You Are Going To Be Amazed
The second quarter totals are in and we donated 113% more food to the Community Food Bank than we did in our first quarter. That means we dropped off 3,000 lbs. of food in the last three months compared to 1,411 lbs. in January, February and March. And for those into numerology, out total for the two quarters was 4,411 lbs. Not sure if the one in front of the comma turning into a 4 means anything other than we did collect exactly 3,000 lbs. in the quarter.
Here is a chart with all of the donations spelled out. Click image to enlarge.
There Are People Behind Those Lb. Statistics
For a couple of weeks now I have been trying to think of a way to show my neighbors how donating just one can a week really has a significant effect on the lives of hard working people in need. When I first decided to start our One Can A Week program I looked at the current Community Food Bank annual report but nothing stuck out except for the huge number of folks they serve. Last week I looked again and saw a connection I had missed earlier. It’s another chart but you will be very surprised and very impressed as I was.
How Many People Can 4,411 lbs. of Food Feed?
The chart below is based on the information contained in the printed Community Food Bank Annual Report – July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008. The Daily Meals (ingredients like our One Can A Week, not prepared food) and Annual Food Distribution figures are rounded estimates published in the report.
The annual meals, weight per individual meals and number of people served are my calculations based on those rounded estimates of Daily Meals and the Annual Food Distribution figures. Click image to enlarge.
The Miles Neighborhood Donates Enough Food to Feed 1,131 Folks Three Meals in One Day
Of course, 1.3 lbs. may sound like a lot of food per meal but every time I get takeout at my favorite Chinese restaurant I can put 1.5 lbs to 1.64 lbs. in one of those rectangular, 3-compartment Styrofoam containers and easily close the lid. Of course, every meal should not be 1.3 lbs. but this is a rough estimate to try to show how we are actually helping real people in real need with our One Can A Week food donation program.
Just think about it, your can of peas along with your neighbor’s can of tuna could feed one person one meal. So every can counts, just like your vote. And if enough of your neighbors join you in your community service, each of you will change the world.
I am very proud of my neighbors and I hope you are proud of yourselves because you deserve the praise.
Other Important News
Commemorative Basket – This is the 140 lbs. of food
I delivered Monday to the Community Food Bank but there is something very special about it. This donation marks the end of our second quarter and the beginning of thinking about the folks we are helping. It’s not just One Can A Week, it is one can that is an integral part of one person’s meal.Sam Hughes Neighborhood
On Wednesday of last week I met with Gabriela Head who has lived in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood for 10 years and managed administering the Quality of Life survey I told you about in the last Update. The Sam Hughes Neighborhood board recommended I contact her. She had over 30 volunteers who went door-to-door gathering the data. Gabriela is going to talk to her team and see how we can initiate One Can A Week in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood.
Return to Safeway
After I left
the meeting with Gabriela I went to Safeway to do some shopping and ran into the assistant manager, Dan, who helped me establish my Saturday Safeway collections. He said that in two weeks I can go back for a few weeks. Then Safeway will run another charity drive for three weeks. After that there will be nothing until next summer. Great! This means I can have a table at Safeway for a very long time and really establish One Can A Week.See you next Sunday.
Peter
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