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HOLIDAY 2017
Your gifts are sharing hope for the holidays!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
PAGE 3 NEIGHBORS LIKE CAROLINE ARE GIVING THANKS FOR YOU.
PAGE 6A TRUE PICTURE OF SERVICE!
PAGE 7YOUR SUPPORT IS FILLING HOLIDAY TABLES!
PAGE 8FAMILIES ARE FED BECAUSE OF YOU!
The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year. I look forward to reconnecting with loved ones and
giving thanks for my many blessings — but I get excited about the great things your partnership makes possible during the holidays.
Across Western Washington, caring neighbors like you are giving generously, hosting food drives, handing out turkeys and joining in other efforts to bring joy to our neighbors who are struggling. It’s truly inspiring to see how you’re making the season brighter for people in need.
As I sit down to a special Thanksgiving meal with my family and friends in a couple
partnership in this important work. Together, we’re bringing hope — in the form of food — to the people who need it most.
With warm holiday wishes,
Linda Nageotte, [email protected] & CEO
Peter Johnson, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine
Adam LeMieux, District Director, Representative Rick Larsen
Lindsey Schwartz, President/CEO, Schwartz Brothers Restaurants
Lyle Snyder, Managing Director, Snyder Holdings
Lara Underhill, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Wells Fargo
At the Table is a publication of Food Lifeline, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To learn more, visit our website at www.FoodLifeline.org or call 206-545-6600.
Questions or comments about this issue of At The Table? Want to share a story about your experience at Food Lifeline? We would love to hear from you at [email protected] or 206-545-6600.
BOARD OF DIRECTORSCHAIR: Bruce Christiansen, Vice President, Supply Chain,
Privateer Holdings
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR: Mike Wittman, Community Volunteer
TREASURER: Roger Garratt, Director, Financial Planning & Strategic Initiatives, Puget Sound Energy
MEMBERS AT LARGEChris Blanton, President, BridgeSpan Health
Roy Breiman, Director of Food & Beverage, Columbia Hospitality
Suzanne Daly, Vice President, Payer Contracting Multicare
Josh Hedrick, Parker Smith & Feek
Stuart Holmes, Senior Vice President, Charlie’s Produce
Linda Nageotte, President & CEO
PAGE 2 FOOD LIFELINE
of weeks, I’ll be thinking about neighbors like Caroline — who you’ll meet on the following page — and I’ll remember that their families have renewed optimism because of generous people like you.
Every dollar you give helps solve hunger for someone at risk. A hot meal or bag of groceries might seem simple, but it can mean so much.
Please take the time to read the stories in this special holiday edition of At the Table, and remember that your involvement in Food Lifeline’s mission makes this life-change possible. Stories like these keep me encouraged. I hope they do the same for you.
Our team here at Food Lifeline is already gearing up for a very productive 2018. I can’t wait to see all the incredible things your continued support will make happen in the coming year.Thank you sincerely for your
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEODEAR
FRIENDS,
AT THE TABLE PAGE 3
trip to the grocery store to keep up with her bills. Because you choose to give, she doesn’t have to worry about whether she’ll be able to feed herself.
Caroline’s thrilled for her grown children to come visit for the holidays, and thanks to friends like you, she’ll be able to contribute to the family meal. She has so much gratitude for your generous support.
“Thank you very much!” Caroline says. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Your partnership means the world to people in our community who are facing hunger. Thank you for joining in this special season of sharing!
You’re making the holidays bright for older adults like Caroline.
When we met Caroline, she was bundled in a heavy coat outside FamilyWorks Food Bank, one of Food Lifeline’s member agencies on Seattle’s north side. As she made her way through the line, choosing vegetables, grains and other groceries from the food bank’s bins, she told us how constricted her budget has become.
Caroline used to work as a legal aide, but had to cut her hours
NEIGHBORS LIKE CAROLINE ARE GIVING THANKS FOR YOU.
significantly when she began having kidney problems. She needs to be able to eat balanced meals to boost her health, but nutritious food like fresh produce is often too expensive for her to afford on her own.
Fortunately, a friend told her about FamilyWorks, and she’s been making regular visits since. She loves picking up foods she can use to make hearty salads and vegetable stir-fry.
“It would be hard without this,” she says as she fills her basket with red peppers and potatoes.
Reflecting on the past year, Caroline says there were plenty of times when she had to miss a
“I don’t know what I’d do
without you.”
Caroline at FamilyWorks Food Bank in Seattle
PAGE 4 FOOD LIFELINE AT THE TABLE PAGE 5
Your gifts help children eat healthy snacks throughout the summer.
John is thankful for the nutritious food you provide!
Because of you, Mien enjoys fruits and vegetables throughout the year.
Sarah picks up fresh fruits and vegetables at Marysville Community Food Bank.
Evan picks out some nutritious food at the West Seattle Food Bank.
Justin and Danisha are grateful for the fresh groceries available at their local food bank.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE HOLIDAY BRIGHT!
BRINGING HOPE TO THE TABLENOVEMBER 1 – DECEMBER 28, 2017
QFC’s Bringing Hope to the Table is back this holiday season to help ensure that hunger doesn’t have to happen. Purchase groceries virtually for someone in need at the register or purchase specially marked products to feed a neighbor in need. Learn more at www.FoodLifeline.org/bringhope.
TASTE OF THE NFL KICK HUNGER CHALLENGE2017-2018 FOOTBALL SEASONHelp our Seattle Seahawks and Chef John Howie bring the Kick Hunger Challenge trophy back home to Seattle. A nationwide competition between NFL teams, the Kick Hunger Challenge runs all season long and helps football fans turn their passion into food for those in need.
FOOD FOR ALL
The holidays are a time of celebration often centering around food and family. Unfortunately, many families in Western Washington don’t know where their next meal is coming from. You can help! Join Food Lifeline’s Holiday Meals Challenge and help provide nutritious food for your neighbors in need. Each $1 raised provides four meals for families struggling to keep food on their table. To learn more, visit www.FoodLifeline.org/Drives.
PAGE 6 FOOD LIFELINE
“When you work with people who are doing things for others with their own time, it gives you faith in the people in your own country,” Bud says, describing his volunteer experience with Food Lifeline.
Bud, 77, first got involved in our hunger-relief work through his church. He’s always felt it’s important to help others, and after more than 60 members of his congregation came together to give their time in Food Lifeline’s warehouse, he began visiting regularly to help.
Every Tuesday morning, you can find Bud sorting and packing food that might otherwise go to waste here at the Hunger Solution Center. After his shift, he takes a few ginger molasses cookies to an elderly friend and reads to her. On Wednesdays, he gives time with his church.
Bud’s a true example of a hardworking neighbor who’s been through more than his fair share of trials, but instead of becoming bitter, he just wants to give back.
Bud began his professional life with Northwest Airlines and worked for the company until
A TRUE PICTURE OF SERVICE!
he retired about 18 years ago. He was then diagnosed with brain cancer seven years ago, and still experiences memory and balance issues. Two years later, he lost his wife of more than five decades, Tasha. He was devastated, but his will to live and make the world a better place didn’t falter, even after a heart attack last year. Ever the fighter, Bud began exercising to promote his health and lost 30 pounds. He’s still a happy and active Northwesterner, often spending time with his son and two granddaughters, who live nearby.
In addition to literature, classical music and ice cream, Bud says volunteering has become one of the staples of his life. He believes having enough to eat can be truly transformative.
“Just having a meal can have such an effect on your life,” he says. “There’s always going to be people who need food.”
And with the help of committed hunger champions like Bud, we’ll always be here to help meet that need. Our most sincere thanks to Bud for his tireless effort!
“There’s always going to be people who need food.”
Bud volunteers at the Hunger Solution Center sorting and repackaging food items for distribution.
AT THE TABLE PAGE 7
The holidays are a time for families to come together around a full table. But for our neighbors who don’t have reliable access to food — like Magdalena’s family — this special season can be a painful reminder of hunger.
Magdalena lives with her mother, Margareta, and brother in Bellevue. Her brother works hard to support the family, and Magdalena continues to search for a job to help cover their expenses. She told us she’s volunteering with the Salvation Army to both give back to the community and gain valuable skills to help her find work.
The family found out about Hopelink Bellevue, their local Food Lifeline member agency, a few years ago. We met Magdalena and Margareta as they filled their cart with fruits and vegetables, and they told us how much they appreciate the food bank.
“It helps out a lot because we don’t have much money,” Magdalena says.
The client-choice food bank is set up like a grocery store and offers a wide variety of fresh produce and other nutritious staples. Plus, Hopelink provides English as a Second Language
YOUR SUPPORT IS FILLING HOLIDAY TABLES!
classes, transportation, housing assistance and more for neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet.
Your gifts to Food Lifeline help stock the food bank’s shelves, and Magdalena’s family is truly grateful to have your support. Their large extended family will be traveling to Bellevue to celebrate the holidays, and because you choose to give, they’ll be able to sit down to a hearty meal together.
“[The food bank] really puts food on our table,” Magdalena says with gratitude.
Your generosity is especially felt during the holiday season. So many local families can gather and celebrate despite the difficult times they’re facing
— and they’ll be giving thanks for friends like you. You’re truly solving hunger across Western Washington!
“[The food bank] really puts food on
our table.”
Margareta and her daughter, Magdalena, at Hopelink Bellevue
815 S 96th Street Seattle, WA 98108 www.FoodLifeline.org
STAY UP
TO DATEWhich Food Lifeline programs can benefit from your help? Where is the greatest need today? What fun events and cool volunteer opportunities lie ahead? Get up-to-the-minute news by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, or signing up for our e-newsletter. Access all these news sources at www.FoodLifeline.org.
PAGE 8 FOOD LIFELINE
TEL 206-545-6600 1-877-404-7543 EMAIL [email protected]
“It’s a help!” Araceli says, nodding emphatically and smiling down at her little girl, Kayla, 7 months. “My kids are happy.”
Can you imagine how difficult it would be to explain to your child that you couldn’t afford to feed them? Araceli has been there before — but not anymore. That’s because you choose to support Food Lifeline.
We met Araceli at Tukwila Food Pantry, one of our member agencies near her home. She told us she had to stop working her job at a local hotel when Kayla
FAMILIES ARE FED BECAUSE OF YOU
was born, and it’s been really hard to make ends meet. But with the high cost of childcare, it doesn’t make financial sense for her to return to her job. She simply can’t afford to.
Her husband, Yucten, works full-time, but stretching his income to cover all the family’s needs isn’t always easy. Money is especially tight during breaks from school when the couple’s older children — Christopher, 8 and Karlena, 11 — can’t eat free meals in the cafeteria.
It’s truly a relief for the family to have access to the food bank during particularly tight times, like the kids’ upcoming winter break. Christopher and Karlena love to read and play sports, and your support will keep them active, healthy and ready to learn when they return to the classroom in the new year.
Your gifts help provide life-changing meals and groceries for deserving families throughout the year. We asked Araceli if she had a message for the donors who help ensure the Tukwila Food Pantry’s shelves are full, and she took a moment to reflect on how much your gifts mean to her family before sharing her appreciation.
“Thank you very much for helping us!” she says enthusiastically.
Araceli and her daughter, Kayla, at Tukwila Food Pantry
“Thank you very much for helping us!”
