Surprise Donation from Purina Makes the Holidays Brighter

Food Bank of the Rockies received notice of an early Christmas gift this year from our friends at Purina. For their $1 Million in ONE Day campaign, Purina sent out street teams to Denver, New Orleans, Miami and New York  on 12/20/10 and gave randomly selected people an opportunity to donate $5,000, in their name, from Purina ONEbeyOnd, to their charity of choice from a list of options.

Food Bank of the Rockies was one of the charities on the list for Denver. FBR was fortunate to receive $35,000 – that’s 140,000 meals for our community!

What a wonderful gesture, Purina - we are so grateful. And a huge thanks to those kind people who selected Food Bank of the Rockies. Talk about a great surprise to end 2010!

Visit Purina's Facebook page to send a thank-you message or comment about the day and read the USA Today article here.

"Samantha"

"Samantha" moved with her two kids to Colorado from Michigan a couple years back to be closer to her mom.  For two years, life was great.  Just like that, it all turned.  We spoke to her this past April about what brought her to a Denver food bank we were visiting.  Check out "Samantha's" story.  I think you'll be surprised at how real her life story is and how close so many of us are to the position she's in.  One month of no income.  So often, that's all it takes.   

Hunger is Everywhere...Even on the Tether Ball Court

FBR is fortunate enough to be one of many Denver-area nonprofit organizations that receives funding through Season To Share, a McCormick Foundation. The FBR authored post below comes from their new Season to Share blog,  showing the impact that can be made on the lives of those in need in our community through Season To Share. To learn more about Season To Share or to make a donation (all donations are matched at 50% by the McCormick Foundation), visit http://www.seasontoshare.com/.

"Remember being a kid and either being envied because you were really good at something or envious because someone else was? Bobby, (name changed), a sixth grader at a local Denver elementary school, is one of those kids who is really good at something. Tether ball. In Bobby’s school, if you rule the tether ball court, you are king of the class. No one could beat Bobby. One day, his teacher and a counselor observed he was losing on the court. They also noticed he didn’t seem to mind. Finally, they noticed that he began bringing a small carry-on to school. One afternoon, as he left for the day, they asked him what was inside. Bobby opened it up excitedly, proudly displaying sandwiches, fruit, chips, juices and other items, obviously from his classmates’ lunches. When his teacher asked him where he got all the food, he told her, “I let the other kids win at tether ball if they promise to give me some­thing from their lunch. Then I take the food home so my family can eat.”"


Click here for the rest of the post...

KBCO Studio C Fights Hunger

We're proud to once again be chosen as a recipient for the proceeds of KBCO's coveted Studio C album! On Saturday, December 4, FBR staff and volunteers joined forces with KBCO staff, representatives from Boulder Aids Project, Key Bank folks and endless lines of KBCO fans outside various Ultimate Electronics locations around town.  The goal?  Thousands of people line up overnight  or at the crak of dawn to be first in line to purchase this compilation of one of a kind musical masterpieces.  Fresh from Studio C.  We were honored enough to spend time with KBCO talent and chat with folks who make this a yearly tradition.   Many thanks to all our friends at KBCO for including us in this outstanding fundraiser.  Our neighbors in need will reap the rewards of your generosity.     

KBCO's witty Bret Saunders and the lovely Robbyn Hart set up shop outside the Park Meadows Ultimate Electronics location. 

FBR's Janie & Gwen joined the masses at the Park Meadows remote.

 The line.  The endless line.

 Key Bank provided coffee and breakfast food for the crowd to enjoy as they waited.

Childhood Weekend Hunger Needs Your Help

You've probably heard about our Totes of Hope-Children program. So many of the kids we serve had very little to eat over the weekend when after school programs and clubs were closed. Mom or Dad often work multiple jobs and these kids were coming to school Monday morning, hungry and undernourished. Thus the Totes of Hope program was born, delivering backpacks of food that kids can take home on Friday, providing not only nutrition, but also peace of mind over the weekend.

Our friends at Feeding America just sent along an email, announcing some potentially very exciting news for weekend childhood hunger in America. Caryn Long, Senior Policy Counsel at Feeding America in Washington DC explained that the U.S. House of Representatives just passed the Weekends Without Hunger Act on December 8. The act was introduced earlier this spring by Dina Titus of Nevada and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

The bill would authorize a five-year pilot program funded with 10 million dollars for the USDA to apply toward weekend feeding programs in America. The USDA would provide commodities to programs serving low income kids – 50 percent or more of the kids in the program must be enrolled in free or reduced-price school lunches for the program to qualify for the funding. Currently, Food Bank of the Rockies' Totes of Hope program is privately funded, as are many backpack programs around the country. This would enable us to expand our reach to more kids in need in low income areas of our service area.

The challenge....the bill has passed the House and will now go to the Senate. If the Senate passes the bill, the pilot program will be authorized. If the bill fails to pass before the Senate adjourns, we will need to start from the beginning with the 112th Congress in January.

How YOU can help...tell your Senator to pass the Weekends Without Hunger Act. Call both of your senators and deliver this message:

“As my Senator, there is a very important way you can help the hungry before Congress adjourns for the year. Please pass the Weekends Without Hunger Act (HR 5012). Thank you.”

Bennet, Michael F. - (D - CO)
702 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5852

Udall, Mark - (D - CO)
317 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5941


Collectively, we can make this happen!

Blowing Glass, Fighting Hunger

PISMO Fine Art Glass, Colorado’s foremost gallery for glass art,  joined forces with the “Colorado Project” to benefit FBR. PISMO hosted a reception and silent auction on October 8, 2010, at their Denver gallery in Cherry Creek North. The glass works that were auctioned were donated by more than two dozen artists participating in the Colorado Project. The participants included lamp workers from around the state and the nation. 100% of the proceeds from the auction were donated to us!

In its second year, the Colorado Project is a 501(3) non-profit organization whose primary mission is to unite glass artists through philanthropic events and causes. Over 300 glass artists participated in a weekend workshop this past July to collaborate in a non-competitive environment allowing them to share ideas and knowledge regarding their craft. Many of the auction items were made that weekend.

The works include a beautiful wall installation titled “Metamorphosis”. The piece is made in individual sections that measure a total of 37” high x 90” wide and emulates the transformation of a worm to a cocoon to a stunning butterfly. Five artists collaborated to make this piece – Darby Holm, Ryan “Buck” Harris, Adam Grafuis, Alex Ubatuba, and Eusheen Goines.

Representatives from the Colorado Project presented us with a check last week for a total of nearly $11,000 for both events!  Special thanks to all those involved at The Colorado Project and all the artists who made this generous donation possible.  Nearly 44,000 meals will be provided as a result of your hard work and dedication to fighting hunger and feeding hope.

Child Nutrition Reauthorization Passes!

Great strides were made in national child nutrition last week.  After what seems like years of government contemplation, the legislation finally passed!  We're thrilled about the positive changes that will now be possible for America's kids...our future.  See below for an article from the Huffington Post, written by Feeding America's Vicki Escarra. 

"My southern roots have taught me that when someone does something for which you are grateful, you write a thank-you note.


We've been talking for months about the urgent need for a robust child nutrition bill and today, the Feeding America network gets to celebrate the passage of the long-awaited Healthy, Hunger-Free Families Act. The legislation will increase access to federal food programs for millions of children and improve the nutritional quality of the meals they serve. And for that, we have many, many people to thank...."

Click here for the remainder of the story....

2 Days On Air Provides 3.6 Million Meals

If you're a Mix 100 listener, you're aware that the 12 Annual Dom and Jane Charity Marathon just raised over 3.6 million meals for our neighbor in need!  How awesome is that?  Our office has been a buzz with excitement.  We look forward to this event each and every year and are taken back by how generous our community is!  It's heart warming to hear people calling in to pledge donations from $5 to $1000.  Each pledge goes a long way and is greatly appreciated by FBR and all those we serve through our partner agencies.  

THANKS to Mix 100, Dom, Jane, Jeremy, Tizzy and all those involved in making Charity Marathon happen year to year. You're all an incredibly valued part of the Food Bank of the Rockies family!   

Jeremy and Tizzy went to bat for FBR through their social media networks.

A Target rep chats with Dom and Jane about their longstanding partnership with FBR.

Greg Moss graced Dom and Jane with a visit.

FBR's Donna and Kristina hang out with the gang.

Walmart poses with Dom and Jane after chatting on air.

2 reps from Grainger stop in to talk about their gifts to FBR.

Excel Energy administers a program through their customers to benefit FBR.

Panera brings their famous Big Check from "Operation Dough-nation" to the station.

FBR Board Chair, Doug Wilhelm, talks about CoBank's dedication to fighting hunger.

King Soopers visits with Dom and Jane after talking about their generous efforts to fighting local hunger.

Morgan Stanley stops by to talk about their recent gift to support the Totes of Hope -Children program.

Daniel's Fund talks with Dom and Jane about their dedication to fighting hunger.

The beautiful view from the NEW Mix studio!

Whiting Petroleum pays their annual visit to the Charity Marathon.

Special thanks to all the volunteers who manned the phone banks over the course of the 2 days!

Natural Grocers pays the studio a visit to encourage listeners to participate in their Check Out Hunger promotion.

Filling Empty Bowls

Taken from a 12/1/2010 YourHub.com article:

You're invited to help fill "Empty Bowls" in our community. The annual Cherry Creek Schools Empty Bowls event, benefiting Food Bank of the Rockies, will be held from 4-7 pm on Thursday, December 9, in the West Cafeteria at Cherry Creek High School.


Handmade bowls made by ceramic students from Cherry Creek High School, West Middle School, Prairie Middle School, Belleview Elementary, Homestead Elementary, Cherry Hills Village and Greenwood Elementary will be sold at the event for $10 and up. Each purchased bowl will include tasty soup. There will also be a silent auction including unique artwork, Direct TV for one year, and much, much more!

All proceeds go to Food Bank of the Rockies. Each dollar raised provides four meals through the food bank. In the past four years, the Cherry Creek Schools Empty Bowls event has raised more than $30,000 for Food Bank of the Rockies.  The Empty Bowls are a reminder that there are always empty bowls in the world and in our own backyard. Hope to see you on December 9!

If you're interested in helping or donating silent auction items, please contact: Efong Yee at Eyee2@cherrycreekschools.org.

Holiday Light Show to Fight Hunger

Arvada residents, Tom and Ed, are hosting their 5th Annual Holiday Light Display through January 7, 2011.  37,000 computer controlled holiday lights adorn their yard, trees, roof...you get the idea!  This display is one that lights up the neighborhood and people's hearts as they take in the views and sounds of the season.  Two 30 minute shows play on alternate nights and can be heard through 106.3 fm from the comfort of your car.


For the third year running, Tom and Ed are accepting donations in a box outside their home with the proceeds benefiting Food Bank of the Rockies.  “The entire project is very labor intensive, but when we see the finished product, it’s all worth it. And when we look out the window and see the traffic and the eager faces of children with eyes as big as saucers, it gives us a nice warm feeling. In 2008 we decided that it would be an excellent idea to take donations for Food Bank of the Rockies.” Over the past two years, Ed and Tom’s visitors have raised over $7,300 to benefit FBR!

If you're in the neighborhood, or even if you're not, head over to Tom and Ed's house and check out how these Coloradans are using their talents and passion to fight hunger and feed hope.     

When:  November 25 through Friday, January 7, 2011. Weeknights from 5:00pm-10:00pm and weekends from 5:00pm – 11:00pm.

Where:  12177 W 58th Place, Arvada 80004

Saddle Up and Give Hunger the Boot

The 17th Annual Network for the Needy Luncheon took place this past month.  We look forward to this event each and every year!  Network for the Needy is sponsored by the Meetings Industry Council of Colorado and is comprised of a group of  dedicated and compassionate  individuals from the hospitality industry who work together to create a delightful experience complete with delicious food, fun and original entertainment. Everything is donated, so 100% of the proceeds benefit Food Bank of the Rockies and its Denver's Table program.


Chefs from local hotels and restaurants put their best 'food' forward at this year's event.  Each participating restaurant tempted over 550 meeting, event and conference planners from around the Rocky Mountain Region with their appealing appetizers, exquisite entrees and delectable desserts.  Chefs also had the opportunity to compete for the best appetizer, entree and dessert prior to the main event. Our volunteer culinary judges chose the winning creations and their picks were announced during the program.


Nearly $20,000 was donated to FBR as a result of this year's "Give Hunger the Boot!" event!  That equates to almost 80,000 meals to our neighbors in need.  THANKS to everyone involved in making this event another outstanding success!

 This room was bustling with hospitality folks sampling gourmet cuisine options.  

 Each restaurant set up their own unique booth display.

 How could one resist these delectable cookies?

 FBR's, Jose, was appropriately dressed for the Western theme.

 A group of dancers provided entertainment for the crowd. 

 THE BIG CHECK! 

 Special thanks to the entire Network for the Needy committee!  This event is a success because of your time and efforts. 

 Each year, a student designs the image that is imprinted on the awards.  This year's winner is being presented with her special plate!

 Reggie shows off the artwork of our talented winner!

One of our winning restaurants is presented with their award. 

State of Hunger

FBR held a "State of Hunger" press conference yesterday at the Colorado Nonprofit Association to address hunger on national and local levels.  Panelists included Feeding America's, Eric Davis, Hunger Free Colorado's, Kathy Underhill, FBR's Kevin Seggelke and His Hands Christina Ministries, Johnny Davis.  Each panelist spoke about their organization's challenges and discussed the reality of growing demand for food assistance.  The Denver Post was a part of the conference and featured a front page story this morning.   

Denver and the West

Colo. Food Banks See "Staggering" Increase in Need

By Colleen O'Connor
The Denver Post
11/18/2010
Colo. Food Banks See "Staggering" Increase in Need -
Colorado's five major food banks distributed more than 76 million pounds of food throughout the state last year, a 25 percent increase over the previous year, and experts expect worse to come.  "Already, this fiscal year . . . is on pace for another 7 to 10 percent increase over the prior year, which makes that a 32 to 35 percent increase over a two-year time period," said Kevin Seggelke, president and chief executive of Food Bank of the Rockies. "That's just a staggering number.
 
Read the rest of the Denver Post's article here.

Morgan Stanley Fills the Plates of Colorado Kids

This past Friday, local Morgan Stanley employees teamed up with FBR to fill over 100 Totes of Hope ™ for local kids in need and distributed the totes to children at Love Christian in Denver as they headed home for the weekend.


This volunteer effort comes as the financial services firm recently launched 'Fill the Plate,' a $5 million commitment to combat child hunger during weekends and after-school hours in Colorado and around the country. FBR will receive a generous gift of $120,000 over the next two years as a result of this dedicated effort!!!

While more than 200,000 children in our service area receive free or reduced-priced meals through the National School Lunch Program, there are no targeted federal resources to supply meals to these children during the weekends. Our Totes of Hope™ program provides an innovative solution to this problem: backpacks filled with shelf-stable, nutritious food for children to take home when the weekend arrives. These free backpacks contain about nine pounds of wholesome food children can prepare themselves if necessary.

We applaud Morgan Stanley for making a positive impact for Denver-area children in need in the areas of hunger relief and obesity!  Your generosity will certainly go a very long way in the lives of these kids.

Running, Walking, Strolling, Jogging...to Fight Hunger

Panera Bread hosted its fourth annual  Panerathon 5K/10K race on Sunday, Sept. 26 with all proceeds benefiting FBR. This race continues to grow year after year, but this year set new records.  In 2009, 430 people registered and this year, nearly 700 runners and walkers came out for the race!  We were thrilled with this impressive turn out!  As a result of this growth in participants, over 30,000 meals will be provided to our neighbors in need.  

 

The race started outside the Panera Bread bakery-cafe in The Shops at Walnut Creek in Westminster, Colo. and wound registrants through the scenic trail system in the area.  Murphy from KOSI 101 kicked off the festivities and welcomed runners and walkers across the finish line.  Gift cards from Panera Bread and Road Runner Sports were given to the top overall male and female finishers and participants and their families enjoyed the post-race expo, including fun activities for the entire family and complimentary freshly baked bagels, pastries and sandwiches from Panera Bread.

One of our favorite aspects of this event is watching the kiddos participate in the free Kids' Fun Run, which takes place pre-race.  The kids line up and get warmed up with the help of our trusty local Westminster firefighters. 

It's hard to top the kids' enthusiasm, but the adults seem to have a pretty good time too.  We thoroughly enjoy watching folks cross the finish line - some walking, some sprinting, some cheering, some hi-fiving, some panting, some laughing. 

“Panera Bread is committed to supporting our local communities and the fight hunger,” said Craig Flom, regional operating partner for the Colorado Panera Bread bakery-cafes. “We want to thank the runners, walkers, adults, kids and dogs for joining us for Panerathon 2010 in support of Food Bank of the Rockies.”

Special thanks to these two ladies who win the award for longest distance traveled - they drove all the way from Kansas just to participate in Panerathon!