Support Through “The Storm”

Jerry

Jerry Kahn has been a customer of the FamilyWorks’ food bank since March 2012 when , as he says, he was caught in the “perfect storm of divorce, depression, and a bad economy.” He discovered the benefits of food banks by word of mouth, and then finally landed at FamilyWorks by means of online resources.  Jerry has found a place of community, respect, and comfort at FamilyWorks. Since he first starting coming to FamilyWorks Jerry has received a degree in deep sea diving, has been able to work intermittently, and has met his lifelong partner.

Even after finding his “way through the storm” Jerry still continues to be a participating member at the FamilyWorks food bank. He states that he still has a ways to go, and is continuing to seek out stable employment. Jerry is grateful for the support FamilyWorks has given him and hopes to one day be able to give back to the organization that has supported him through the difficult times in his life.

Please remember to support FamilyWorks during the GiveBIG campaign on May 15^th and partner with us in making ours a more vibrant and resilient community.

Why I Support FamilyWorks – Geoff Cole

Geoff Cole

“Ever since I can remember, the idea of people going hungry, even starving to death, horrified me.  I grew up in a poor family with few luxuries, but we always had simple but wholesome food on the table.  As an adult I have gravitated toward charities that addressed the problem of hunger, and when I moved to Seattle I began contributing to what was then called the Fremont Food Bank.

That organization moved from Aurora Avenue to its current location on 45th, and FamilyWorks was born.  My first contact with Jake Weber, FamilyWorks’ Executive Director, occurred when my partner and I attended a FamilyWorks fundraising dinner.  I am a loyal monthly contributor to Family Works because of my commitment to ending hunger, but I’m also drawn to the staff’s leadership, compassion and knack for community building and plain fun.”

Geoff is a long-time supporter of FamilyWorks and if you’d like to meet Geoff in person he’ll be leading the Waltz instruction at the Dance 4 Wallingford event on Saturday the 11th. Thank you Geoff, and thank you to all of the gracious donors who make this work possible.

Please remember to support FamilyWorks during the GiveBIG campaign on May 15^th.

“Everybody can be great . . . “

There is a great quote by Martin Luther King in which he says, “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.” At FamilyWorks we are very blessed to be connected to so many “great” individuals who generously give of their time and talents.

If you’ve ever been passing through our hallway during food bank hours you’ve possibly seen, and heard, Cora who is one of these “great” individuals. Cora has been a consistent and welcoming presence at FamilyWorks ever since she first joined our family as an AARP volunteer three years ago. Cora is a talented singer and musician who often shares her talent with our food bank customers because as she says, “Music has been a healing force for me, and I want to pass that along to others.”

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Cora and she candidly shared about the difficulties she has had to overcome in her life, including addiction, abuse and disability. Despite these hurdles Cora has chosen to utilize her experiences, wisdom and gifts to help others. She told me, “I’m not perfect. I’m a work in progress. But, today I’m all about helping people.” Aside from entertaining our customers with her music Cora is also helping others by serving as an AA sponsor and peer coach.

As we finished talking Cora told me, “If everyone could give what they could the world would be so much better.” I appreciated this sentiment because it perfectly describes Cora’s character and heart. But, I also appreciate what she said because it lines up so well with the last part of Dr. King’s quote, which seems to have been written for Cora and other “great” individuals like her:

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve  . . . You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

Thank you Cora, and thank you to all of the “great” volunteers who serve at FamilyWorks.

Please remember to support FamilyWorks during the GiveBIG campaign on May 15^th.

Franklin HS Woodshop Keeps Food Bank on the Move

 By Virginia Eader, MSW Intern

Students brainstorming with Woodshop teacher, Mike Lawson, on how to complete the carts for the food bank. “It brought a lot of us together,” described Senior Michael Raglin-Johnsen. “We had to communicate and work as a team.”

 In 2010 Family Works collected over 522 tons of food through the generous support of the local Wallingford and Seattle community. FamilyWork’s dedicated staff and volunteers work hard to ensure that all of the food is carefully sorted, organized, refrigerated, and made ready to distribute to eager customers throughout each week.

As with most food banks, storage capacity and mobility of food can be quite challenging. When Sanjay Rao, food bank volunteer and FamilyWorks board member, first began working in the food bank he witnessed the heavy moving and shifting of the 300-400 pound stacked crates of food. “There’s got to be a better way,” he thought.

 Staff and volunteers began brainstorming ways to improve the mobility of food. After researching costly solutions and testing out three hand-made prototypes, it was decided that a simply designed wood frame with swivel wheels could be a hopeful solution. To help with building the carts, the project became a great community service opportunity for a group willing to help out. Thirteen students from Franklin High School’s Woodshop class, one of the few Woodshop programs left in Seattle, stepped up to the challenge.

 Mike Lawson, who has been teaching Woodshop at Franklin for the past 16 years, was excited to get his students involved with the project. “It’s a big world out there and I want students to see that they can have a part in it,” Lawson said. This is the third community service project the class has done this semester.

Franklin Woodshop student proudly holds two completed carts. "It's not everyday that students have the opportunity to go from a concept to a finished product," said Teacher, Mike Lawson.

 Food bank volunteers pooled together to get the necessary supplies for students to make the carts. Just over a week after the materials were delivered, students had all 25 carts complete.

 Reflecting on the project, Junior Angela Ma says, “It was very fun. Like an assembly line, everyone put in effort to help make each cart.”

 The building of the carts required that the students use a combination of skills including math, reading, following detailed directions, precision cutting and drilling, as well as a great deal of collaborative problem solving and communication.

 Lawson described the learning process, “It was pretty cool watching [the students]. You could really see their gears turning. In this class every kid has a chance to be a rock star. They don’t necessarily have that chance in other parts of their life.”

 Many students expressed excitement about helping the food bank through their class work.

 “It’s nice to be able to put something to use. We can go out in the community and say ‘oh wow’ I made this’,” Senior Maddy Williams said.     Junior Jonathan Chac agreed, “It felt good because it’s not just for a grade. I’m actually helping people.”

FamilyWorks volunteers Sanjay Rao and David Tate testing the new carts in the food bank. "Honestly, I feel really good about this project," Sanjay explained. "All it takes is to bring people together and they'll help each other out."

 The students are hoping to be able take a field trip to FamilyWorks to see their hard work in action. Some students even expressed the desire to volunteer after school. In the mean time, the carts will help keep thousands of pounds of nutritious food moving more efficiently throughout the food bank each week. The benefits of this collaborative project will help to better serve the individuals and families who need it most.

FOOD BANK GOURMET

Calling all community minded foodies!     Celebrated chef and restaurant owners Rachel Yang of Joule and Amy McCray of Eva will be teaming up for an interactive cooking demonstration. They will be using items that are typically found in the FamilyWorks food bank. Seattle’s own celebrity chef, Kathy Casey, will MC the event. 

 In addition to the demo, guests will be invited to tour the FamilyWorks resource center and food bank, enjoy a wine tasting by Sozo Planet, and snack on appetizers. Recipes from the demonstration will be shared with guests, as well as food bank customers. The minimum age for attendance is 21. Tickets are $25/person and can be purchased at  Brown Paper Tickets . 

FamilyWorks is a food bank and family resource center that nourishes and strengthens individuals and families by connecting them with support, resources, and community. Our vision is for a vibrant and healthy community with strong well-nourished families as the foundation.

FamilyWorks’ After School Tutoring Program’s Family Dinner

FamilyWorks would like to give a big thank you to our guest chef, Rachel Duboff of Thyme to Nourish, for making last night’s family dinner a huge success!  Each year our free after school tutoring program puts on a family dinner where students prepare a meal for their families.  Our family dinners provide a fun, interactive environment for parents and guardians of students to meet each other. The gathering also allows tutors, students and their families to come together and share experiences, resources and just have fun enjoying others’ company.  This year Rachel helped us by providing nutrition education to students and creating a burrito bar menu including homemade salsas, guacamole and calabacitas!  Students eagerly participated by chopping vegetables, shredding cheese and combining ingredients to make delicious dishes.  Along with Rachel, our fabulous volunteer tutors donated time and effort to making this event special for everyone involved.  Thank you to all who volunteered their time and to those who participated in our 2010-2011 family dinner!

 To see pictures of this exciting event, please visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/familyworks.

 Further information about Rachel Duboff and Thyme to Nourish can be found at http://www.thyme2nourish.com/.

Sharing the Love

Happy Valentine’s Day from FamilyWorks!

Last week, students from John Stanford International School and Meridian School handcrafted hundreds of unique Valentine’s Day cards. As shown below, the time spent crafting the cards was evident in their unique and beautiful designs. With encouragement from our MSW Intern, Virginia, the students made these lovely Valentines for customers of the FamilyWorks Food Bank, recognizing that these members of their community could potentially benefit from such an act of kindness; something to nourish their souls, in addition to nourishing their bodies. They were absolutely right, and their thoughtfulness went a long way.

On Thursday and Friday, the Valentines were personally distributed to customers, while they waited in the food bank’s queue. The timing was purposeful, as it allowed for a moment of reflection and communication. The impact was extremely heartwarming to witness. Recipients were visibly touched and appreciative that the local youth had taken time to make the cards, with them in mind. Many customers teared up. It was especially meaningful to our many elderly community members, many of whom live alone and often feel isolated. One elderly man returned, after leaving earlier with his supplies, to express his immense gratitude for the kind gesture. He shook hands with every FamilyWorks volunteer on the line, thanking them for their service.

Sometimes, we underestimate the power of human connection. The students’ Valentines are a perfect example of how even the simplest act of kindness can have an unexpected and lasting impact. A great thought to keep in mind on this day of love (and kindness)!

FamilyWorks would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank You” to the students and teachers at John Stanford International School and Meridian School.

~Bromley Autier