Hershey Ready to Feed the Need
FA L L , 2 0 1 3
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Regular Hours:
9:00-11:30 and 5:00-6:30
NOVEMBER
•Thursday November 7th,
am & pm Regular hours
•Sunday, Nov. 10 Food Drive & Bake Sale
Brownstone Masonic
Lodge in Hershey
12 noon to 4 p.m.
Thanksgiving Distribution:
•Thur. Nov. 21 & Fri. Nov. 22
8:00 - 12:00 and 3:00-7:00
both days
DECEMBER
The Hershey Food Bank and Community
at the Hershey Food Bank on Nov. 12,
Outreach is proud to present its second from 10:00-noon. You may also email
signature fundraising event “Feed the Need,”
[email protected] for tickets.
an evening of food tasting and wine, again
The Food Bank operates with 100% volunfeaturing the Executive Chefs and restaurants
teers who donate their time, talent and of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts
money to the community needs. Its primary
Company, Tröegs Brewing Company,
service is to provide food to qualifying
Desserts Etc., The Baker’s Tree, and the Bake
families and individuals. The Food
Shoppe at Hershey’s
Bank is currently serving over
Chocolate World.
2nd Annual
800 people each month, which
Feed the Need represents an astonishing inThis exciting fundraising event will be held
crease of more than 30 percent
on Sunday, December
versus 2012. However, the 2010
presents
8, 2013, at the Hershey
US Census Bureau statistics
Country Club. In addition to
show that 9.3% of the Hershey
the food tasting, there will
census has an income below
be a Live and Silent auction.
the poverty level. With a popuWe anticipate a sold out
lation approaching 24,000 this
benefit again this year.
means that more than 2,200
people living in Hershey are
Tickets for Feed the Need
below the poverty level.
will be available for purchase
at the Hershey Food Bank food drive
Thank you in advance for your support.
and bake sale on Sunday, November 10 There is a true and pressing need right
from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the Brownstone
here
in our own community, and you can
Masonic Lodge. We will also be selling tickets
help us “Feed the Need!”
Meeting the Growing Need
These pictures show the work that goes into meeting the growing need for food bank services.
•Thursday December 5th
am & pm Regular hours
•Sunday, Dec. 8 2nd Annual Feed the Need
Hershey Country Club
4:00-7:00 p.m.
Christmas Distribution:
•Thurs. Dec. 19 & Fri. Dec. 20
8:00 - 12:00 and 3:00-7:00
both days
Contact the
Hershey Food Bank
Please contact us with any comments or questions about the Food Bank, or if you would
like to volunteer, make a contribution, or organize a food drive.
Hershey Food Bank & Community Outreach
P.O.Box 205
Hershey, PA 17033
E-mail:
[email protected]
Web:
www.hersheyfoodbank.com
Half Moon Yoga owner Julie Cramer and her
staff recently organized a fundraiser and food
drive to benefit the food bank. Much food was
collected and Julie presented us with a nice
check as well. L-R Odette Bergloff, Hershey
Food Bank Treasurer, Julie Cramer owner of
Half Moon Yoga, Jess Trudeau and Jess Koser
Willow Kristich, age 5
This is her second annual Thanksgiving Fundraiser and food drive! What an in inspiration
this five year old is to all of us! She raised over
$300.00 last year in addition to over 1,000
pounds of food, and so far this year she has
exceeded the cash donations and the food
continues to come in.
Left: Volunteers Barb Allen, Jennifer Harter
and Edie Harter stock the shelves at the
food bank.
President’s Letter: Our Volunteers Are Priceless!
Dear Friends,
It has been a little more than six months since the new food
bank opened at the new location on Derry Road, and there have
been many changes in our operations in that short time.
In the first place, our clients now choose their own food rather
than being handed a pre-packed box. A trained volunteer guides
each family down the aisles as they select items from various
food groups and place them in reusable bags in a shopping cart.
Our much expanded refrigerator and freezer space allows for
plenty of meats, dairy products, and frozen produce to be offered as well. This kind of shopping experience is more efficient
and user-friendly, and it is one of the many benefits of having
much more floor space.
We have also expanded the hours which the food bank is open
to include the third Wednesday of every month, as an alternate
to the third Thursday of the month. This change was necessary due to more and more families using the food bank each
month.
Because of that increased demand, we have many more volunteers working regular shifts at the food bank now. It is wonderful to see so many new people giving their time in order to
make sure that incoming food is weighed, sorted and shelved
in the bulk storage area, and that the shopping shelves are kept
full for our clients as well. To quote Neil Bergloff, our director of
outreach, “Our volunteers are not paid--not because they
are worthless, but because they are priceless!”
Finally, I need to mention the change that the new building
itself has brought about. To have a beautiful, brightly lit space
in which to work and shop is a terrific morale boost to all those
who enter its doors for whatever purpose. Since God has laid
it on all our hearts to do this work, it is wonderful that He has
provided this gift by way of the generosity of the community.
Thank you to all who support the work of the food bank.
Craig Fasnacht
President
Treasurer’s Update: We Couldn’t Do it Without You!
The Hershey Food Bank is most appreciative to all who continue to support us. We couldn’t do it without you! This is a
historic year for the food bank and our clients. We held the first
food distribution in our new building on March 21, 2013. For
the first time, all of our clients were able to shop for their food,
which allowed them to choose according to food preferences,
dietary restrictions, or religious and cultural practices. Clients
are allowed, with the assistance of a volunteer, to choose the
number of items in various nutritional classes (proteins, vegetables, soups, etc.) based on family size. Our greatly
increased storage (especially the walk-in freezer and three large
storage refrigerators) allows us to provide more frozen meats
and vegetables, fresh produce and dairy products.
The community needs continue to grow and the number of
families asking for assistance is steadily increasing. From January through August 2013, usage of the food bank has increased
31%. Without our new facility, we would not have been able to
serve this increased need.
We are very thankful to all who made it possible by the selfless
and very generous contributions to the Capital Campaign. We remind those who have made multi-year pledges of the
importance of making timely pledge payments so that we can
continue to pay our construction expenses.
With our new, larger facility come increased operating expenses. Our electric bill alone now averages over $500 per
month, primarily for the storage freezers and refrigerators
mentioned above, plus the three freezers and three refrigerators
where the clients shop. Your continued donations toward our
operations expenses are critical. We can purchase food at a very
low cost from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which we
do to supplement the generous food donations we receive from
churches, clubs, schools, food drives, special events, business,
and individuals.
www.hersheyfoodbank.com
There are a number of creative ways you can support the food bank:
• Donate gift cards from local supermarkets to the food bank
• Donate turkey certificates from local supermarkets
• Donate food
• Organize food drives, and invite friends, family, and co-workers to participate
• Request food donations instead of presents for holiday or
birthday parties
• Organize fundraisers – we can assist and provide literature
information
• Support the Feed the Need fundraiser scheduled for December 8 either by attending the event or by donating
an auction item
• Consider requesting cash donations to the Hershey Food
Bank & Community Outreach in your honor for: birthdays,
Christmas, anniversaries, etc. All donations will be acknowledged.
Thank you for your support,
Doug Gray,
Assistant Treasurer
The Hershey Company Supports the Food Bank
Special thanks to The Hershey Company for its $25,000 donation earlier this year. The company announced the donation at
its 2013 Annual Shareholders Meeting. The funds will make a
big difference in the lives of the many families we serve.
The generosity and kindness of our community and friends like
you make it possible for our all-volunteer nonprofit organization to provide for the ever-growing needs of our less fortunate
neighbors. We are currently providing food, paper products,
and emergency rent and utility assistance to approximately 800
individuals each month. Additional thanks go to the Hershey employees who volunteered at the Hershey Food Bank as part of the company’s
“Good to Give Back Week,” an event that encouraged community volunteerism for employees of The Hershey Company.
Building Update: An Amazing Year!
It has been an amazing year! We received the occupancy permit in time to have the first food distribution at our new building on March 21. The open house was held during the first
weekend in May. If you were unable to attend, please contact
us for a tour!
The external grounds were improved with plantings on the
mulch banks, orchestrated by Jane Gray. On October 26, Sam
Snook will be further enhancing the grounds as part of his
Eagle Scout project by adding mulch beds, bushes and a tree to
the property, plus two raised beds along Derry Road for planting vegetables.
The building is completed, but borrowing of some funds
was required for us to finish. We continue to receive Capital
Campaign pledges that will help us to fulfill the loan obligation and make any necessary additional purchases in support
of the operations. Thanks to everyone who has and continues
to contribute!
We thank Kinsley Construction for helping us through the process which resulted in the great new building, and maneuvering as necessary through the regulatory requirements. Last, we
are pleased to say that during October, The Township of Derry
completed its final inspection and has released our construction bond, indicating that we have met all of the requirements.
Ginny and Jeff Edleman
Capital Campaign Chairs
Client Voices
Our clients are thankful
for the Hershey Food Bank
and the services we provide.
Here are a few notes of
appreciation we have received.
“Thank you for being there for me in my
most desperate time! Blessings.”
Lily
“Thank you again for all you do. It is a true
blessing, especially around the holidays. You make it great for my family.”
“The Hershey Food Bank has been an
incredibly generous organization. As a
single mother, your selfless donations have
undoubtedly saved my family a great deal
of money, and for that I am very grateful.
I am also very grateful to all who donate
to you.The staff and volunteers are amazing individuals that have always treated
me and my family with kindness. I thank
you all for your love and support.”
–JP
“My wife and I are so thankful for the
Hershey Food Bank and the many
wonderful people who volunteer their
time. All the help you give us makes a big
difference to our family. It is nice to know
we don’t have to worry about not having
enough food because we know you are
there to help us. God bless all of you.”
–JR
“The Hershey Food Bank runs a wonderful program. And you treat people with
so much kindness and respect. You were
there for me when I needed you, and I
will never forget that, ever. I wish you all,
much success and love and joy! May God
be with you all.”
Peace, Paula P
The new Hershey Food Bank at 120 East Derry Road is now open!
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P.O. Box 205
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5th Annual Mission Classic Golf Outing
The Hershey Food Bank hosted the 5th Annual “Mission Classic” Golf Outing in May. More than 60 golfers
participated and the event raised $3,600 for the food bank. Thanks to all of the participants and volunteers, and
special thanks to Greg German and his family (pictured above right) for organizing and leading the event!
Help the Hershey Food Bank “go green” by sending us your e-mail address to receive our communications.
Send your e-mail address to [email protected].
The Hershey Food Bank and Community Outreach, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation
which has been providing services to residents of Derry Town­ship for more than 45 years