Elk Grove Community Garden Vegetable Plant Sale

Buy Locally Grown Vegetable Plants

Hampton Oaks - The Elk Grove Community Garden will be hosting their annual Vegetable Plant Sale on April 19th, 2014, from 9 am - Noon.  Join them at the Elk Grove Community Garden and Learning Center, 10025 Hampton Oak Drive, Elk Grove. 

There will be many varieties of tomato plants for sale, along with peppers, squash and herbs. Most vegetables are $1.

As a bonus, a Master Gardener will be present to answer any questions.

Thank you for supporting the community garden. By supporting them, you help support the Elk Grove Food Bank. (The EG Community Garden has approximately 26 plots dedicated to the EG Food Bank.  Thank you very much!!)

Map of Elk Grove Community Garden

Elk Grove Food Bank Services Will Open on Saturdays

Beginning in April, the Elk Grove Food Bank Services (EGFBS) will be open on Saturdays thanks to a partnership with Elk Grove PATH-EG WINS.  Over thirty volunteers from the EG WINS Winter Sanctuary program have pulled together to lend a hand and make a commitment to help make this possible. In an effort to best meet the needs of families and individuals experiencing hardship, especially those who work during the day, EGFBS will now offer food and clothing on Saturdays starting April 5.

“Elk Grove PATH is excited to assist the Food Bank on Saturdays,” said Ed Kelly, one of the community leaders spearheading the new service day. “We think this will really help many working people who can’t come on a weekday.”

“Elk Grove Food Bank Services serves an incredible need, and I am thrilled to able to expand our service hours on Saturdays," said Marie Jachino, Executive Director. “We are extremely proud to partner with Elk Grove PATH/EG WINS supporting such a critical mission.  We don’t see an end in sight to the ever - growing levels of hunger.”

Since 1974 – “40 years,” the Elk Grove Food Bank Services has battled hunger and food insecurity in the Elk Grove and surrounding communities. The Food Bank provides food and others services to over 3,000 people each month.

When:  Saturdays starting April 5, 2014, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Where:  9820 Dino Drive, Suite 140

            Elk Grove, CA  95624

More Information is available at www.elkgrovefoodbank.org.

MLK Inspires Service by Kaiser Employees

MLK Day at the Elk Grove Food Bank with Kaiser Employees

Bright and early this morning, the air was crisp and the people were energized!  Kaiser Permanente, which has been a strong supporter* of the Elk Grove Food Bank Services (EGFBS)for the past 10 years, organized 80 of their employees and family members to volunteer today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  

Also on hand for support were Congressman Ami Bera, Mayor Gary Davis, and Food Bank Board of Directors: Jerry Braxmeyer, Betty Hall, Mark Jansson and Dean Scourtes. Marie Jachino, Executive Director, was thrilled to see so many smiling faces and helping hands.

When Congressman Bera (left) was asked what people would be surprised to know about the Elk Grove Food Bank Services, he mentioned the statistics quoted by Jerry Braxmeyer. One such statistic is the number of people served: 34,747. That is a huge number! And, when asked what motivates him to volunteer, he mentioned that although our community appears to be doing well, we still have groups of people, such as our seniors, who go to bed hungry.

Our next speaker was Mayor Gary Davis (right). He thanked Kaiser for organizing their employees to come out on this National Day of Service, also known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. And, he thanked all of the Kaiser employees and their families for coming out to the Food Bank to help sort community donated food and clothing. As the saying goes, "Many hands make light work."

When Patricia Rodriguez, Senior Vice President of Kaiser Permanante (left) was asked what people would be surprised to know about EGFBS, she said the wide variety of constituents that the Food Bank supports.  When asked what motivates her to volunteer, she indicated it’s the way she pays rent for living on this Earth. And, she loves helping people!

EGFBS is truly blessed to be able to provide essential services to help those in need here in our local Elk Grove community and surrounding areas.

EGFBS wants to thank everyone for getting up early to come out and spend their morning sorting donated food, bagging cat and dog food, sorting toiletries, and gently–used clothing. EGFBS is always looking for volunteers; do you have time on your hands?

  Mayor Gary Davis, EGFBS Marie Jachino, Congressman Ami Bera and Kaiser Senior VP of Kaiser Permanente.

Photo by Karla A. Haiberg

* In 2013, EGFBS was able to expand our Mobile Distribution sites to serve more "low income" seniors"; thanks to a generous grant from Kaiser Permanente.

Mobile Pantry in Franklin

We distribute food and clothing in the far southwest corner of Elk Grove every second Friday of the month through our Mobile Pantry program.  We go out there because our Franklin clients do not have access to transportation to travel to our Dino Drive facility.  Rosa and Dale loaded the truck with all the food and clothing to be distributed at Point Pleasant United Methodist Church.    

The boxes were packed with bread, cereal, cooking oil, pasta, canned veggies, fresh produce and cookies.  Rosa was so happy that she was able to gather enough packages of cookies to give our Franklin clients a treat.  

We filled the multi-purpose room with food boxes, clothing, books, specialty canned goods and additional produce.  Rosa arranged the tables so that our clients could take their time and look through and select what they needed.

Point Pleasant Church also provided our clients with some produce.  These bags contain potatoes and cabbage from the Church; with chicken and other commodities from our USDA distribution.  

 Each client signed in and verified the number of people in their family.  I heard many "ocho, " "siete," and "seis".  Our clients in this program have families that are larger than what some consider average.

 We served 28 families (141 individuals) last Friday. 

Rosa and the youngest client at Franklin Mobile Pantry.  

Many people help to distribute food to our Franklin clients.  Patricia Ramos is the volunteer coordinator, she keeps track of the clients in our program and enlists volunteers to help with the distribution.  Margarita Espinoza, Migrant Service Para-professional with the County, assisted our clients with the paper work.  Esther Figueroa, volunteer, distributes bags of food.  Don and Elsa Eliason, volunteers from Point Pleasant Church, provided carry-out service (Don) and informative workshops (Elsa). 

During our drive out to Point Pleasant Church, we were amazed how quickly Elk Grove changed from shopping centers and subdivisions to rural farmland. It was our first time driving beyond the skating rink in Franklin.  I did not realize that the United Methodist Church was located so close to I-5.  We could see the freeway just beyond the community garden (available for use by our clients) that is located on Church property.  

We enjoyed our time with our Franklin clients, although we do not speak the same language we were able to communicate with smiles and gestures.  We brought back with us gratitude from our isolated clients.  We look forward to serving them next month.

Mobile Pantry every second Friday at:
Point Pleasant United Methodist Church
3329 Point Pleasant Road
Elk Grove, CA  95757

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.

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.