Question

Answer

1

How does the Foodbank work?

The Foodbank serves as a regional clearinghouse for donated and purchased food. These items are distributed to qualified nonprofit groups providing food to the less fortunate.

2

How many agencies does the Foodbank provide for?

Currently, there are 245 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations throughout its service area. These organizations include emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other nonprofit agencies which assist Peninsula residents who fall into need each day.

3

Where does the Foodbank operate?

Our service area encompasses the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson and Williamsburg and the counties of Gloucester, James City, Mathews, Surry and York.

4

How many meals are provided each day?

In the last fiscal year, the Foodbank distributed more than 8.5 million pounds of food. This was enough to provide 6,953,602 meals, or 19,051 meals a day. This equates to 214 full tractor trailer loads a year (based on 40,000 lbs. per load), or 4 loads each week!

5

Where does the food come from?

The Foodbank acquires surpluses and potentially recoverable discards gathered from local retailers, wholesalers, distributors, food industry manufacturers, brokers, gleaning projects, food drives and individuals throughout its service area. There are also national donors through the America’s Second Harvest National Network of Food Banks. Finally, items are obtained from the USDA through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and with private grant funding for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). Food donors amount to over 250 companies, schools and other institutions.

6

Who qualifies and how many are served? How are individuals referred?

The population targeted is those individuals at risk of losing their food security because they live at 185% or below the poverty level. For the service area, that equates to 50,000 (18,591 are children) people who are at risk of food insecurity, and many from outright hunger. An additional 78,000 individuals are at risk of food insecurity. Additionally, it is estimated that over 5,000 Peninsula residents including their dependents serving in our Armed Services may become food insecure because of low pay and prolonged deployments as well as the fact that many Reservists have been called back to active duty. Individuals are referred to a Foodbank Agency by calling United Way First Call at 757-594-4636.

7

From where does the Foodbank receive its funding and how much goes directly to help the hungry?

Over one-third, or 34%, comes from community contributions from individuals. Currently, the mailing list has nearly 10,000 people who have contributed to the Foodbank in the past year. Another 27% comes from agency fees for service and SHARE food sales. 13% comes from government grants and reimbursements, and 7% from corporate and foundation grants. United Way funding amounts to 10%, and 6% comes from special events, with the remaining 3% from other sources. Nearly 98% of expenses are devoted to program services.

8

How large is your reserve fund and why don’t you use it to distribute more food?

America’s Second Harvest, the National Network of Foodbanks, requires food banks to have at least six months worth of operating expenses in reserve. This year’s budgeted expense amounts to nearly $1.8 million, thus a reserve of $900,000 is required. The reserve fund amounts to nearly $1,030,000, all of which has been designated by the Board of Directors for our Building Development Fund not only to satisfy the reserve requirement, but to cover Capital Campaign expenses and future contingencies.

9

How many employees do you have? How much are annual salaries? How many volunteers?

The Foodbank currently employs 24 people. Salaries last year amounted to $610,091 out of total expenses of $1,674,684, or 36%. Volunteers contributed a total of 48,577 hours (including 23,589 hours in the SHARE Program) saving $911,415 in salaries (based on a value of $18.77/hour as determined by the Independent Sector) in FY 2006-2007.

10

SHARE Program? What is that and are there other programs?

The SHARE (Self-Help and Resource Exchange) Program provides quality monthly food package with a value of approximately $40 to participants. The savings by buying bulk is passed directly to the participants who pay only $19 and two hours of community service for each package. Growth in this program has gone from 350 individuals to an average of 1,110 participants a month.

11

How much food does the Foodbank turn away?

Conservatively, the Foodbank turns away at least one tractor trailer load of food each week because of the woefully inadequate warehousing and distribution facilities. This equates to about 2 million pounds of food each year that could have otherwise been used in the community.

12

How much more of a need is there for food?

Despite distributing 8.5 million pounds during the last fiscal year, equating to over 6.9 million meals, the Foodbank is still far from eliminating food insecurity and hunger in our community. Currently the shortage is estimated at nearly 15,000,000 pounds a year.

13

How do you intend to put more food into the community?

Currently, the Foodbank is in the quiet phases of a Capital Campaign. Currently, we have raised $5.3 million of the $7 million needed. It is our hope to build a 40,000 square foot facility, increasing our space 30,000 square feet and including state-of-the-art freezers and coolers, additional dry storage, a new teaching kitchen and much more. The Campaign will go public on or around June 2008.

Donated Food Distribution Program

The Foodbank’s Food Distribution Program serves as a regional clearinghouse for donated and purchased food as well as related items. These items are distributed to qualified nonprofit groups providing food to the less fortunate. The Foodbank acquires surpluses and potentially recoverable discards gathered from local retailers, wholesalers, distributors, food industry manufacturers, brokers, gleaning projects, food drives and individuals throughout its service area. There are also national donors through the America’s Second Harvest National Network of Food Banks.

USDA TEFAP Food Distribution Program

First quality food items are obtained from the USDA through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); these government commodities are available to those who qualify, but make up more than 872,721 pounds a year and for many will be some of the few fruits and vegetables seen each month.

FEMA Emergency Food Distribution Program

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Food Distribution Program is active not only in times of disaster, like in September 2003 when Hurricane Isabel struck, but also during holiday months when turkeys are desperately needed.

Virginia’s Table Prepared & Perishable Food Rescue Program

A Prepared and Perishable Foods Rescue Program, Virginia’s Table, gathers food from local restaurants, hospitals and educational facilities and delivers it directly to local shelters and soup kitchen feeding programs. This program distributed more than 1.1 million pounds of prepared foods this past fiscal year.

Neighbor to Neighbor Program

The Neighbor to Neighbor Program links prepared and perishable food donors directly with qualified agencies who have received the appropriate safe food handling training.

We Produce…Produce Program

This program distributes surplus produce (422,521 pounds this year), perishable items and USDA TEFAP commodities to low income and senior housing projects.

The Bread Plus Program

The Bread Plus Program gives out donated bread from food retailers and bakeries amounting to 972,127 pounds, or an average of over 20,000 pounds of bread weekly.

Nutrition/Self-Sufficiency Training Program

In meeting with the mission statement of the Peninsula Foodbank, the Nutrition Program extends nutrition, food safety and self-sufficiency training to low income individuals and member agency representatives. The training empowers individuals to strive towards meeting their own nutritional, financial and self-actualization goals.

Kid’s Cafe Program

The Kids Cafe Program provides a nutritious afternoon meal or snack to children in after school programs in a safe, caring and learning environment. There are 24 sites located in both urban and rural areas. Approximately 236,995 meals or snacks were served last year to an average of over 1,725 children weekly during the school year. When schools are closed 10 sites continue on during the summer months.

Food For Kids Program

Through partnerships with three Title I elementary schools, (defined as schools with a population of greater than 50% of the children receiving free or reduced price federal school meals), the Food for Kids Program provided 130,377 pounds of food to 445 kids this past school year! Theses distribution consisted of a variety of produce, bread and other kid friendly, yet nutritious food items.

Plant a Row for the Hungry Program

This unique program promotes nutrition, self-reliance, and urban beautification at numerous community and individual gardens.

SHARE Peninsula

SHARE Peninsula (Self-Help and Resource Exchange)

New in January of 2002, the SHARE Program is a national network of non-profit organizations dedicated to providing quality monthly food packages at a reduced cost, promoting volunteer service in our communities and the building of partnerships between community organizations. For $19 and two hours of community service, SHARE offers a nutritious food package worth approximately $40. In its inaugural month, the program served 350 individuals. Growth in this program had increased to an average of 1,110 participants a month by June 2004.