News
Food bank client list continues to grow
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| Richard Ducote, (from left) Kurt Markkola and Jessica Brack of Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold, Mary Jane Goodrick and food bank Advisory Board President Shirley Pavlovich stand in front of some of the equipment Freeport’s donation helped purchase. Photo by Ellen Sussman | Special to the Green Valley News |
By Ellen Sussman, Special to the Green Valley News
At a time when the Green Valley Community Food Bank is seeing a record number of clients, a donation of $5,000 from Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold has allowed the purchase of much-needed refrigeration equipment and shelves for the walk-in freezer.
“I feel they’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do,” food bank Executive Director Mary Jane Goodrick said. “Just saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t seem adequate, but we do thank them.”
In addition to the new refrigerated unit being more energy-efficient, it’s larger and allows for stocking the unit with more products at one time.
The donation comes as the food bank is seeing soaring numbers that Goodrick said is a direct result of the struggling economy.
“We have newer clients, those who have lost their jobs or have had their hours cut,” she said. “In some cases, adult children who have lost jobs are moving in with their parents... sometimes grandchildren are included.”
The food bank’s greatest needs include peanut butter, cereal and canned tomato products. They also take frozen food items, which need to be brought in when the food bank is open — Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and Tuesday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The food must be sealed and in its original packaging.
The food bank is still adjusting to the loss of generous donations from Basha’s, which closed last month, but now receives packaged items and canned food two days a week from Wal-Mart.
Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.
WHO'S IN NEED
July figures from the Green Valley Community Food Bank:
2,044 clients served, up 15 percent from July 2008.
1,003 food boxes distributed, up 21 percent from last year.
First food box, 617, up 14 percent from last year.
Children 17 and younger accounted for 37 percent of clients; ages 18 to 59 accounted for 48 percent; 60 and over accounted for 15 percent.
Homeless and “other” accounted for 14 percent of clients.
Numbers were up in nearly every category tracked by the Food Bank.
“I feel they’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do,” food bank Executive Director Mary Jane Goodrick said. “Just saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t seem adequate, but we do thank them.”
In addition to the new refrigerated unit being more energy-efficient, it’s larger and allows for stocking the unit with more products at one time.
The donation comes as the food bank is seeing soaring numbers that Goodrick said is a direct result of the struggling economy.
“We have newer clients, those who have lost their jobs or have had their hours cut,” she said. “In some cases, adult children who have lost jobs are moving in with their parents... sometimes grandchildren are included.”
The food bank’s greatest needs include peanut butter, cereal and canned tomato products. They also take frozen food items, which need to be brought in when the food bank is open — Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and Tuesday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The food must be sealed and in its original packaging.
The food bank is still adjusting to the loss of generous donations from Basha’s, which closed last month, but now receives packaged items and canned food two days a week from Wal-Mart.
Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.
WHO'S IN NEED
July figures from the Green Valley Community Food Bank:
Numbers were up in nearly every category tracked by the Food Bank.
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