VOLUME 23, ISSUE 2
Breakfast Fundraiser Was an Inspirational Success!
The Marysville Community Food Bank's first annual breakfast fundraiser on June 6 was a huge success. Supporters — 108 of them! — arrived bright and early at the Marysville United Methodist Church to hear inspirational speakers while they enjoyed a delicious breakfast.
After Pastor Meredith Gudger-Raines led a prayer, Marysville School District Superintendent Dr. Zachary Robbins spoke about the impact the Food Bank, and especially the Food for Thought weekend program, has on student learning and sense of well-being. Jim Colon of Marysville Toyota shared the reasons why his business has been supporting the Food Bank since their business opened in 2018. In fact, Marysville Toyota was the event's Presenting Sponsor!
A moving story was shared by Rick McCarthy, a general contractor and Gold-Level Sponsor. Rick has never forgotten the difference the MCFB made for his family during a rough time when he was a child.
Guests viewed a video showing the Food Bank in action and were amazed to learn all the facts and figures that Executive Director Jim Beaudoin shared about the MCFB's impact on our community. Our guests were so inspired that they donated $17,900 on the spot! Along with $11,100 collectively donated by sponsors Coastal Community Bank, Marysville Toyota, McCarthy General Contractor, Michael Mulligan Construction, Pacific Armament Co., Soroptimist International of Marysville, Third Street Law, United Healthcare, Loren R. Van Loo with Edward Jones, and WaFd Insurance Group, the grand total raised for this event was $29,000!
Thank you for supporting MCFB's many programs that serve our neighbors in need.
Many Thanks to All Who Helped with Our Breakfast Event. The success of our first annual fundraiser breakfast was due to the expert leadership of event organizer Renae James. Assisting her were Food Bank staff members Michelle Eno and Amy Howell. Members and friends of the Marysville United Methodist Church men's group scrambled eggs, fried sausage, prepared fresh fruit, served, and cleaned up afterwards. Amy Howell prepared biscuits and gravy to add to the buffet. Bonnie Ramsey designed food-themed table centerpieces featuring fresh flowers. Finally, thank you to Marysville United Methodist Church for the use of their lovely facility.
Volunteers in the Spotlight
We thank all our volunteers, whose hard work and dedication allow us to serve our community. Here are our recent Volunteers of the Month!
January: Angela Carpenter
Scrolling through Facebook one day in 2015, Angela came across a post about the MCFB's Food for Thought program. As she was not employed at the time, she decided to inquire. Since then she has been transporting Food for Thought packs to participating schools weekly, as well as picking up A Simple Gesture bags from participants' doorsteps twice monthly. A person who loves to drive, Angela also travels to area stores to pick up grocery rescue items. She says she's a homebody by nature, and as such she enjoys reading, collecting books for her never-ending TBR (to be read) pile, binge-watching TV and scrolling Facebook.
A former security officer, cashier, paper pusher, Air Force Reservist and a self-described dreamer, Angela has five children. She feels fortunate to have the means to feed those kids and to have family who could help, should that ever change. It saddens her knowing there are people who are not as fortunate. Volunteering at the Food Bank is her way of being their support. Thank you, Angela, for your caring heart!
February: Anonymous
This dedicated volunteer wishes to remain anonymous, and we are honoring their request. We are so grateful for their contribution to the Marysville Community Food Bank!
March: Our Parking Lot Crew
We simply could not operate without our faithful, hearty parking lot crew. Willing to brave any weather — be it summer heat or the icy, snowy cold of winter —these folks direct traffic as clients drive into our parking lot while others greet them, tablet in hand, checking them into the Food Bank. Still others manage the carts, making sure they're ready for each waiting client. This way, before our clients even step through our doors they're ready to start shopping.
Bill Bowles, Lonnie Dalrymple, Kim Gerry, Guy Pryor, George Ravnsborg, Scott Romano and Stephen Smith direct traffic. Joan Butters and Liz Carlson check in clients with a smile and an encouraging word. David Baqui, Mark James and Renae James manage carts. Carol Beyer and Colleen Brown willingly step into whichever of those roles is most needed on any given day.
Thank you, parking lot crew!
April: All Volunteers
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. What better time to recognize all 315 of our dedicated volunteers? They are simply the backbone of our operation. Drivers pick up donations from area stores and A Simple Gesture bags from neighbors' doorsteps. Those donations, everything from fresh produce to pet food, must be sorted and stocked so they're ready for clients to select. Incoming traffic must be directed and clients checked in. Then there are the inevitable jobs of cleaning the warehouse and restrooms. Without our volunteers there would be no Marysville Community Food Bank. We can't thank them enough!
2022 MCFB Recap: A Look at the Numbers
1,571,885 lbs. of food received, plus 11,024 lbs. of fresh produce.
315 volunteers logged 26,857 hours. That's 1,119 days!
We served 16,409 households and 50,028 individuals.
A Simple Gesture brought in a total of 21,113 pounds of food.
Our Food For Thought program distributed 16,278 bags of food and served up to 600 kids in need each week.
The Toy Store made Christmas brighter for 1,784 children.
Fresh fruits and vegetables made up 30% of the total weight of the foods we distributed.
Total pounds of food distributed: 1,447,233 → Meal equivalent for pounds distributed: 1,157,786 → Per day average of meals distributed: 3,172
In 2022, the Marysville Community Food Bank returned a $3,236,828 benefit to the community, working with a $450,000 budget from donations and grants.
Making a Difference: Recent Highlights and Plans
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your continued support and generosity. Your donations, volunteer hours and advocacy have made a tremendous difference in the lives of our neighbors in need.
The first half of 2023 has been challenging and also rewarding. We have faced unprecedented demand for food assistance due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic and the economic crisis. We have also witnessed incredible resiliency and solidarity among our community members, who have stepped up to help each other in various ways.
Some of the highlights of our work through June of 2023 include:
Distributing over 678,942 lbs. of food to more than 9,528 families through our wonderful volunteers who've worked 14,786 hours.
Launching a new fundraiser breakfast where we hosted 108 guests and raised $29,000.
Participating in community events such as Poochella, the Strawberry Festival Parade and the Letter Carriers' Food Drive.
None of this would have been possible without your support. You are the reason we can continue our mission of Enhancing the lives of our neighbors by nourishing their bodies, hearts, and souls to build a brighter future. You are the reason we can provide hope and dignity to our clients. You are the reason we can look forward to a brighter future.
For the second half of 2023, we still have a lot of work to do. The need for food assistance remains high and we anticipate more chal-lenges ahead. We also have a lot of opportunities to grow and innovate. We are excited to share with you some of our upcoming plans and projects, such as:
Installing a new walk-in freezer on the service floor of the warehouse that will increase our storage capacity and efficiency in serving clients.
Developing a new online platform that will allow clients to set appointments for our new evening service on the last Wednesday of each month.
Please stay connected with us through our website, social media and newsletters. We also invite you to visit the MCFB, volunteer with us, or attend one of our events. We would love to see you and thank you personally for your support.
Thank you again for being part of our food bank family. Together, we can end hunger in our community.
— Jim Beaudoin, Executive Director
New Monthly Evening Service Now Available
MCFB welcomes our neighbors in need who cannot make our regular-schedule distribution times. We now offer an appointment-only service from 5:50 to 7:30 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month. Sign up online today.
Only 40 spots are available and you may sign up as early as the week before. Need assistance? Call our office at 360-658-1054.
Many Thanks To...
Arlington Walmart for a $500 butter grant.
City of Marysville for a $35,000 grant for dairy products.
Edward Jones offices for sponsoring Food Bank T-shirts for volunteers.
The Grove Church, for their donation of $4,374.
Keller Williams Marysville employees for 'spring cleaning' the MCFB on RED Day, their annual service day.
Kroger for a $5,000 donation.
The National Association of Letter Carriers' 'Stamp Out Hunger' Food Drive, which brought in 4,160 lbs. of food. And many thanks to all the volunteers who loaded and unloaded it all.
Marshall Elementary for 598 boxes of cereal, which far surpassed their 500-box goal!
Marysville Rotary for a $5,000 donation.
Terry Snodgrass for donating $10,000 towards the cost of moving and installing the 10' x 10' freezer donated by the Marysville Fire Dept.
Stillaguamish Tribes for a $10,000 grant for our Food for Thought program.
In Loving Memory
We were saddened to hear of the passing of Dorothy Elliott on February 22. Dorothy had volunteered with her husband Al for many years helping out wherever she was needed. It was always a pleasure to work with Dorothy, who was warm, giving, caring and fun. She was an expert gardener who created beautiful floral centerpieces for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinners. She is missed by Al, their children and grandchildren, and all of us who knew her.
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