Belated Thanks to Kaweah Container, Inc.

Kaweah Container, Inc. donated 15,575 boxes for
use in our food distribution programs.

Before this wonderful donation, we reused and made do with a mish-mash of grocery bags and boxes our ever resourceful staff and volunteers scrounged up.

Packed Wellness Bags (boxes) sit ready for distribution.

Thank you to Kaweah Container, Inc. our food distribution will be more streamlined. With uniformly-sized containers, we can more efficiently get food to our neighbors in need.

Dustin's Back!

This is the same Dustin from a couple of days ago.

Dustin was back, this time with new toys. This kind and big-hearted young man used his own money to buy some of the toys, and his Uncle John helped with the rest.

Some of the toys donated by Dustin

Volunteers and staff watched with smiles on their faces as Dustin went to work distributing toys to the children in line for our emergency food distribution. Dustin's kindness and generosity brought some Christmas joy to those who were at EGFBS this Friday before Christmas.

P. S. Volunteers want to send their thanks to Dustin's Uncle John for providing them lunch. I hear it was delicious and very unexpected. Thanks!

Pepsi's Shoe Drive

Jeff Pugh from the Pepsi corporate office dropped off 90 pairs of shoes that they collected during their shoe drive for the Holidays.

We had a couple of photos of the generous people from Pepsi who delivered these shoes for our clients' precious feet; but the photos were too blurry to post.

We at EGFBS appreciate and thank Pepsi for their continued support.

Dustin's Donation

Dustin Samrow a local elementary school student collected blankets and toiletries to help local homeless clients from the Elk Grove Food Bank Services. Dustin also volunteered with the Christmas basket giveaway.

Christmas Basket Giveaway

The Food Bank served more than 450 families on December 21. Families received a turkey, ham or chicken and all the holiday trimmings along with a fresh pie. Senior Pastor Steve Steele from Oak Tree Church gave out over 200 Christmas trees.

Councilmember Sophia Scherman was also on hand to give out candy canes
with Santa and visit with clients.

Elk Grove Food Bank Services is proud to be the home of this giveaway and connect with the community in this special way.

Suzanne's Christmas Surprise

Suzanne brought in her gently-used toys

This generous second grader donated toys to Elk Grove Food Bank Services. Suzanne brought in her toys this week for children in our community who are less fortunate.

Councilmember Gary Davis, Suzanne, and Suzanne's proud Grandpa

Suzanne's donation was a huge surprise to us at EG Food Bank. Our clients' with children brought home toys in addition to the Christmas dinner food box.

Thank you, Suzanne for making Christmas a bit brighter.

Living Water Church Women's Tea

Our long-time supporters at Living Water Church invited clients, volunteers and staff from our Support Works program to their Women's Tea.

Our table was beautifully decorated by our hostess, Debbie. We were served tea by waiters (from the Church). The food was delicious and the service impeccable.

Chaya, a gifted singer/songwriter sang and shared personal stories of heartbreak and hope. We laughed and cried with her.

Cindy enjoyed the time with friends

Barb and our hostess, Debbie

Thank you, Living Water Church for your continued support. We at Support Works appreciate your inviting us to an uplifting and healing event.

Girl Scout Food Drive

These Scouts from Troop 1976 participated in the Kids Can! food drive at school, and they wanted to do more! This lively group delivered canned and packaged food to EGFBS. The Troop went on a tour of our warehouse with our Operations Manager, Travis.

We send our thanks to these wonderful girls. Your enthusiasm brought smiles to staff and volunteers. Thank you!

Jack and Caitlyn's Fundraiser

We send our thanks to these young, community-minded donors. Thank you, Jack and Caitlyn for raising money to help your neighbors through difficult times.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Palermo Ristorante

President Scott Rhoades and Director of Communication Ana Bertolucci from the Rotary Club of Laguna Sunrise coordinated the November dinner at Palermo. Ana was instrumental in working with other volunteers from other organizations to gather names of needy individuals to attend the dinner. Renee, our caseworker, arranged for many of our clients to attend this dinner. About 150 people were served salad and bread, turkey with stuffing, green beans, and mashed potatoes followed up with pumpkin pie for dessert.

Renee is working closely with the Rotary Club of Laguna Sunrise on behalf of our clients. The following are the results of their work to help our neighbors in need:

The Rotary adopted a family (two women and four children) who were living in their car after being evicted from a rental home (their landlord had defaulted on the property). One of the women, had a licensed childcare business in this home; the other woman was living there to escape a domestic violence situation. Renee, PATH caseworker, related our clients' situation to her Rotarian contacts.

The Rotary paid the second month rent for an apartment (first month rent was free), moved these ladies and purchased household items for them. They used some of their business contacts to schedule job interviews for our clients. The Rotary will continue to support these women until they become self sufficient.

The Rotary has assisted another PATH client with organizing and packing - to prepare to move out of her long-time home.

Thank you for all that you do to help those in our community who are in great need.

Coldwell Banker is Lending a Helping Hand

Just got an email from our friends at Coldwell Banker about their latest fundraiser to benefit EGFBS.

Coldwell Banker is helping to feed hungry hearts this holiday season with its 2nd Annual Sacramento Area Food Banks Holiday Fundraiser. Now through December 31, we are collecting donations to help support the Elk Grove, River City and Sacramento Food Banks and in turn, help make the holidays brighter for those in need. As a pledge of our commitment and dedication to the cause, Coldwell Banker Sacramento will match up to $2,500 in donations collected.

WE INVITE YOU TO HELP!

By making a monetary donation of $5 or more online at cbfoodbanks.eventbrite.com, you too can lend a helping hand to those in our communities who are hungry this holiday season.

For more information, please contact your local Coldwell Banker office by visiting CaliforniaMoves.com

Thank you for your support and for helping to make warm holiday wishes come true for so many.

Elk Grove Rotary is Warmly Appreciated

Elk Grove Rotary generously donated socks, caps and gloves for children this holiday season.

Patty Suter made the delivery on behalf of the Elk Grove Rotary.

Ron and Patty Suter also made a personal donation for the purchase of adult socks and gloves.

With economic conditions putting tighter financial restraints on families, many of our neighbors can't afford to purchase these items. Our clients will have warm heads, hands and feet thanks to Elk Grove Rotary and the Suters.

P. S. We appreciate EG Rotary and the Suter's continued support. Last year the Rotary purchased toys (along with the Suter's) for distribution by EG Food Bank.

Yes, It Is True

After watching the 60 Minutes piece a couple of Sundays ago about Families Living in Cars, we have been receiving calls and visits from people inquiring about how our situation in Elk Grove compares to the one on TV. "We don't have a homeless population, do we?"

The awful truth is that we do have a homeless population in Elk Grove. Our October statistics show the ones that came to EGFBS for food assistance: 40 families, 73 individuals, 12 children. I have no statistics on those who did not visit EGFBS.

If you want more truth, read on.

• EGFBS distributes food and clothing to approximately 800 children a month.
• We also assist about 500 senior citizens with emergency food distribution.
• Concerned citizens contact us for help for families of children who steal food from the lunch line, because there is none at home.
• Our caseworker, Renee, is currently assisting a homeless client with a heart condition. Renee is trying to get this client into a shelter, but the waiting list is long everywhere.

Yes, it is true.

2011 Turkey Donations and Distribution

CVS Regional District Manager Jill Gridley,
with local CVS Store Managers

Elk Grove CVS employees donated 150 turkeys for our Thanksgiving turkey distribution. Jill Gridley, Regional District Manager, said that when she realized that EGFBS is the local food bank for the Elk Grove area, she knew where to deliver the turkeys donated by the employees in her Region.

We distributed approximately 615 turkeys (200 more than last year). Our faithful volunteers made this year's donation and distribution process an efficient, effective and fun time.

We at the EG Food Bank are truly touched by the faithful work of local officials, organizations, and businesses who stepped up to provide our neighbors with food for their Thanksgiving celebration.

To those who collected and donated turkeys: our volunteers and staff who worked on Turkey Distribution Day convey the sincere thanks from our neighbors who came to receive. We thank you for giving locally.

And to volunteers and staff who distributed turkeys: I wonder if a "Thank You" from our organization could match the grateful and sincere thanks you received from the recipients of the turkeys. We thank you for your time, your caring and your faithfulness.

When we think about the enormous amount of food distributed, and the incredible number of families and individuals served; we step back and take a breath. Thank you to all involved in the donation and distribution of Thanksgiving turkeys; we couldn't do it without you.

Sun Grove Church Rummage Sale

Executive Director Marie Jachino, Board Member Cathy O'Neil,
and Sun Grove Church Representative Phil Macheck

Sun Grove Community Church has held a rummage sale for the past three years to benefit EG Food Bank Services. Phil Machek, spokesperson for the church, said, "Members of Sun Grove Church are grateful for all the participation from the local community who helped make the event a great success this year."

The grand total raised over the past three years is $13,125. We at EG Food Bank are thankful to everyone involved in the process of raising this incredible amount of money. Your continued faithfulness is deeply appreciated.

PATH Coordinator Frank Lucia, Board Member Cathy O'Neil,
Executive Director Marie Jachino, Phil Machek and Debbie Schoeneshoefer

Wait! Wait! They weren't done! Sun Grove Church made an additional donation to our PATH program. Our PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) program provides help to our homeless neighbors and assists our clients' effort to work their way back into safe shelter.

"As a church, we believe in the mission of the Food Bank to provide essential resources to overcome the many faces of hunger and human need," Machek continued.

Again, "Thank You!" for joining our efforts to provide essential services to our most vulnerable neighbors.

It is in the Mail!

Our Annual Appeal Letter is in the mail! Our Executive Director, Marie Jachino, wrote a sincere letter simply stating the facts about food insecurity in our community, and how we at the EG Food Bank depend on our donors to keep serving those in need in Elk Grove.

Many staffers and volunteers were involved in various parts of the process.

We are amazed and thankful for the number of volunteers that came out to help. We are also thankful for the organizational skills and industry of our volunteers; we prepared a record number of letters in record time. Thank you!

To make a donation, please follow this link to our website.

As always, we appreciate your support. Thank you.

Volunteers Can, Too!

Our school-age children are busy collecting food for the Kids Can food drive program. KCRA sponsors this food drive which provides EGFBS with the majority of the food we distribute.

We are in need of volunteers to help pick up and/or load boxes from various schools and deliver them to our Dino Drive facility. If you have a truck or a van and would like to help us out; or if you don't have a large vehicle, you can still volunteer and help with the loading.

Scheduled pick up dates are:

November 14 - 18, 2011

and

November 28 - November 30, 2011

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Barbara Berens at egkidscan@yahoo.com or at 685-5105. Thank you!

2011 Turkey Drive

Our staff and volunteers are busy preparing for what we expect to be our busiest holiday season in our organization's history. We are collecting the fixings for a Thanksgiving celebration to be distributed to our growing number of clients. This year the need in the Elk Grove community is even greater, with an increase of 40 percent among seniors and children.

We at Elk Grove Food Bank distribute groceries to our local community, all food collected will go to our neighbors in need. If you are able to donate and want to help us, please consider the following:

November 3-21: Turkey Drive 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Elk Grove Food Bank Services facility @ 9820 Dino Drive, Suite 140
Please drop off a frozen turkey, chicken or any non-perishable side dish such as potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, etc.

November 19: Council Member Sophia Scherman's 4th Annual Turkey Drive
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
City of Elk Grove - 8380 Laguna Palms Way
Council member Scherman has been collecting turkeys for the Food Bank since 2007. She and her husband, Lee, have made this an annual event rain or shine.

November 22: Turkey Distribution
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Elk Grove Food Bank Services facility @ 9820 Dino Drive, Suite 140
**If you are in need of receiving food for your Thanksgiving celebration, please sign up at our Dino Drive facility. Eligibility requirements are here.

Another Sucess Story from Renee

Renee, our case worker, just let us know that one of the clients she has been working with has just found full-time employment! This client was homeless, sleeping in his car. Renee worked with him on his resume and helped this young client find work. This young client can now afford to rent a room and end his homelessness.

Renee works with clients on Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Call us to make an appointment, (916) 685-8453.

This is How Rosa Does It

I have always wondered how our super organized volunteers assemble the growing number of food boxes we distribute in our Senior Brown Bag program. As you can see our Program is growing in leaps and bounds!

Our Program Manager, Rosa, and our volunteers systematically fill these boxes, making ready for distribution day. We fill the boxes with healthy, nutritional foods for our senior clients; we take in consideration their health concerns and dietary restrictions.

A partially filled Senior Brown Bag box

When they are done assembling the boxes, the boxes are moved across the warehouse near the roll-up doors for distribution. Clients pick-up their food boxes on their designated day. Our volunteers deliver to our home-bound clients.

If you are interested in receiving a Senior Brown Bag, please follow the link above to the EG Food Bank website for more information about our Program.

P. S. Our wonderful Program Manager, Rosa, is one of our long-time, daily volunteers.

Above and Beyond Accessibility Award

Just received an award from The City of Elk Grove!

Our Wellness Bag Program received Honorable Mention "for outstanding and dedicated service to improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities".

Our Wellness Bag program distributes nutritional boxes of food to people who are battling debilitating chronic illness. Our volunteers assemble and distribute these supplemental boxes of food for our medically fragile clients.

We are so thankful for the recognition from the City for our Program. Our happy group of volunteers are a bit more joyful today.

A Well-deserved Day Off

Everyone enjoys a day off from their usual activities. This past week a wonderful group of volunteers from Pepsi Beverages Company came in and "took over" daily operations, giving our regular, long-time volunteers a day off.

Greg Moura, Territory Sales Manager; Kenya Mollett,

Pat Sett, Territory Sales Manager;

and Charlene Jones

John Souza and Rozelyn Smith

Thank you to the wonderful volunteers from Pepsi Beverages Company for helping us serve our clients, sort donated food, and assemble food boxes for distribution. Our long-time volunteers took advantage of their time off and enjoyed sharing about their adventures on this unexpected holiday.

If you would like to organize a "take over" like Pepsi did, follow this link to our website.

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

We all got together to recognize our valuable volunteers at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Our night started with entertainment from the Golden Steppers, a tap dancing group. They amazed us with their footwork.

Golden Steppers

The gracious Father Llamas of St. Joseph Church provided the blessing to the delicious dinner served by ABC Catering.

Ava Gardener, client from our Wellness Bag Program gave us her testimony and told us how much she appreciates the volunteer-run Program.

Pastor Jason Whalen from First Baptist Church of Elk Grove encouraged us to continue serving our neighbors.

Our Elk Grove City Council received awards from Congressman Dan Lungren, recognizing their work serving our community. Marilyn Erbes, representing the Congressman, presented the awards.

We recognized the following volunteers and organizations for their dedication to EGFBS:

Volunteers of the Year - Ken and Mary West
Monsignor Albert O'Connor Award - Impact Community Church
Unsung Hero Award - Mike Retzlaff
Special Recognition - Papa John's Pizza and Wal-Mart

But why the standing ovation??

Our Executive Director, Marie Jachino, received special recognition from Congressman Dan Lungren. Marie received a congressional award for her work leading Elk Grove Food Bank Services.

We enjoyed our night out to tell our precious volunteers that their time and effort is appreciated. Thank you, thank you! We would not be able to help those in need without you.

Volunteers Mary Ohnemus and Walter Hernandez

Sock Hop Socks and More!

EGFBS Board Member Cathy O'Neil and
Senior Center of Elk Grove Executive Director Pat Beal

Senior Center of Elk Grove, Inc. Executive Director, Pat Beal, brought over the socks that were donated at their recent Sock Hop. The kind seniors who attended the event donated over 50 pairs of socks that will keep our clients' feet warm, dry and comfortable.




Pat, who is always looking for ways to help EGFBS, heard about our need for personal care products, especially dental care essentials. She asked her dentist for a donation and received 50 gift bags of dental products.

Gift bags full of dental supplies

Thank you to Pat and all the kind-hearted seniors at the Senior Center of Elk Grove.

The Latest From Our Staff

Our clients' current needs were discussed at our latest Staff meeting. Our case manager, Renee, let us know that our number of homeless clients is growing steadily; she notes that the majority of her new clients are male. Rosa, our volunteer in the warehouse, reported that the supplies for our homeless clients were running low, especially the supplies for men.

Here is a newly compiled "wish list" from our discussion:

Towels, washcloths
Hair combs, hairbrushes
Deodorant, shaving cream (for men)
Can openers (manual-type)

If you are able, our clients would appreciate and make good use of these items. Thank you.

"The Face of Hunger"

A promotional video was made about EG Food Bank operations and is available for viewing. Just go to our website: elkgrovefoodbank.org and scroll down and click on the icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

It's compelling and speaks to the fact that Elk Grove has a food bank that serves local people and that there is a need, a growing need for emergency food distribution in our community.

CRC SIFE Night at Chili's

I know, that's a lot of acronyms. Cosumnes River College, Students In Free Enterprise has organized a benefit at Chili's Restaurant for Elk Grove Food Bank Services!

Chili's will donate 15% of sales on Wednesday, September 14, 2011; 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Chili's Elk Grove
7410 Laguna Boulevard
916-478-2478

Here's a link to the flyer

Bowling Extravaganza - The Sponsors' Reception

Remember Mayor Steve Detrick, Vice Mayor Jim Cooper and Councilmember Gary Davis' Bowling Extravaganza Charity Event? In continuation of the festivities, a Sponsors' Reception was held to recognize the people and organizations who supported and participated in this wonderful example of what our community can do.



The Sponsors' Reception was held at our Dino Drive facility in our administrative side of the house. Boulevard Bistro catered the event. The food was exceptional as always.


Mayor Steve Detrick and Councilmember Gary Davis presented awards to the champions of each division. Here they presented to Junior Champions Garrett and Emily Houseman. Marie Jachino, Executive Director, is in the background.


The last presentation of the evening was huge! Volunteers and staff thankfully accepted a donation from this fundraising event.

Thank you to all who planned, sponsored, bowled, and participated in this incredible fundraiser. We are truly thankful for our City leaders who have organized creative ways to support our efforts to serve our neighbors in need.

A Visit from O. C. Communications

Lately we have been watching the number of clients grow; and also watching our inventory in our warehouse decline. Those in our organization who know the numbers and understand the situation we are facing are the ones with the furrowed brows. Our Operations Manager has made inventory predictions and EGFBS will be ok, but it is worrisome to watch inventory fall so low.

That is why we were all looking forward to a visit from our long-time sponsors from O. C. Communications. These people are so positive and upbeat! Their encouragement is so valuable to us; they sincerely support our efforts, listen to our clients' needs and work toward helping the needy in our community. We were all looking forward to a much needed "pep talk" from them.

They brought another long-time supporter, Pastor Jason Whalen from First Baptist Church of Elk Grove, with them. We enjoyed our time together and while walking through our warehouse they noticed that inventory was low. They also asked what should be on the empty shelves in our storage area for items for our homeless clients (sleeping bags).

After touring our facilities, Craig Freeman from O. C. Communications said to Executive Director Marie Jachino, "Two years ago we presented you with $5,000; last year we gave $10,000. What is the natural progression?"

Marie guessed, "$15,000?"

Craig smiled and said, "A little over $20,000!"

Too stunned to cry, Marie humbly accepted the check. Thank you to the kindhearted and generous people at O. C. Communications!

Only with community support like this can Elk Grove Food Bank Services continue to assist the growing numbers in need in Elk Grove.

P. S. Marie informs me that in addition, O. C. Communications is donating 50 sleeping bags to fill our empty shelf.

Elk Grove Bowling Extravaganza

EGFBS Board Chairperson Jeri Retzlaff and Mayor Steve Detrick

The Bowling Extravaganza Charity Event was fantastic! There was such a great mix of people from our community and many who came out for the first time to support us. Everyone I talked with is looking forward to the event next year.




The following is part of a press release written about the event:

"Elk Grove Mayor Steve Detrick, Vice Mayor Jim Cooper and Council member Gary Davis hosted the Elk Grove Bowling “Extravaganza” Charity Event benefiting Elk Grove Food Bank Services and Elk Grove Together on Friday, August 26, 2011, at Strikes in Elk Grove.

The sold-out charity bowling event, with 44 teams, was preceded by a reception for the event’s sponsors. They included Brookhurst Development, Pappas Investments, Niemi Capital Partners LLC, Nacht & Lewis Architects, Remy, Thomas, Moose and Manley, LLP, Thomas P. Winn Foundation, RCH Group, St. Anton Partners, Pacific Municipal Consultants (PMC), USA Properties and Cunningham Engineering Corp.

Bill Niemi of Niemi Capital Partners LLC and Ardie Zahedani of the RCH Group were the event’s co-title sponsors.

Prizes were awarded in three categories: Men’s, Women’s and Mixed. Impact Community Church, with three teams, was the big winner of the night, winning in the Men’s and the Women’s categories. The teams from Pappas Investments, Brookhurst Development and PMC were prize winners in the Mixed Team Category. Other winners in the Men’s Category were the Cosumnes Community District Team 2 with team captain Bob Roessler, Administrator of Parks and Recreation Department.

Speaking to the 200 guests at the reception, Zahedani stated he was extremely pleased at the outpouring of support by the corporate sponsors.

Detrick, Cooper, Davis, along with Zahedani and the Elk Grove Community Connection will be hosting a Sponsors’ Reception at the Elk Grove Food Bank Services on September 7 at 6:00 p.m. to present the donation check to the entire food bank board."

Thank you, thank you to all involved in the planning, implementing, and attending this fundraising event. We at the Food Bank are so thankful to have all of your support.

Thanks for the Produce!

Just need to recognize the people and organizations that donate fresh produce for our clients. Point Pleasant Church, Sheldon Growers and Elk Grove Community Garden contribute hundreds of pounds of veggies each week to us. Their generous donation helps us feed the growing number of clients that use our Food Bank. These wonderful veggies are a seasonal treat and also a nutritional boost for our clients.

Thank you for generosity in sharing the bounty of your gardens.

Question of the Week

We were visited by Bryan Gold of the Elk Grove Citizen this morning. Bryan asked some of our volunteers the "Question of the Week". Many of our long-time volunteers that work daily in our warehouse gave Bryan their thoughts on his question.

What was the Question of the Week? You have to wait for next week Wednesday's edition of the Elk Grove Citizen. Peek into the issue and see some of our wonderful volunteers, the people who are the mainspring of our organization. We would not be able to serve more than 3,300 people each month without these kind-hearted volunteers.

EG Rotary's Rockin' Beef and Reef Bash

The Elk Grove Rotary Club is having their Fifth Annual Rockin' Beef & Reef Bash on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at the Lent Ranch. The Steak and Oyster Feed will beginning at 5:30 p.m. There will be a silent auction, live auction, raffle and some great rock and roll music.

Proceeds will benefit local and international causes, including our PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) program.

11th Annual Rummage Sale

Sun Grove Church is having their annual rummage sale on September 24th at Kerr Middle School on the corner of Elk Grove Boulevard and Elk Grove-Florin Road. The proceeds from the sale will go to Elk Grove Food Bank.

Prior to the rummage sale, Sun Grove Church will have four Saturday drop-off dates: August 27th, September 3rd, 10th and 17th; 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at Stor-Kwik, 2328 Maritime Drive, Elk Grove, 95758. So if you have procrastinated your "Spring cleaning" like I did, there is a place to bring the stuff that was in the back of your closet(s).

GiveSmart Donation

The GiveSmart fund of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation selected our Senior Brown Bag program for a donation!

We were selected as a finalist in their "aging and senior services" section, and our Vice-Chairperson, Mike Retzlaff, attended a meeting of the Foundation and presented information about EGFBS and the Senior Brown Bag program. Mike's compelling presentation resulted in EG Food Bank receiving a $4,050 gift from the GiveSmart fund of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation!

Volunteers are thankful and eager to start serving seniors on the wait list.

Support Works!

We have changed our Job Readiness Training component of Support Works to better serve our clients. Job Readiness Training classes are presented on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; and individual assistance is available by appointment from 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Please call 916-685-8453, extension 5 for an appointment.

The following is a portion of an email that Support Works Program Manager, Mary Ann Chappelle, received from a client. Our client is currently working with volunteers in the Job Readiness Training and Support Group components of our Program.

"I want you to know that I appreciate all the efforts you have made on my behalf. Every week that I attend Support Works has truly made a difference in my life. Whenever I get the opportunity, I talk to people about this program and how it has helped me.

It is so hard to find work right now, and this program helps me stay encouraged to keep looking, to find ways that I might improve myself. I also get help and emotional support from the other ladies that come to group and the wonderful volunteers that give of their time and knowledge so graciously."

If you could use assistance in jump-starting your job search, our talented volunteers with an amazing success rate are here to guide you back into the workforce.

Successful June Baby Drive

In June, local Elk Grove banks teamed up for the June Baby Drive benefiting Elk Grove Food Bank Services. Donations of diapers, formula, books cleansing items and more were dropped off at local branches of River City Bank, Bank of Commerce, El Dorado Savings, US Bank and Mechanics Bank.

The drive, organized by Teresa Rodriguez, Intern to Elk Grove City Council member Gary Davis, placed large boxes inside the branch offices. Employees of the branches decorated the boxes which included the “June Baby Drive” poster designed by Connie Conley of the Elk Grove Community Connection.

Davis and Rodriguez presented all the collected items to Jeri Retzlaff, Chairperson of Elk Grove Food Bank Services; Jim Cline, Board Member and General Manager of Frontier Communications; and Mike Retzlaff, Board Member.

Strauss Festival Food Drive

At this year’s production, “Spring Time in Vienna,” Strauss Festival organizers have arranged to hold a food drive benefiting Elk Grove Food Bank Services. Strauss fans can participate by bringing non-perishable food to collection points set up throughout the venue.

The following is a list of non-perishable food that EG Food Bank distributes: ENSURE, pasta, mac & cheese, boxed mashed potatoes, packaged rice, packaged beans, canned fruit, canned vegetables, soup, tuna and other canned meat, canned chicken, cereal products, and high protein foods (such as canned chili, peanut butter, beans).

In addition to the Food Drive, EGFBS will benefit from deposit beverage containers collected from festival attendees. Every bottle that is recycled will not only keep our park clean, but also help those in our community in need.

What: Food Drive at Strauss Festival of Elk Grove

When: July 28 – 31, 2011, 7:45 p.m.

Where: Elk Grove Regional Park, Strauss Island,

9950 Elk Grove-Florin Road,

Elk Grove, CA 95624

Messages from the Road

The following is part of an email received from our EGFBS RAGBRAI Team riding across Iowa to raise funds for our homeless population in Elk Grove.

John Platt, John van Doren, Arnie Vierra, Penny Pinard, Wendy Wyles and Frank Lucia landed in Omaha, Nebraska on Friday afternoon and arrived at their hotel in Counsel Bluff, Iowa around 3:30pm. An hour later, Dave Hieronimus and Norm Fadness arrived at the hotel after a two-day 27 hour truck ride with all our bikes and gear. Norm will be acting as our "equipment manager"throughout the 7 day 454 mile bike ride across Iowa starting on Sunday.

Saturday morning, seven of us took a leisurely 20 mile bike ride to stretch our legs and attempt to acclimate to the weather. Temperatures mid day have averaged around 90 degrees with humidity around 60%. Signs of flooding are all around us. The Missouri River is very high and running hard. There is anticipation of more flooding in the near future.

In the early afternoon, the eight of us piled in the pick-up truck (three of us had to ride in the back of the truck) and ventured down the freeway to Glenwood, 17 miles away. This will be the start of our bike tour. After buying some clothing/supplies and eating a light lunch we spent a short time in the quaint town of Glenwood and began our journey back to the hotel. It started to rain heavily for about 10 minutes which made for an interesting ride for Arnie, John Van Doran and Frank, who rode in the back of the truck, uncovered.

John Platt and I want to thank all those who have sent in donations or pledges for the homeless in Elk Grove. All pledges and donations will go directly to the homeless. It is our hope this bike ride will draw more attention to the needs of the less fortunate in Elk Grove.

We have found the people of Iowa to be very friendly and look forward to the first day of our bike ride tomorrow. It is expected to include 10,000 riders.

Our team would like you to know that if you would like to contribute and help our homeless population in Elk Grove, please send your check to:

Elk Grove Food Bank Services
ATTN: PATH
P. O. Box 1447
Elk Grove, CA 95759

Thank you.

First Saturdays at Light of the Valley

Elk Grove Food Bank Services will open a satellite distribution site at Light of the Valley Lutheran Church. On the first Saturday of the month, starting July 2, volunteers from the Church will be on hand to help those who need a bit of assistance.

Light of the Valley Lutheran Church
9270 Bruceville Road
Elk Grove, CA 95758-9514

First Saturday of the month, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon

Eligibility requirements are the same as our weekday distribution at our Dino Drive facility.

Bowling Extravaganza

Elk Grove Mayor Steve Detrick,

Vice Mayor Jim Cooper and
Council member Gary Davis
invite you to attend. . .
“A Bowling Extravaganza Charity Event”
Friday, August 26, 2011
Strikes in Elk Grove
$125 per team (4 players)
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Benefiting . . .
Elk Grove Food Bank Services
& Elk Grove Together!!

Includes shoe rental, appetizers, great prizes, raffle and more!!
For registration info, please contact Teresa at 916.606.3905
or Connie at 916.719.8570

EG DeMolay Dinner Fundraiser

This organization, dedicated to preparing young men to lead successful, happy, and productive lives, is having a dinner fundraiser for EG Food Bank. DeMolay opens doors for young men aged 12 to 21 by developing the civic awareness, personal responsibility and leadership skills.

The Dinner Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. at Elk Grove Masonic Temple. Tickets are $10. This fundraiser will benefit Elk Grove Food Bank Services and the Shriners.

What: Dinner Fundraiser

When: Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Elk Grove Masonic Temple, 9829 Waterman Road, Elk Grove, CA 95624

Tickets: $10, contact Steve Orwig 916-683-3823 for more information.

The Best Sign Juggler in Elk Grove!

Our multi-talented volunteer, fundraiser, cross-country bicycler, John Platt.

Who knew that this amazing asset to EG Food Bank could juggle a sign on a street corner with the best of them. John has the moves to keep up with sign jugglers more than 50 years his junior! Wonder what music he is listening to on his iPod?

Come and witness John's gymnastic moves this Holiday weekend at the southeast corner of Elk Grove Boulevard and Waterman Road. While you are there and if you are going to purchase fireworks for your July 4th celebration, stop by our fireworks booth and make your purchase.

All profits will benefit our Support Works program that aids homeless people, provides job readiness training, referral support, case management, women's support group and parenting classes.

ALLDATA Health and Safety Fair

Toni Correa, ALLDATA Health and Wellness Committee member;
Mary Ann Chappelle, Support Works Program Manager; and
Jenna Lobato, ALLDATA Health and Safety Fair Coordinator

Volunteers from our Support Works program were invited to participate at ALLDATA's Health and Safety Fair. Information about our Program was distributed at the Fair held at ALLDATA's Headquarters on West Taron Drive.

We were surprised with a visit the other day from the Coordinator and a Committee Member for the event. It was nice to meet the people behind the telephone conversations and emails we shared. In addition to the opportunity to have an informational table at their Fair, the generous and community-minded people at ALLDATA donated food, clothing and toiletries.

The kindness from ALLDATA didn't stop there. Jenna Lobato, Health and Safety Fair Coordinator, smiled and presented Mary Ann Chappelle, Program Manager, a check for our Support Works program.

It is only through the support of like-minded businesses and organizations, that EGFBS can continue to provide this vital Program. Thank you, ALLDATA!

Baby You're a Firework!

Our ambitious volunteers are selling fireworks! You can purchase your personal pyrotechnics at our booth in the Waterman Grove Shopping Center at the southeast corner of Elk Grove Boulevard and Waterman Road.

We will be here June 28, 2011 to July 4th, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

If you are going to purchase fireworks for your Fourth of July celebration, please consider making your purchase at the EGFBS Fireworks Booth. All of the proceeds will go toward our Support Works program that inspires and motivates clients to reach their individual goals.

Our program is designed to assist people who want to work through their problems. The four components of Support Works are:

1. Job Readiness Training - provides instruction and support to enter the very competitive job market. Some of the topics covered: skills assessments, personality testing, resume writing, mock interviews, mentors and job listings.
2. Parenting Class - learn how to improve the quality of life in your household. Through class discussion and homework, you can learn how to create an encouraging atmosphere in your home, create logical consequences for children and promote cooperation and responsibility within the family.
3. People Assisting The Homeless (PATH) - provides emergency assistance to people in immediate extreme need, assists persons out of homelessness, provides connection to community resources, and provides counseling for people to work their way back to independence.
4. Support Group - work on personal issues through problem-solving, connecting to community resources and peer support.

Guest speaker, Tom Orrick of Creekside Counseling,
speaking to Support Works clients.

Happy Fathers' Day

Barbara Hoover and her students from Harriet Eddy Junior High School collected and donated cake mix and frosting. These thoughtful donors chose to give these "luxury" food items for our client families to use in their Fathers' Day celebration.

I am sure that dear old Dad will be pleasantly surprised this Fathers' Day with cake. Yum!

Thank you for a thoughtful and generous donation!