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Over The Coffeecups
Warren Mitchell - Editor
TODAY'S PROGRAM
The 1st graders from Dalraida
School will sing for us. Ken Carrick will introduce their
teacher, and she will introduce the children and the songs
they will sing. The children will be accompanied by parents.
It is a real treat to have the children from Dalraida School
visit us.
{Click here for video clips of program.]
After the program, members
will go to the school to read to the pupils. Club members
will also monitor the lunchroom from 10:30-12:00, so the
teachers will have a free lunch period. Lunch will be
provided by Good Morning Kiwanis.
LAST
WEEKS
PROGRAM
Ken Carrick introduced Park Hinman, Executive Director of the
Montgomery Area Food Bank. He is a retired Air Force General,
who chose to come help the people of Montgomery.
Parke said he didn’t expect
a standing ovation. The Club really knows how to make a
person feel welcome. He knew AL McLellan from working with
him at the Squadron Officer’s School at Maxwell. About 4
years ago, he spoke to us, making him feel at home. He’s back
which told him one of two things; either we weren’t listening
or we have short memories.
Since he had spoken to us
before, he reviewed what the Food Bank does and brought us up
to date. Things had changed in the past few years. Things
had changed in the past few years. Before telling us about
that he gave us some statistics from National Headquarters,
representing Alabama and the nation.
The statistics came from a
thorough national poll that is done every 3 years. The
numbers may have been a little old, but still are
representative of Alabama, and the nation as whole. The
number of people in risk of hunger has been going up.
Approximately 46% of households have one working member.
Homeless people amount to 9.6% of the population.
The Welfare Reform Act has
caused the situation; people have gone back into the work
force, but working at minimum wage. People with incomes below
the poverty level amounted to 46% 2 years ago. The average
income of people served by the Food Bank is $833 per month;
$10,000 per year. Lots of those people are old folks. About
46% of the people they help rely on Social Security, SSI or
Workers Comp. Those on food stamps are 30% and food stamps
run out after the 3rd week. There are some programs that try
to help people at that critical time. Only 5.8% of the people
served are back on welfare or other public assistance. Those
served are 62% female, 52% males, 39% children, 50% are single
parent households and 11% are
elderly. These are national figures, but are typical
of Alabama. The American Harvest Network, of which the Food
Bank is a part of, is reaching over 23 million people
nationally. The vast majority of the people they serve are
the elderly, children and working poor who operate on a very
low, fixed income. Of those, 24% have no telephones, 53% have
no cars. Almost all must choose between gas, utilities,
housing and medicine. That gave us a picture of what the Food
Bank is.
How does the Bank get
everything done? The 2nd Harvest is the largest relief
organization in the country; made up of roughly 200 food banks
throughout the nation. The people are served through
agencies. In order to be an agency of the Food Bank, they
have to be a church or another non-profit organization. In
our area; every Food Bank has an area, 24 counties are
served. The typical agencies are large churches like Frazer,
1st Baptist in Montgomery, down to very small churches, mainly
poor black. (Diagraph of area) About 2/3 of churches are
poor, small ones.
The bank started out in
1986, and the home distribution increased 1 million pounds a
year up to a maximum of 15 million pounds in fiscal year
2002. (About 500 tractor trailers) Since then it has gone
down in 2003.
The current service, for
2003, for the river region, 5 counties that make up the
region, the bank served 185 agencies providing over 5 million
pounds of food. Comparing the average cost of food to the
average cost of the food in the grocery store, over $5 1/2
million was saved.
The food comes from Food
Harvest, about 20% from about 400 companies that donate new
products. Other sources of food are through the USDA Food
Commodities program; roughly 30% locally and 30% from other
food banks. Transportation costs have been going up the past
3 years. Large food banks use to share, but there is less of
that and food donations are down.
There are moving from can
goods to prepared food. They are more expensive to keep,
because of refrigeration. Many agencies do not have
refrigeration.
A service fee is over 10
cents a pound, maintenance fee is 73% of the cost, because of
high volume, is charged to the agency. The cost for meat was
raised to $ .18 per pound. The bank receives 12% of its food
from the USDA. Fund raising provides 11% and only 2% of funds
come from the United Way.
The program is people
helping people. There are 23 people on the board representing
the counties served. They are from all social groups, blacks,
and whites working together.
Monetary donations help more
than food. They bring more food into the community serving
more people.
LAST
WEEK'S
GUESTS
George
Wilson had Linda join him. It is always a pleasure
to see her.
ENTERTAINMENT
Al McLellan said he missed us last week. He sang a
song that is a favorite of anyone who picks a guitar, "Clanton
Delaney".
THOUGHT
FOR
THE
DAY
President
Winstead said a lot of wisdom came from his grandfather.
Whether a man winds up with a nest egg or a goose egg depends
on the kind of chick he gets. The trouble when marriage
starts is, when a man gets busy earning his salt, and forgets
about his sugar. Too many couples marry for better or worse,
and forget about being married for good. On anniversaries man
may forget the past, but the not the present.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ed Melton talked about Pancake Day and gave out blocks
of tickets to the members. Eld Kidd reminded us that
ads for place mats cost the same as last year. Money is to be
turned into El or Charlie.
Mid-Winter Conferencce will be March 5th-6th at Embassy
Suites. Deadline for pre-registration was last week. An
extra $5.00 will be charged at the door for late fee.
President Winstead announced April 22nd will be Friends
Day at the Club. Invite friends you think would make good
members.
March 18th, Hoyt Middleton and his pancake flippers
will cook pancakes for A, B students at Dalraida School. He
will need some volunteers.
A Board meeting was held February 9th at Al & John
Burch's office. A report will be made forth coming.
El
Kidd said he still had some bags of peanuts left. He
reminded us that they could be sold at the Pancake Breakfast.
President Winstead showed us the posters for Pancake
Day. Jean Ash produced them and they are most
attractive. Members were asked to pick them up and have them
shown in stores in our community.
Dick Bennett said members will read to children at St.
Jude's this month. He will inform us of the time.
OUR
SICK
MEMBERS
Frank Wells reported that Malcolm Bush spent 9
days in the hospital and has been very ill. Remember him in
your prayers. Call him and tell him we miss him at the
meetings. |
