SANTA
ROSA, Oct. 16 - The Redwood
Empire Food Bank (REFB), The Press
Democrat, and leading businesses
and service clubs is set to launch
the annual holiday season appeal
to help feed 50,000 people in need
in Sonoma County.
The
annual three-month appeal begins
Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31.
It
is the food bank's largest food
and fundraising outreach effort.The
goal is to collect 200,000 lbs.
of food and $160,000 to meet the
increase in food assistance throughout
Sonoma County. The food raised is
for the non-profit agency's programs
that help 50,000 low-income families,
seniors and young people every month.
For
the 11th year, The Press Democrat
on Tuesday, Nov. 13 will deliver
a REFB holiday bag inserted inside
the daily paper to the homes of
57,000 subscribers in Sonoma County.
The newspaper will also be publishing"Fill'er
Up" advertisements urging readers
to participate in this very popular
program.
In
addition, Friedman Home Improvement
will distribute 2,000 of the special
holiday fund drive bags at their
check-out stands in mid-November.
The
shopping bags carry the REFB logo
and encourage shoppers to contribute
nutritious canned and packaged foods
with long shelf lives. Donation
envelopes also will be inside each
bag for people wishing to make cash
contributions.
Bags
of food can be dropped off at any
G&G, Longs and Safeway stores
in the county, or directly to the
REFB headquarters, 3320 Industrial
Drive in Santa Rosa. Bags are also
available at the food bank.
The
newspaper's annual holiday bag effort
last year raised over $50,000 in
funds and 38,000 lbs. of food.
Food
and cash contributions also come
from drives conducted from every
corner of the county.
"We
expect over 200 individual food
drives in the community this year,"
Lee Bickley, Community Relations,
said."Anyone and any organization
can host a drive - such as large
and small businesses, retail stores
and food stores, wineries, restaurants,
schools, hospitals, health centers,
government buildings and apartment
complexes, law firms, sports centers."
David
Goodman, executive director of the
REFB, said the annual holiday effort
is increasingly crucial to the food
bank's ability to meet the needs
of hungry people as donations from
food manufacturers decline.
"The
level of support we get from major
food producers is declining, largely
because the food industry is becoming
more efficient in production and
distribution," said Goodman."As
a result less food is available."
"We
will distribute 9 million lbs. of
food this year and most of that
food, about 7.6 million lbs., comes
from outside our community. But
that source of food is diminishing,"
he said."In order to meet the
need of local hungry people we need
to ensure that there are sufficient
local donations."
"Hunger
pays no attention to whether manufacturing
and inventory systems improve. It
never has. It never well,"
he said.
Bickley
urged residents to consider making
cash donations which are deductible
and enable the food bank to obtain
even more food. Through an efficient
distribution system made possible
by more than 2,000 volunteers, the
REFB is able to distribute $5 worth
of food for every $1 it spends.
There
are three options for making cash
contributions:
Bickley
encourages donors to provide items
from the list of"most useful
kinds of food" that is on the
side of the holiday bag. Those include
canned tuna and meats, peanut butter,
canned fruits, vegetables, soups
and stews and cereal. No products
in glass containers or homemade
items can be accepted.
The
annual Holiday Bag Drive is underwritten
by leading Sonoma County businesses.
Premier
Sponsor: Ramey Wine Cellars
VIP
Sponsors: The Press Democrat, Merrill-Lynch,
HoHum Conco, St. Joseph Health System,
Friedman's Home Improvement, Chateau
St. Jean Winery, Westamerica Bank,
TLCD Architecture, Bank of America,
KRUSH 95.9, Bob 96.7, North Coast
Builders Exchange, Wells Fargo,
and Andy's Produce.
Sponsors:
Clover Stornetta, Parkpoint Health
Clubs.
For
more information, call Lee Bickley
or Holly Silva, Food & Funds
Drive Coordinator, at 707-523-7900. |
