RFH Board Update
First Citrus Loads of the Season Arrive at Food Bank Warehouses
As snow, rain, wind and ice continue to hit the Seattle area, it's hard to believe that citrus fruit harvests are underway in Arizona. As in past years, RFH is coordinating delivery of truckloads of citrus fruit from the Arizona area in exchange for some of the bulk frozen corn we have available here in WA. The first load arrived this week at the Northwest Harvest warehouse in Kent, and a second load is scheduled to arrive the first week of February. As we know, fresh citrus is loaded with vitamins and nutrients that are critically important to maintaining health for children and seniors during cold and flu season.
Rotarians in NOLA Step Up to Help
Continuing on the mid-winter motif of citrus, Rotarians in the New Orleans area successfully completed their second harvest of satsuma oranges last weekend. Thus far, Rotarians from a total of 6 Clubs in District 6840 have participated in the efforts, and several more - including Interact clubs - will get involved next month.
RFH has also introduced the NOLA organizers to "sister schools" of the LaSalle High School group that we worked with to harvest 110,000 pounds of apples from the Alderson orchard in Yakima, WA last October. We hope that these groups can work together on harvests throughout the season.
Book Signing Event to Benefit RFH
Save the date (and share with your club!): On Sunday, February 10th, author Steven Gdula will be at the Elliott Bay Book Company from 2:00 PM to read from his book "The Warmest Room in the House: How the Kitchen Became The Heart Of The Twentieth-Century American Home." Gdula will also sign copies of his book and personally donate a portion of all sales from the event to Rotary First Harvest.
"Forget heart and hearth, argues the author of this inviting study of domiciliary evolution - home is where the stove is. Tracing the American kitchen's century-long rise from lowly back room to glowing center of domestic life, Gdula scours the historical pantry, illuminating the development of food preparation, scullery technology, gastronomic design, and culinary celebrity. The decade-by-decade survey he serves up is a delight, rich but restrained."- The Atlantic Monthly, January/February 2008
2008 Feinstein Challenge
For the eleventh consecutive year, Alan Shawn Feinstein will divide $1Million among hunger relief agencies nationwide through his "Feinstein Challenge". Rotary First Harvest is a beneficiary of Mr. Feinstein's generosity. He will match a percentage of all funds donated to Rotary First Harvest during the months of March and April this year. Please encourage your Rotary Club members to make their annual donations during these 2 months so that RFH can leverage these donations through this Challenge; the more donations we receive, the more of the Feinstein $1Million we will receive.You can learn more about Mr. Feinstein's philanthropic efforts by looking at his website.
Workparty Update
RFH held its innagural workparty at the new Northwest Harvest warehouse in Kent, WA. The work party captains report that it was well attended and Rotarians enjoyed the new (heated!!) work area. Work parties will continue to be held on the second Saturday of every month at its new location.
RFH work parties continue to be held at the Food Lifeline warehouse in Shoreline on the fourth Saturday of every month from 9:00 AM to Noon. Turnout at the January 26th work party was outstanding, with Rotarians from several north-end Clubs helping to package fresh carrots and other items that RFH had provided earlier in the week.
Remember, we're still perfecting our efforts at both locations, so please contact David directly if there will be a large group from your club participating at either location next month.
And don't forget to send us any photos of your club members participating in an RFH Workparty. We'd love to use them here!
Special Announcement
Hunger Action Day - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - Olympia, WA
Help fight hunger by meeting with your legislators in Olympia as part of Hunger Action Day, the Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition's Annual Lobby Day. Highlights of the day include:
Visit and remarks from anti-hunger advocate, Rep. Eric Pettigrew (37th District): Noon
Legislative agenda and issue overview at Lobbying 101: 8:30 a.m.
Making your voice heard! Appointments with your legislators will be coordinated for you: 9am - 2pm
Meeting colleagues from around the state: all day!
This year's Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition Legislative Agenda includes:
Make school lunch free for ALL low income kids
Increase gross income limit for the Basic Food Program
Support Local Farms - Healthy Kids
Protect all from predatory lending
Details: Thursday, February 7, 2008, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Action Headquarters: Thurston County Food Bank, 220 Thurston Avenue, NE, Olympia.
Click here to Register
Online registration ends at noon, Monday, February 4. Walk-ins welcome the day of the event. If you can't make it to Olympia in person, you still can make your voice heard by sending messages to your legislators!
Click on the RSVP button online, fill out the information, and we'll contact you about sending a message delivered to your legislators on February 7.
To learn more about the event, contact Kelsey Beck at (206) 931-5508.
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