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West Chester Food Cupboard

...because no one should go hungry!

Summer 2012 Newsletter


We welcome you to the West Chester Food Cupboards inaugural Newsletter. We plan to publish a newsletter periodically to inform, engage and remind you of our collective responsibility to assist the less fortunate in our community. One very hot topic during the summer is the need for our school age children to have access to nutritious food. Please visit our website and note our "Summer Collection" request. We hope you have an enjoyable summer but please always remember, "Hunger never takes a vacation. Good things are happening at the Food Cupboard thanks to you and your generous support. We are very grateful to all! Kind Regards, Ed Breiner, Chairman of the Board

Good Things are Happening at the Food Cupboard!


Thanks to your generous financial support we are able to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables all year round for our clients. The clients who visit the Cupboard love fresh produce. With the gleaning season now underway, the produce table is overflowing thanks to local farmers and growers. Thanks to your financial support we are now purchasing eggs and cheese so that everyone is able to take home these healthy food items every time they come to the Cupboard. Thanks to your dropping off Gift Cards for local grocery stores we are easily able to purchase additional food items. Thanks to a grant from the Rotary Club of West Chester we are now able to purchase enough milk each week so that all our clients can take home at least gallon of milk every time they visit the Cupboard. Thanks to generous donations of food from our neighbors in the community our shelves have remained stocked with staple items for our clients. Thanks to the thoughtfulness of a few individuals and a local veterinary clinic we are able to provide our pet-owning clients with dog and cat food when they visit the Cupboard. We know that many pets are abandoned when their owners fall on hard times, so this is a great blessing to humans and animals alike! Thanks to the generosity of our Circle of Giving communities of faith we can depend each month on receiving staple items such as cereal, canned fruit, tomato products, canned meat and fish, etc.

545 East Gay Street Gay Street Plaza West Chester, PA 19380 (610) 344-3175
westchesterfoodcupboard@verizon.net

www.westchesterfoodcupboard.org

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West Chester Food Cupboard

"I get food stamps but it doesn't seem like they last. I like the Food Cupboard - the fact that it is very clean, you get choices, no one judges you and you don't get junk food." (Sherry)

It Takes a Village
The WCFC believes that no one should go hungry and that there is enough food for everyone. To help meet that need a number of entities (stores, businesses, churches, organizations and individuals) this year have shown the true spirit of neighbors caring for neighbors. WCFC was the recipient of this years annual Taste of Florida Fruit Sale proceeds from the Rotary Club of West Chester. The sale of oranges and grapefruit contributed to the total donation of $11,287 that was designated to purchase milk for our clients. May started out with the culmination of the West Chester Area Education Associations 3rd annual food drive. Hundreds of teachers from 16 different West Chester Area District schools collected nearly a ton of food. The timing of the donation is meant to coincide with the summer months when children dont receive breakfast and lunch at school. Hundreds of dollars were raised for the WCFC on May 9th as the result of a fundraiser hosted by the Iron Hill Brewerys West Chester location. Twenty percent of the evenings dinner receipts were donated to the Cupboard. Also in May the Brandywine Valley office of Keller-Williams Realty held its 2nd annual food drive benefitting the WCFC. The drive was part of the companys annual RED Day of community service. We also received a generous check following their Casino Night Fundraiser in May. These special events were in addition to the regular donation of food items from area stores including Acme, Target and Whole Foods. These stores recently provided the WCFC with 1,800 pounds of food - IN JUST ONE DAY! With the combined support of these organizations, countless donations from individuals, and hundreds of hours put in by more than 50 volunteers, the WCFC will continue to provide food assistance to up to 600 households a month in West Chester.

Giant Steps for the Food Cupboard


Using donations made by customers at checkout, along with support from the companys associates, the Giant Food Stores at Dilworthtown Crossing and Bradford Plaza have made not one, but two, generous donations of Giant gift cards over the past year for the WCFC to use to stock their shelves. These donations were part of their corporate charitable program called, Living Here, Giving Here. Barbara Patterson, store manager at the Dilworthtown Crossing location, says when she informed the Cupboards Fiona Allison of their initial $8,000 gift card donation, she was overjoyed. It was so moving to see the impact it was going to have. The Giant Food Stores were not done, however. They later followed up that contribution with yet another $11,000 in gift cards. Patterson says providing the gift cards gives the Cupboard flexibility in purchasing goods more specifically tailored to their clients needs. And to further demonstrate their commitment to WCFC, Patterson brought along several store employees who volunteered to help out at the Cupboard. She says working where there is an abundance of food can mask the fact that so many people go without. Its sad that sometimes we lose touch with that reality. The Giant associates helped unpack boxes and stocked shelves working under the appreciative eyes of some of the Cupboards regular volunteers who Patterson said are the ones who really deserve the credit.

"It's a nice, clean environment with pleasant people. I struggle to pay my bills and it 's worrisome not being able to have the things I need, but with the Food Cupboard I can get a variety of items that I need." (Anita)

Summer 2012
If you want to eliminate hunger, everybody has to be involved. Bono
We must find a solution to the increasing problem of hungry people in West Chester and quickly. Ending hunger is a goal that is within our grasp...but we need your help. As an individual, business, school, community or faith-based group, YOU can be a vital part of the solution. Your gift is especially important because it provides resources that can have an immediate impact on families in need. One of the greatest feelings in the world is knowing that, together, we CAN make a difference. Lets all get involved!

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One Person Can Make a Difference.


Many of the items on the shelves at the West Chester Food Cupboard (WCFC) are provided through regular donations from local grocery stores and a variety of organizations. But just as important as these bulk deliveries are the ones from individuals who truly are caring neighbors. One such individual, who chooses to remain anonymous, brings extra items she purchases during her regular grocery shopping about every two weeks. I started bringing things such as spaghetti or pasta sauce but my daughter, who works with refugee families in Philadelphia, pointed out that food stamps dont cover items like deodorant or shampoo or toilet paper. So I started buying personal care items as well. The long time West Chester resident is well aware of the impact organizations like WCFC have on the neediest members of the community, but she is modest when it comes to her own contributions. Every little bit helps, she says. She relayed the story of a young mother who was at the Cupboard and was excited to tell her young child they were going to be able to have donuts. It left an impression on her that sometimes what we take for granted is a special treat for others. This anonymous donor credits her grandmothers Quaker background for her own philanthropy. I picked the Food Cupboard because they are my neighbors, and when asked why she makes these regular donations, her answer is simple, because I can.

Your Gift Will Help!


For example:

$25 buys a case of apples $50 buys 50 pounds of dried beans $100 buys 30 gallons of milk $500 buys 175 jars of peanut butter $1,000 buys 500 boxes of cereal

How to Donate:
Make checks payable to West Chester Food Cupboard and mail to: 545 E. Gay Street West Chester, PA 19380 Be sure to include your Name, Address, Phone Number and Email. OR Visit our website at
www.westchesterfoodcupboard.org to:

WCFC is Run Entirely By Volunteers! Carol Kramer tells us why she decided to become one.
More than 2 years ago, I was looking for an additional volunteer opportunity. I worked with the RSVP program and I was offered many options of organizations where I could volunteer, one of which was the West Chester Food Cupboard. I am glad that I decided to join the ranks of volunteers at the Cupboard. These days, there are so many people in our area in need of assistance. I enjoy seeing the reactions of the clients that we serve, as they walk through the cupboard and make their selections. I think the clients enjoy making their own choices that are appropriate for their families. On the donation side, it is always fun to talk to the people when they drop off donations, whether it is food donation or a monetary donation. They are very happy that they are able to contribute in some way to those that are going through some tough times and need the assistance of the food cupboard. It gives me a good feeling to realize how lucky we are to have such a generous donation community, including fresh garden vegetables all summer, food drives sponsored by many local organizations that happen throughout the year and weekly donations from local merchants, to name a few.

Make a credit card or PayPal donation. Make a gift in honor of a friend or loved one. Set up a regular monthly donation. Sign up for our email newsletter. Learn more about how your donation helps the West Chester community of neighbors!

Other Ways to Help:


Tell your friends and family about the West Chester Food Cupboard Host a Food Drive in your neighborhood, church, business, school or organization Consider volunteering your time and talent

The atmosphere at the Cupboard is always upbeat and generous. A great group of caring volunteers pitching in with their time and energy to provide a much needed service to the Visit us at the Restaurant Festival in community. West Chester September 16, 2012

545 East Gay Street Gay Street Plaza West Chester, PA 19380 (610) 344-3175 westchesterfoodcupboard@verizon.net www.westchesterfoodcupboard.org

West Chester Food Cupboard

Did You Know?


We serve over 500 households each month. That adds up to about 1,600 individuals. We receive donations from all kinds of parties: birthday, bar mitzvah, anniversary, as well as in honor of special people and in memory of loved ones. Chester County is the wealthiest county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 11.5% of all students in the West Chester Area School District now eat free or subsidized meals at school. Our clients have to be at or below 150% of poverty. That works out to be $322 a week or $16,755 per year for an individual and $665 a week or $34,575 a year for a family of four. The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is now $7.25 an hour. We are open for 15 hours every week for clients. Volunteers, however, put in over 800 hours every month preparing the Cupboard for the clients, picking up, receiving and weighing donations, doing office work, cleaning the facility, planning food drives, fundraising, and so much more. Our volunteers are wonderful!

Our Mission:
We believe that no one should go hungry. It is hard to believe that here in the wealthiest county in Pennsylvania hundreds of people struggle to make ends meet and dont have enough money to put adequate food on the table. The West Chester Food Cupboard exists to provide a 5-7 day supply of food on a monthly basis to those in need ...because no one should go hungry!

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