Appoquinimink High School senior collects 2,400+ pounds through “Capture for a Cause”

We love when members of our community come up with creative ideas to help feed Delawareans in need! Appoquinimink senior Celine Cumming organized the first-ever “Capture for a Cause” food drive event on Saturday, January 26.

The event worked liked this: 40 of New Castle County’s top politicians, business and civic leaders agreed to a voluntary kidnapping plot. As part of Celine’s plan, the family and friends of her kidnap “victims” were contacted via email with a ransom demand. In order to secure their release, a minimum, 15-pound donation of non-perishable food items had to be dropped off to the Appoquinimink Community Center last Saturday afternoon between 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Celine hoped to collect more than 600 pounds! By the end of the day she had collected more than 2,000 pounds!

“In high school, we’re challenged to develop a meaningful senior project,” she explained. “I decided I wanted to focus on the thousands of children, hard-working families and seniors who go to bed hungry each night.”

“There are a lot of big problems out there that I don’t know how to solve, but putting food on the table when a family needs it is something that’s within our reach. If we all work together, we can eradicate hunger in Delaware,” she said.

Celine had hoped that dozens of community members would stop by to make a donation. “It’s easy to find an extra can of soup or a box of spaghetti in the pantry. You’ll never even miss them,” she explained.

While the kidnap victims were under lock and key, local businesses generously agreed to donate free food and beverages. And the victim who brought in the most ransom (nonperishables) will be honored with a gift basket. According to Celine, Joyce Simmons of State Farm Insurance was the most valuable kidnapee, donating 556 pounds!

Capture for a Cause “Victims” included: State Senator Bethany Hall-Long, State Representative Quinton “Quinn” Johnson, State Representative Jeff Spiegelman, Miss Wilmington 2013 Amanda Debus, Appoquinimink School District Superintendent Matt Burrows and more!

Thank you to Celine for a job well-done!

Check out some photos from the day!

Students from The Culinary School receive hands-on training in restaurant technology from DBS

Fourteen students from The Culinary School (TCS) at the Food Bank of Delaware stepped out of our training kitchen yesterday and into Delaware Business Systems’ (DBS) training center for hands-on instruction in the latest restaurant point-of-sale technology.

Yesterday’s technology demonstration launches The Culinary School’s new partnership with DBS. The partnership will enable students to get hands-on experience using the technology seen in today’s hospitality industry.

“It is great that we have initiated a new partnership with DBS to support TCS,” said our Culinary and Nutrition Education Programs Director Jorge Velázquez. “Through our partnership, TCS students will be able to learn about the latest in restaurant technology, as well as get hands-on experience working with the technology at the DBS training center – technology that they can expect to be working with in every restaurant and culinary establishment. It’s important that we provide more than just the food preparation/handling skills needed, but also the technological skills that are necessary in order to succeed in the hospitality field.”

“We’re proud to partner with TCS,” said DBS Director of Business Development Jason Blusk. “The students will benefit in many ways, but most importantly, this partnership will provide them with a head start when entering the hospitality job market. In today’s competitive marketplace a cash register doesn’t cut it. Successful students must enter the job market ready to hit the ground running from day one. Our technology fosters a smooth transition from the classroom to the workplace. It engages and empowers the students while providing the critical skills needed to be successful in the hospitality industry.”

“My experience at DBS was very educational, because of the additional training in restaurant technology, I feel better prepared to enter the workforce,” said student Nichole Meeks.

In addition to training sessions at DBS’ New Castle location, The Culinary School’s goal is to secure funding to purchase a point of sale system for use by students at its facility in Newark and future training kitchen in Milford.

To learn more about The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware, please contact Velázquez at (302) 444-8071 or jvelazquez@fbd.org. For more information about DBS, please contact Jason Blusk at 302-395-0900 or jblusk@dbs4pos.com.

New Beginnings

By Meghan Keating, Communications Intern

This past Wednesday I sat down with Reggie Taylor, one of the current students at The Culinary School at the Food Bank. As we chatted, Taylor shared with me how he first became involved with The Culinary School, what he has learned so far, and how being a student at the school has changed his life.

Taylor first heard of the Food Bank and the Culinary School program through a work release center, and after paying a visit to our facility, decided it was the right choice for him, stating that he really liked the way it was run. Prior to being a student at the school, he worked in home maintenance and also served as an assistant warehouse manager. He says that what he likes most about the school is the fact that the staff is always there when you need them. It is a “crash course”, as Taylor puts it, and a lot of information is taught in a very short amount of time, but it is all about the work that you put in and how successful you want to be in the end.  He also states that some of the most valuable skills he has learned so far include becoming more oriented with how professional kitchens are run in comparison to home kitchens, including the factor of cleanliness.  This is something he says he never knew before becoming a culinary student.

Taylor was also a part of the group of students from The Culinary School who recently helped prepare the food for Governor Jack Markell’s Inaugural Ball.  He says participating in the ball was extremely exciting, commenting on how great the head chef at the Chase Center and his staff were to work with. Overall, he says it was an interesting and pleasant experience that he was able to be a part of.  One of his favorite dishes he’s prepared thus far, he says, was included at the celebration ; a tenderloin slider, which he states was very popular. In addition to the sliders, turkey meatloaf and chicken pot pie complete the list of Taylor’s favorite dishes he has prepared at The Culinary School to date.

Overall, Taylor says that The Culinary School has given him a sense of direction and a new beginning that will help him jump start a new career in the culinary world.

To learn more about The Culinary School, please visit http://www.fbd.org/the-culinary-school/.

Giving Back and Paying It Forward

By Meghan Keating, Communications Intern

Last Wednesday I visited St. Stephen’s Food Pantry in Wilmington. St. Stephen’s is one of the many partner organizations that receive food from the Food Bank for the public. My ultimate task was to document the visit by taking pictures of volunteers in action as well as squeezing in some interviews here and there. I accomplished these tasks, but the people that I met on my visit were really the highlight of the experience. To say that these people are wonderful is truly an understatement.

St. Stephen’s Food Pantry is a service provided by LCS (Lutheran Community Services) and last year alone LCS served more than 100,000 people (duplicated) through multiple programs throughout the state.

Sandy Betley , LCS Program Director, said that the food pantry often sees people who are not the “stereotypical” food pantry client.

She told me:

“Since 2006 the nature of the client has changed dramatically. We see people who have worked at the same job for 17 years; they’ve been downsized, their company has been outsourced. We have families all the time now. Families who earned two incomes have gone to one income, people who work two part-time jobs or a full-time job and a part-time job. It’s just not enough to make ends meet. The wages that people are getting don’t meet their expenses. We are encountering people who are embarrassed, ashamed and assuring us and themselves that they’ve never had to do anything like this before – they’ve always been helping others. The climate has really changed.

Betley says that while the community has been incredibly generous with donations, the increase in demand does not keep up with the donation. Without food from the Food Bank of Delaware, LCS would not be able to run its multiple operations, she said.

While visiting at St. Stephen’s, I also had the opportunity to speak with two clients, Annie and Richard. Both have been receiving food from the pantry for the past few years. Annie and Richard commended St. Stephen’s for all of the wonderful work it does for the community. Richard stated that he gets a great sense of satisfaction from the fact that the volunteers at the pantry want to be there and want to help. He started utilizing the pantry when he had to leave his job from a local financial institution in order to care for his ill wife. As a result of not working, his house was foreclosed. Both Annie and Richard said they don’t know what the community would do without the wonderful assistance of St. Stephen’s.

LCS’ programs are volunteer-driven. St. Stephen’s alone sees more than 300 volunteers every month. There is a strong sense of a “volunteer community,” according to Volunteer Coordinator Cher Frampton.

Frampton is the first person to fill the Volunteer Coordinator position at St. Stephen’s and is already enhancing the volunteer program by creating what she calls “volunteer success stories” from various volunteers who come to the pantry. Whether they need a job, or just a little push to come out of their shell, Frampton makes it her goal to see it happen.

In addition to Frampton, I also spoke to Peter Buttenheim, who is one of the head volunteers at St. Stephen’s. Peter, who is also a regular volunteer at the Food Bank, began serving the community at an early age, and stated that a sense of service was instilled in him by his father as a boy. After retiring in 2008 from the Sanford School, he wanted to continue serving his community and started volunteering at St. Stephen’s two days a week. Peter said his favorite aspects of volunteering at the food pantry are the people, and stated that he always has “Insta Moments” of gratification on a daily basis just by watching them work and “do good” for the community. His two biggest mottos gained from his volunteer experience are “giving back” and paying forward,” which he says are important things to remember.

I’m so glad that I got to visit the food pantry at St. Stephen’s and witnessed firsthand all of the wonderful work they are doing for the community of Wilmington.

 

 

Choose MyPlate

By Kim Turner, Communications Director

Did you know that we offer a host of nutrition education sessions for individuals, families and seniors living on a tight household budget? Thanks to our SNAP-ed team we’re able to educate our community about making healthy eating decisions on a limited budget!

Last week I had an opportunity to spend time with Scott Schuster, our Community Nutrition Educator, and adults from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Delaware. Scott held a session called Choose MyPlate and educated the group about eating healthy with USDA’s MyPlate (formerly MyPyramid). Scott told us that with MyPlate we now can visualize how much of each food group should be on our plate. The class talked about fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy and grains.

Scott’s class was great, and I learned some new things! Did you know that skim milk and whole milk have the same amount of nutrients? You should also choose whole grains as white breads and white rices are stripped of their shells and nutrients! Fruits and vegetables are good sources of nutrients, minerals and fiber – fiber aids with digestion. Each day adults should eat two cups of fruit. Did you know that one pear or one apple equals one cup?

To close out the session, the class played MyPlate Bingo! Everyone was a winner that day and got to choose a prize!

For more information about the Food Bank of Delaware’s SNAP-Education team, please click here!

 

 

The Culinary School spends evening at Governor’s inaugural ball

Last night was a great opportunity! Students from The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware showed off their skills to a crowd of 1,800 at Governor Jack Markell’s inaugural ball.

Students spent Friday, Monday and Tuesday preparing more than 2,000 gourmet sirlion sliders for guests to enjoy. The night of the event students worked alongside other members of the Delaware Restaurant Association. They were in the company of restaurants like Iron Hill Brewery, Harry’s Savoy Grill, Buckley’s Tavern, Nage, Pizza By Elizabeth’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Abbott’s Grill and many more! It was a great opportunity for students to network with others in the industry and demonstrate their abilities.

“The students, under Chef Mark’s leadership, are to be commended,” said our President and CEO, Patricia Beebe. “The Governor and First Lady visited our station for quite some time. It was wonderful. Plus, the students spent a lot of time networking. I heard from many restaurant owners what a wonderful assistance they were and, most importantly, how absolutely delicious the sirloin steak sliders were!”

The students had a great experience!

Delancy Smallwood said, “I enjoyed myself! It was a lovely event!” Another student, Aaron Moses, noted, “it was a great learning experience for us.” And Ronald Seeney said, “just being there was an eye-opener. I had the opportunity to network with so many people!”

We are so thrilled that the students had this opportunity! A special thank you to Carrie Leishman from the Delaware Restaurant Association for helping to make it all happen!

Check out some pictures of the students prepping in our kitchen!

 

 

 

Partner Spotlight: Evangelistic Temple of Truth Church

By Kim Turner, Communications Director

Right before the holidays I had a chance to visit with Tina and Fred Hall at Evangelistic Temple of Truth (ETOT) Church in Wilmington. The Hall’s are passionate volunteers who run the food program at the church. The couple works tiredlessly to make sure families, especially seniors and children, have access to plenty of nutritious foods. When Tina and Fred aren’t at the Food Bank of Delaware picking up food from our warehouse in Newark, they are working out of a small basement within their church on South Franklin Street. The Halls work with a dedicated group of volunteers filling grocery bags full of canned goods, bakery products, frozen chicken and more!

The church hosts food distributions throughout the month for both seniors and the general public. On the day I visited, volunteers were distributing in the morning to seniors and the general public at lunchtime. Seniors who receive monthly assistance are participants in our Commodity Supplemental Food Program. In addition to the food designated for the program, the Halls supplement with extra items they receive from their membership at the Food Bank! I was amazed to see how much food each household received! The Hall’s are incredibly generous and care greatly about each individual who walks through their door.

I spoke with several seniors in line and all were thankful for the program. “My husband and I are both retired and over the age of 70 so the program is a big help,” said Betty. The couple has been participating since we started the program. “We’re very happy with the food we receive. At first I didn’t think we would qualify. Before we retired my husband was a truck driver and I worked in a jewelry store. Even then we both had very small incomes.” Betty is proud that all of her children are grown, successful and living on their own.

I also spoke with a 70-year-old retired woman who is taking care of her mentally-ill sister. “The program is good. I am very happy with it – it works for me. Before I retired I was a homebound aid with the Visiting Nurses Association. I worked with them for more than 20 years. I learned about the senior program through the local senior center. It really is a blessing.”

In addition to nutritious food, visitors also received free information from our SNAP Outreach Coordinator, Matt Talley, about signing up for SNAP benefits. Our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program Coordinator, Barbara Brkovich, was on hand to explain the benefits of signing up for the program, set to start this spring at the Wilmington Farmers’ Market at Cool Springs Park.

We are so thankful for all of the partners we work with! They play a very important role in our efforts to alleviate hunger in Delaware! We can’t distribute millions of pounds of food each year without them.

Check out some pictures from our visit!