harvest at An-derson Ortho-dontics anytime in September. They will match lb. for lb.!
12 Like Harvest Texarkana on
13 Grandparents Day! Send a donation to the food bank in their honor.
14 Texas Road-house: 10% of food sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer posted on Facebook
15 Fairfield Inn Cereal Drive & Cookout 5:30 at Texarkana, TX location
16 Make coffee at home and do-nate what you would have spent to the Food Bank
17 Stop in Taste & See! 10% of all gelato sales go to Harvest Texarka-na!
18 Donate! $1 = 7 lbs. of food or 5 meals. Give today! Harvesttexarka-na.org
19 View poverty statistics for your county at Map the Meal Gap
20 Donate your status for hunger
21 Contact the Food Bank to schedule a tour of our facility.
22 Volunteer at
the Food Bank
23 Donate a gro-cery store gift card to the Food Bank
24 Raising Cane’s: 15% of sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer or mentioning the food bank
25 Purchase your ticket to Taste of Texar-kana October 20th benefiting Harvest Texar-kana
26 Coordinate a benefit tasting-event
27 Bookmark our website
28 Request a guest speaker to talk to your group, class or organization about the Food Bank
29 Retweet or share a Food Bank post on social media
30 Watch the film 30 Days on Minimum Wage
FeedingAmerica.org/MaptheGap
Throughout September:
Purchase tickets to the 24th annual Taste of Texarkana! Tuesday, October 20th at the Four States Fairground Arena.
Anderson Orthodontics: Accepting donations and will match lb. for lb. Patients will receive one point on rewards card for each item.
THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER: Ledwell Machinery or Ledwell Office is accepting donations anytime in September. Anderson Orthodontics is accepting donations throughout September. Existing patients will receive one point on rewards card for each item!
Purchase tickets to the 25th annual Taste of Texarkana! Tuesday, October 18th at the Four States Fairgrounds Arena.
Don’t Forget to get your orange light bulb!
29. 30.
Clean out your pantry and make a donation to Harvest.
Texas Roadhouse: 10% of food sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer posted on Facebook.
View poverty statistics for your county at Map the Meal Gap!feedingamerica.org/mapthegap
Raising Cane’s: 15% of sales will benefit Harvest when presenting flyer or mentioning the Food Bank
Fairfield Inn Cereal Drive & Cookout 5:30 at Texarkana, TX location.
Take a plate selfie and tag it on social media using #hungeractionmonth
HungerActionMonth.org
THANK YOU TO OUR HARVESTER’S
CLUB PARTNERSTo find out how you or your business can
become part of the Harvester’s Club please call us at 870-774-1398.
