The Food Drive Wrap-up

After Wednesday’s meeting I felt we needed to know what went into the effort that resulted in 2,018 pounds of food.  It took days short of a year to reach that goal and I began thinking about the people that worked get us there, Carolyn and Marianna.

 

Let’s start with Carolyn.  Carolyn got started with food drives during 2009-2010.  She remembers she collected 360 pounds, and every year after that the collection got bigger.  Carolyn went on to say that, after Marianna got involved the collections really improved.  Carolyn focused on members that live in condos, asking them to place a collection box in their clubhouse asking residents to donate food for the All Faiths Food Bank.  The people that helped on the condo side are Leaf Wanless, John Masters, Doug Griffin and myself.  During her report at last week's meeting, Carolyn announced plans to bring up the food drive at other clubs she visits as Lt. Governor. 

 

Now Marianna.  Marianna says she got started with the food drive with Carolyn when she read something in the paper about “No Food for the Children”.  This year our Club ran its holiday food drive from October 2015 through January 2016.  By January we had collected 700 pounds.  When Marianna gave her report in January she went on to say “what are the children going to eat now, so let’s continue."  And that is how we got to 2,018 pounds.

 

Marianna announced Wednesday that we are taking "a food drive vacation" - a couple of weeks off so we can talk to friends and neighbors about the food bank, and perhaps signup more condos. She finished with one last statement: “While you are lying on the beach, think about what YOU can do to help the hungry children.”  Don’t be surprised if this coming year our goal is 1.5 tons and “Bowls of Hope” is mentioned.  After all it is about children and children is what we (Kiwanis) are all about. 

 

Denise Cotler, the Senior Development Director at All Faiths Food Bank attended Wednesday's meeting.  After Carolyn and Marianna gave their report Denise spoke to the Club, thanking members and congratulating the Food Drive Co-Chairs on reaching the ONE TON goal.  She gave each an "official" All Faiths coffee mug and posed for a photo to mark the event.

 

Big thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s food drive a success and to Carolyn and Marianna for all they did.