A Quick Call Can Make A Long Lasting Impact

If you have a couple minutes to send an email or make a phone call, please read ahead!  Your help is needed. 

The Senate has passed its version of the FY12 Agriculture Appropriations Bill which provides $176.788 million for CSFP as requested in the President’s budget. That amount will allow food banks across the country, including Food Bank of the Rockies, to maintain current caseload levels.

The bill will now go to the conference committee to work out the differences with the House passed version. The House bill only provides $138 million for CSFP. Any amount less than $176.788 million will result in caseload cuts from programs across the United States.  Food Bank of the Rockies would be forced to cut our caseload by approximately 2,000 Colorado residents per month.  That would be tragic for our neighbors in need and would mean those folks would need to find other means for receiving much needed food for their families. 

The current continuing resolution runs out on November 18th. It is expected that a final spending bill will be completed by then.  Please contact your Senators and Representatives today and ask them to support $176.788 million for CSFP as passed by the Senate.

The US Capitol Switchboard number is 202.224.3121. Or you can find your House Rep here and your Senators here.  Please call or send them a quick note today!!!!!

ALREADY OVER HALF WAY THERE!

How excited are we to announce that we're already OVER HALF WAY to our goal of $5,000 to start a new Totes of Hope- Children site through our Facebook Fans Feeding Tummies Campaign? SUPER EXCITED! Our Facebook friends, volunteers and other generous donors have pitched in over the past 2 days to raise the thermometer on this much needed campaing. And we're THRILLED with the outpouring of generosity we're seeing in this short time period. Can you imagine how much we'll raise over the course of 2 weeks if we've already raised over $2760 in 2 days? Maybe 2 new sites will be provided......


From our food bank family to yours, KUDOS and THANKS!  Click HERE to become part of this campaign and please spread the word!

 

Announcing Member #13...Lindsey Vonn

Lindsey Vonn, Olympic Ski Racer

"Colorado is near and dear to me. I understand that there are many Coloradans who don't always know where their next meal is coming from and I can't imagine the feelings that are associated with fearing hunger.  I'm fortunate enough to be in a position where I can offer support for those in need and through Food Bank of the Rockies, I hope to offer my talents and voice in fighting hunger and feeding hope for so many Coloradans who need food assistance."

About Lindsey:
Lindsey Vonn has established herself as the most successful female ski racer in American History. She is the only American woman to have captured downhill gold at the Olympics and the only American woman with three World Cup Overall titles. Vonn’s victories include an Olympic Gold and Bronze medal, 33 World Cup wins in four disciplines (downhill, Super G, Slamon and super combined), as well as two World Championship gold medals.


Vonn began racing in Minnesota at the age of two, before moving into Erich Sailer’s renowned program at Buck Hill. She commuted to Vail to train for a few years, before her family decided to relocate. En route to the World Cup, Vonn excelled at every level including Junior Olympics, Trofeo Topolino, Whislter Cup, Junior Worlds, NorArms and Europa Cup.

Vonn has become one of the most recognizable female athletes in the United States, gracing the covers of publications such as ESPN: The Magazine, Sports Illustrated and Fitness Magazine.  Vonn resides in Vail, Colorado with her husband.

Celeb Council Members #11 & #12

Anne Trujillo & Mike Nelson, Nightly Anchor & Chief Meteorologist for 7NEWS
Photo by Hans Rosemond

"This is a tough time for so many families in Colorado.  The mission of Food Bank of the Rockies has never been so important.  We urge everyone to do what they can to help support this vital service."

About Anne:
Anne Trujillo co-anchors 7NEWS at 3, 5, and 10 p.m. Anne started her broadcasting career at a Denver radio station. From there, Anne moved on to television stations in Scottsbluff and Omaha, Neb., before returning home to Colorado in September 1984 as a 7NEWS general assignment reporter.

Anne is an award-winning broadcast journalist. Her reporting and anchoring work has been recognized by the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, the Colorado Broadcasters Association, The Associated Press, and Women in Communications. She is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Throughout her career, Anne has been very active in the community. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Kempe Center, and is chair of the Advisory Council for Escuela de Guadalupe, a K-5 school in Denver. She is also a member of the Latino Outreach Committee of the Denver Art Museum and the Food Bank of the Rockies Celebrity Council. 

In addition, Anne serves on the board of "WINS," Women's Initiative for Networking and Success, a McGraw-Hill Companies initiative to provide skills for advancement to women within the company.

Anne has also received numerous awards for service to the community from Mi Casa Resource Center, RAAP, Rape Assistance and Awareness Program, Museo de las Americas, and LAEF among many others. Anne is married, has two children, and still makes her home in Littleton, Colo., where she grew up.

About Mike:
Mike Nelson joined 7News in June of 2004 as Chief Meteorologist. Prior to his position at KMGH, Nelson served as Chief Meteorologist for KUSA-TV from 1991 to 2004.


Mike received his degree in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In 1976, he began work at Weather Central, a private weather consulting firm specializing in forecasts for ski areas, agri-business, power utilities, and the Wisconsin TV network as well as over 40 other radio and TV stations nationwide. Nelson was appointed executive vice president of Weather Central in 1979 and supervised a staff of 14 meteorologists.

While in Madison, Nelson partnered with fellow meteorologist, Terry Kelly, in devising a computer weather graphics system for television. This system, called LIVELINE, remains the most widely used television weather graphics system in the world; over 500 TV stations use this system.

In 1985, Mike and his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he served as Chief Meteorologist at KMOV-TV until 1991. While in St. Louis, Mike was a member of the American Meteorological Society's Board of Broadcast Meteorology and was one of six meteorologists that select candidates to receive the AMS Seal of Approval for Television Weathercasting.

Mike has won 14 Emmy awards for Outstanding Weather Anchor. In 2001, he was recognized by the Colorado Broadcasters Association as their "Citizen of the Year" for his volunteer work in Colorado schools. Mike enjoys sharing his knowledge of the weather with young and old, visiting nearly 100 schools, clubs, and service organizations each year. His Tornado Dance is a much anticipated event!

Mike has also written a local best seller, "The Colorado Weather Almanac."

Celeb Council Member #10

Murphy Huston, Host of the Murphy & Denise KOSI 101 Morning Show

"It's an honor for me to be a part of the Celebrity Council for Food Bank of the Rockies.  I so respect all they do for people in need.  I hope I can help further the cause of fighting hunger."

About Murphy:
Murphy has been doing radio in Denver for 25 years, 14 on KOSI. He is married to Carol and they raised their 4 children here and now have 4 grandchildren. Murphy has been very active in the community and has the 7 Everyday hero award and several others. For years he was the face of the Colorado Lotto by doing their weekly drawings on News 4. He thoroughly enjoys doing radio where is lone goal everyday to to put a smile on some one's face....."If I can make your day a little better then I'm a happy man." He is truly a "HOMER" when it comes to the local sports teams and is still trying to figure out his golf game.

Celeb Council Members #8 & 9

Dom Testa, Co-host of the Dom & Jane Morning Show on Mix 100

Not pictured:  Jane London - photo to come soon!

"We're always known that Food Bank of the Rockies does incredible work with more than 1,000 agencies, and we've seen firsthand how they impact lives.  But when we actually spent time at their facilities, and saw the spirit in their staff and volunteers, it made us appreciate the real people who dedicate each day to making a difference.  We're fortunate in Colorado to have an organization that is fueled not only by generous donors, but by passionate believers in the power to change lives."

About Dom:

From the time I was a teenager I knew that I wanted to do two things: goof around on the radio, and write. So that’s exactly what I’ve done.  Starting at age 16, I’ve been able to do the radio part, and it has brought me here to MIX 100. I began hosting this show in 1993 (jeez, has it really been that long??), and it’s still a blast every morning.

The writing has always been a big part of my life, but really took off a few years ago. Now, my award-winning book series for young adults has been acquired by Tor Books in New York, and they are launching the Galahad series worldwide.

I also visit schools and host writing assemblies and workshops. Plus, when I’m in front of the kids, I always talk about the foundation I created called The Big Brain Club. Its primary goal is to help kids overcome the peer pressure to dumb down. Plus, there are tons of writing tips and exercises to help kids exercise their brains. Check it out at http://www.bigbrainclub.com/.  Thanks for spending your mornings with the Dom and Jane Show!

About Jane:
I’m happy to have been part of The Dom and Jane Show for over 10 years, here on MIX 100.  I grew up in Michigan and attended Central Michigan University, where I managed (between visits to the bar) to get a degree in Journalism. My career began as a radio reporter and I was able to cover a couple of presidential elections, which was a lot of fun for me. I morphed out of news and into a ‘morning radio personality’ and worked as a talk show host for a few years, before moving to Denver and MIX 100.

I’ve been married to my husband, Prince Charming, for almost 20 years. We live in the hills and spend most of our free time in the mountains, near Winter Park, where we ski, hike, bike, and catch up on sleep. We have a cat, named Gus and a Jack Russell Terrier, named Chili, who is without a doubt, the Cutest Dog in the World!

If you listen to The Dom and Jane Show, you know that I tend to say what’s on my mind, and I credit my parents for producing four independent, free-thinking (and speaking) children. That’s not to say I didn’t get punished for my smart mouth on occasion! My mom once told me, as a child, that I’d never keep a job if I continued to be such a smart aleck. Good thing I didn’t listen to that advice.

Dom and I are very proud of the success that we’ve been able to achieve as the morning hosts on MIX 100. Thanks so much for listening!

Celeb Council Member #7

Matt Morris, Recording Artist

"As an artist, I'm given the unique opportunity to share what is meaningful to me with a large, sometimes international audience. Now I'm honored to use my voice to bring awareness to something local. Food Bank of the Rockies provides an amazing service to communities across Colorado, and I stand by them in the movement to end hunger. No one should go to bed hungry in the Land of Plenty."

About Matt:

What is it that separates Matt Morris from so many other recording artists? When you peel back all the layers - the diverse moods, styles and topics he sings about - there is one common denominator: They reflect Matt's dedication to living and writing about a meaningful life.

His album, Everything Breaks Open, was produced in Austin, Texas, and in Los Angeles by Charlie Sexton and Tennman label founder Justin Timberlake - two names you wouldn’t intuitively expect to team up in the studio. “Charlie and Justin can be seen as representative of different sides of my music,” Morris says. “There is an earthy, rooted, sometimes melancholy side to some of my writing that is in line with Charlie’s personality and approach. There is a playful, high-energy, soulful side that speaks to who Justin is, as a person and producer. The two people are very different from one another, but they both have impeccable instincts.”

Morris has known Timberlake since the early 1990s, when the two were child co-stars of that era’s edition of “The All New Mickey Mouse Club.” Morris was on the show for four seasons, from 1991-1995. Even before what was popularly known as MMC, Morris was a stage savvy performer. His father is country artist Gary Morris, former Broadway actor and once one of country’s biggest stars. His parents divorced when he was young; he lived with his mother in Denver, but on summer vacations, he would often join his father not just on the road, but on stage.

In addition to Timberlake, Morris’ friends and contemporaries from the show included luminaries such as Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, and JC Chasez. While many of his cohorts leveraged their Disney Channel exposure to successful pop and acting careers, Morris craved teenage normality, and the family headed back to Denver. “At 15, all I really wanted to do was hang out, get my learner’s permit, and not work” Morris says. “I didn’t want to be a celebrity; I wanted to be a kid."  During the summer between his Junior and Senior years in high school, Matt worked as a volunteer health activist for the non-profit organization, Amigos de las Americas. He worked in a remote village in Paraguay, South America, teaching hygiene to locals and assisting with sanitation. Matt’s experience with Amigos was a precursor to the work he would do as a partner artist with the Flobot’s non-profit, FightWithTools.org, an organization committed to providing support on many levels to communities in need.

Morris reunited as a collaborator for some of his fellow Mouseketeers as they pursued their music careers. Morris and Aguilera co-wrote five songs on her Stripped album, including the hit “Can’t Hold Us Down”; they also wrote Kelly Clarkson’s hit, “Miss Independent.” Morris teamed up with Timberlake to craft “The Only Promise That Remains” – a duet performed by Timberlake and Reba McEntire for the Reba Duets album. The pair also wrote “(Another Song) All Over Again” produced by mega-producer Rick Rubin, for Justin’s 2008 FutureSex/LoveSounds.

“To write for another person is to channel that person’s artistic vision,” Morris says. “I work to become aligned with their intentions, and allow my words to speak as close to their perspectives as possible. I think that’s why it is so easy for me to write with Justin, and why my time with Christina yielded so many songs. I know them; we have a shared context.”

Morris’ own music occupies a time and space entirely different from the songs he has collaborated on. In 2003, Matt released the DIY album, UnSpoken, and over the last couple of years has toured with Grammy award winners The Indigo Girls and Joan Osborne. In 2008, he performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, which spawned a five song EP - Backstage at Bonnaroo and other Acoustic Performances.  All these years of work paved the way for When Everything Breaks Open, which was conceived in a Middle Eastern restaurant in New York City. “Justin had just performed on “Saturday Night Live” for the first time, and I was there to support him and watch the show. At dinner after the show, he told me he was going to start a label of his own, and that he wanted to sign me as his artist. He said he was going to help me share my music with the world, and I believed him.”

On When Everything Breaks Open, Matt Morris has grown from an award-winning songwriter to a multi-talented recording artist with one of the most ambitious albums of 2010.