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The Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) has welcomed bountiful
donations of spring produce this season, with an abundance
arriving freshly harvested from Sonoma County farms. Farmers
from Windsor’s Foggy River Farm and Santa Rosa’s
Jackson Family Wines winery farm have generously
donated portions of their spring crops to the REFB Kitchen Collective for use in our culinary creations, which nourish
our neighbors in need. Community gleaners have been equally
generous with harvests from local farms and neighborhood
gardens. To celebrate these local partnerships, the REFB is
following the path of spring produce, from local farms, into the
hands of local volunteer gleaners, to the REFB Kitchen Collective,
and into packaged, heat-and-serve entrées that fuel seniors and
families throughout Sonoma County.
This April, the REFB accompanied Healdsburg-based partner
organization, Farm to Pantry, to several farm sites and
neighborhood yards in Healdsburg and Geyserville where
volunteers were gleaning seasonal produce like grapefruit,
oranges, lettuces and leeks. Farm to Pantry gleans roughly
55,000 pounds of local fruits and vegetables annually, saving ripe
produce from rot and distributing it to the REFB and 21 other local
organizations serving low-income seniors and families. Farm to
Pantry volunteers gleaned some of the first ripe strawberries of
the season at Healdsburg’s Front Porch Farm in April,
along with hundreds of pounds of green garlic and spring leeks.
“This is about purposeful volunteer work with a human
connection,” said Carol, a Farm to Pantry gleaner. “I love having
the opportunity to preserve fresh, nourishing food for members
of our community who don’t always have access to it. This
produce is really life saving for some in our community.”Our Kitchen Collective Chef, Don Nolan, and his culinary team of
50 dedicated volunteers, used Front Porch Farm’s green garlic in
his recipe for sauteed Brussels sprouts with mushroom “bacon,”
which also highlighted donated organic speciality mushroom
varieties from Sebastopol-based Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. Front Porch Farm’s spring leeks were incorporated into
hearty calzones, which also featured freshly gleaned chard from
Bernier Farms in Healdsburg, donated Amy's Kitchen pastry flour and donated Clover Stornetta butter. These
local collaborations, which highlight the ways in which individuals
and businesses are working together to end hunger, provide vital nutrition to hundreds of low-income seniors and families.
From the REFB Kitchen Collective, roughly 4,000 completed entrées are packaged, sealed, frozen and distributed each
month. You can help sustain this innovative program and nourish our neighbors with locally sourced ingredients. Visit refb.org
today to make a donation.
For the last 30 years, the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) has worked to end
hunger in our community by making nutrition assistance available and accessible
to anyone in need of help. Each of our 12 innovative, direct-service hunger relief
programs distributes fresh produce and healthy staple pantry items, and many focus
on specific diet-related health issues and provide effective nutrition education.
Our Megan Furth Harvest Pantry
(MFHP) is one such program, ending
childhood hunger and reducing the
incidence of childhood anemia and obesity
by distributing produce rich in iron and
vitamin C and providing critical nutrition
education to families with young children.
This spring, REFB Program Coordinator,
Jorge Delgado, is providing a course on
food synergy at MFHP sites. His bilingual
nutrition lessons focus on the importance
of each food group, and how to properly portion and pair foods to create balanced
meals for growing children. One week’s discussion examined whole grains and
pairings with vegetable-based proteins, like those found in legumes and leafy
greens, which are often available at MFHP distributions. Another week focused on
healthy snacks. When apples were delivered to a MFHP distribution site, Delgado
discussed an usual pairing: apples and chocolate. With a bar of extra dark chocolate
broken into bite-sized pieces, he explained that the anti-inflammatory properties
found in apples, particularly in apple skins, work with the antioxidants found in
chocolate containing at least 70% cacao. The combination, he shared, helps promote
healthy blood flow.
“The nutrition lessons are empowering,” said Sofia, a MFHP food recipient and
mother of two. “Providing for my kids on a tight budget is a painful struggle. I can’t
afford the food I know my kids need to be strong. But Jorge’s lessons teach me
how to get the most nutrition out of the foods I get from the distribution, and how
to buy healthier foods even with a limited income. I feel like I’m getting the tools I
need to make sure my kids are healthy.”The REFB’s School Pantry program
also engaged local families in nutrition
education this spring. Dietetic Interns from
the Santa Rosa Junior College Nutrition & Dietetic Program spent two months sampling healthy
versions of common, kid-friendly foods
at School Pantry sites, like brown rice
pudding, made with skim milk, raisins,
and cinnamon. Bilingual recipes were also
available to help families experiment with
healthy cooking at home.
Help Sonoma County families discover new paths to nutrition. Donate to fuel our
hunger-relief programs for the next 30 years. Visit refb.org today.
REDWOOD EMPIRE FOOD BANK SPRING 2017
1
1 Charting New Paths to Nutrition
2 Doing All the Right Things
3 Geography of Hope
4 Geography of Hope, Continued
5 Annual Food & Funds Drive
6 The Path of Produce Raising Your Paddles to End Hunger
the redwood empire food bank
provides food and hunger-relief in
Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt
and Del Norte Counties. The REFB is a
member of Feeding America and the
California Association of Food Banks.
IN THIS ISSUE:
NewsfeedThe
65
Celebrating 30 Years of Ending Hunger & Feeding HopeCharting New Paths to Nutrition
The Path of ProduceFrom Local Farms, to Family Tables
REFB Dietetic Intern, Ana Oseguera, serves a tasty sample of brown rice pudding at a School Pantry site.
Since our Annual Food & Funds Drive (AFFD) kicked off last November, we
at the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) have witnessed an outpouring
of generosity from our giving community. From corporate leadership to
individual community organizers, Sonoma County hunger-relief workers
have secured food and funds that will nourish our community throughout
the year.
We are continuously inspired by 12 year-old Memphis Roetter, who
earlier this spring completed his Annual Birthday Food & Funds Drive. Over
three months, Memphis collected 8,900 pounds of non-perishable quality
foods at Oliver's Market Stony Point, and raised nearly $6,250 through
individual donations to support the REFB! Cliff Bar also generously
donated more than 5,500 pounds of nutritious Cliff and Luna bars to
support Memphis and his remarkable food drive. In total, this passionate
young hunger-relief worker provided more than 19,500 meals to our
neighbors in need - all in lieu of birthday gifts.
There has been no shortage of youth involvement in our AFFD this year. The boy scouts of America, Redwood Empire Council completed their annual Scouting for Food drive this spring, collecting enough non-perishable food to
provide more than 4,300 meals to families facing hunger. Twenty-five Sonoma County schools have also hosted food drives
since November, with Santa Rosa’s Roseland University Prep currently leading the pack! Roseland students have
collected over 7,000 pounds this academic year, resulting in more than 5,800 meals for our hungry neighbors.
Oliver's Market shoppers helped the REFB save supper over the winter months, one holiday bell purchase at a time.
Together, customers raised more than $8,800 through Oliver’s One Bell Saves Supper campaign, providing more
than 17,600 healthy meals to those experiencing food insecurity in our community.
Local Safeway and Lucky shoppers were equally generous
this past winter. Lucky customers provided more than 13,000
meals through $2 - $5 donations at check stands in the Lucky Give, Share, Care! holiday campaign. Safeway customers
who purchased $10 bags of healthy staple groceries to feed our
neighbors in need during the three months of the Safeway Feed the Need campaign helped provide more than 119,000
meals! And, both businesses will continue their leadership in
the fight against hunger this summer with the Safeway Bag Hunger drive and the Lucky Supermarkets peanut butter roundup, both of which will help close the summer
meal gap for local school-aged children.
Our AFFD corporate sponsors have all shown continued
dedication to ending hunger in our community. Many of our sponsors organize food drives and volunteer in the REFB
warehouse. Redwood Credit Union, for example, has donated more than 250 hours of volunteer service since
November, and collected over 16,000 pounds of donated, non-perishable food, providing 13,300 meals to those we serve.
“The impact the Redwood Empire Food Bank has in this community makes them an important partner for us as we support
other safety net issues, like housing and education, all with the ultimate goal of helping people live healthy, financially stable
lives,” said Brett Martinez, President and CEO of the Redwood Credit Union.
Between November 1, 2016 and April 1, 2017, our community collectively provided more than 717,400 meals through
donations of food and funds, helping to nourish a healthier Sonoma County. Interested in hosting a Food & Funds Drive at
your school, business, church, or social club? Signing up is quick and easy at refb.org/food-funds-drive.
Annual Food & Funds Drive Nourishing our Community Throughout the Year
The Redwood Empire Food Bank is deeply grateful to the generous Empty
Bowls Dinner & Auction sponsors, guests, artists, and volunteers who
together in a single night raised $595,000 to provide 1,190,000 meals to our neighbors facing hunger. It was an evening of community
connections and collaborations, with artistic demonstrations by father
and son woodworking duo, Jerry and Walker Kermode, ceramic designer,
Kenyon Lewis, potter, Nancy Morgan, and glass sculptor, Ryan Teurfs.
Saved, Simi, and Wild Horse wines, Lagunitas beer, and craft cocktails
created by John Zimmerman of Willie Bird’s Restaurant and Jason
Jorgensen of Alley 6 Craft Distillery were served alongside delicious
cheese from Carneros Caves, and scrumptious hors d’oeuvres created
by Bruno’s on Fourth. The Latin beats of Batachá set the mood for a
fabulously festive celebration of philanthropy. Empty Bowls continues to
embody the spirit of Sonoma County and our collective commitment to
ensuring that the nutritional bounty of our region is available to all who find
themselves in need.
Special thanks to our 2017 Empty Bowls Event Committee for their
dedication and drive, and to our Priceless Bowl Sponsors for their
incredible leadership in the fight against hunger: Bodean Company,
Exchange Bank, Friedman’s Home Improvement, and The Heck
Foundation. View all of our generous sponsors at refb.org and save the
date - Empty Bowls 2018 will be held on Saturday, April 28th!
Raising Your Paddles to End HungerThank You 7th Annual Empty Bowls Sponsors, Guests, Artists & Volunteers
6
Thank You to Our Generous 2016-2017 Annual Food & Funds Drive Sponsors:
A volunteer with REFB partner organization, Farm to Pantry, gleans first of the season strawberries at Front Porch Farm in Healdsburg. Just hours after being picked, these strawberries were delivered to the REFB.
A springtime bounty of freshly harvested green garlic and leeks is sorted at Front Porch Farm in Healdsburg before being delivered to the REFB.
A dish of Brussels sprouts with green garlic from Front Porch Farm and organic Sebastopol mushrooms is packaged for distribution.
A Megan Furth Harvest Pantry food recipient leaves a Roseland distribution site with red onions, celery, yams, bell peppers, tomatoes, apples, locally raised, Range to Table beef, and organic, whole grain sliced breads.
Founder and President of Oliver’s Market, Steven Maass, presents a check to REFB CEO, David Goodman, following Oliver’s One Bell Saves Supper campaign.
Hunger-relief advocate, Memphis Roetter, holds one of the many boxes of Cliff snack bars donated to his Annual Birthday Food & Funds Drive.
Kim Agrella learns she is the winner of the Empty Bowls local spirits raffle.
Local father and son woodworkers, Jerry (right) and Walker Kermode create stunning bowls for guests to enjoy during the Empty Bowls reception.
A child waits for his mom to load up on fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy staple groceries at a MFHP site.
VOLUNTEER TO END Summer HungerHelp ensure children have access to healthy lunch during the academic break.
ACT NOW.Learn more and sign up online at refb.org
432
I spend a good amount of
time talking with people
facing hunger. I ask each of
them about the path that
brought them to the REFB.
Their journeys are moving,
and I have yet to hear the
same story twice. For some
people, the assistance
we provide is just a stop
along the way. For others,
we provide a permanent
nutritional safety net.
Although their paths are different, there are a couple
consistent facets to their journeys. The first is that nobody
ever planned on seeking food assistance. The experience of
coming for food is universally dissonant. The food recipients
are surprised, upset, bewildered, frightened, and grateful all
at the same time. Over and over I hear people say that they
worked all their lives, even helped others through challenging
times, yet here they are, asking for help.
Perhaps the most profound observation from my
conversations has to do with the relationship between
myths and solutions. In our society, we have a well seated
myth: If you receive an education, get a job, and work hard,
everything will be okay. My conversations with people in
need of help have uncovered the fallacy of this myth. And,
when our societal solutions are based on myths, they are
guaranteed to be inadequate.
Many people do all the right things and still find themselves
in need of support. People lose jobs, people don’t earn
enough, people have disabilities, people divorce, spouses and
partners die, people simply live beyond their savings. In all of
these situations, we as a community should have a sufficient
quantity and quality of food available to help.
As polarized as these times are, we must agree on one thing,
people are in need of food for one of two reasons: decisions
they’ve made or circumstances beyond their control. In
either case, hunger cannot be the price they pay.
With gratitude,
David Goodman
Chief Executive Officer
Doing All the Right Things Increasing Produce VarietyTo Fuel our Community
For the last three decades, the Redwood Empire Food Bank
(REFB) has provided quality nutrition assistance to tens of
thousands of people seeking help. Seasonally fresh, vitamin-
packed produce is at the heart of our efforts to nourish our
community, and with each passing year, we have increased
the quality and quantity of the fresh produce we distribute.
Over the last year specifically, the REFB increased produce
diversity by more than 50%! Last spring, the REFB
distributed 17 produce varieties to program sites throughout
Sonoma County. This spring, we hit a new benchmark of 26 produce types! Fresh beets with greens were
added to weekly distributions earlier this year, contributing
to 22,500 meals between January and March. Also added
were fiber-rich eggplant, nutrient-dense Brussels sprouts, and antioxidant-rich cucumbers. The
REFB also saw an increase in the amount of fresh fruits and
vegetables distributed, with our total poundage of produce
increasing by 4%. The REFB distributed over 40,000
pounds of fresh cauliflower during the first three
months of the year, compared to 22,000 pounds during the
same time period last year. Tomatoes saw a dramatic
increase as well, jumping from 8,000 pounds last year to
close to 56,000 pounds over the last few months! And, this
summer we will be offering this abundance to our partner
organizations for free to ensure all our neighbors have the
healthy foods they need to thrive. Partner organizations like
Healdsburg Shared Ministries, Sebastopol’s
Food for Thought, Sonoma County-based
Catholic Charities and Boys & Girls Clubs,
as well as hundreds of others can access a bounty of free
seasonal produce in our Community Marketplace
throughout the summer to help bolster nutrition for our
neighbors in need.
Help us continue to expand and increase the diversity and
quantity of the fresh produce we distribute to families
facing hunger. Make a direct donation to the REFB, and
learn how to donate food, at refb.org/ways-to-give.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Pete Golis Editorial Director
(Retired)
VICE PRESIDENT
Jon Griffith Allstate Mortgage Co.
TREASURER
Rebecca La Londe Kaiser Permanente(Retired)
SECRETARY
Eric McHenry City of Santa Rosa
Juan Arias | Santa Rosa Junior College
Gary Edwards | Sage Marketing of Sonoma
Gary Hartwick | Exchange Bank
Bruce Kelm | Morgan Stanley
Brendan Kunkle | Abbey, Weitzenberg, Warren & Emery
Stephanie Larson | UC California Cooperative Extension
Steven Maass | Oliver’s Market
Debbie Meekins | First Community Bank
Jeremy Olsan | Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz
Marie Scherf | Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc.
Suzanne Smith | Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Abigail Smyth | Crimson Wine Group
Pedro Toledo | Petaluma Health Center
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Goodman
EDITORS
Hillary Jarcik Jean LarsonMaggie Sowell
CONTRIBUTORS
David GoodmanMaggie Sowell
DESIGN + PRODUCTION
Maggie Sowell
GEOGRAPHY OF HOPE
Jay Young Design
PRINTING Ad-Vantage Marketing
NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Bruce Kelm
Abigail Smyth
California table grapes, rich in vitamins C and K, lined the REFB warehouse floor in March before being distributed throughout our community.
The Geography of HopeDistributing More than 15 Million Pounds of Healthy Food, the Equivalent of 13 Million Meals, Between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017
O U R M I S S I O N : T O E N D H U N G E R I N O U R C O M M U N I T Y
3990 Brickway Boulevard | Santa Rosa, CA 95403 | 707.523.7900 | www.refb.org