"The budget passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on April 15, 2011 contains $120 million for the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program (EFSP).  The funds have now been made available to FEMA and the EFSP National Board is developing the allocation formula which determines those jurisdictions that qualify for funding.  Once FEMA has notified Congress of the National Board’s allocations as required and FEMA has awarded the funds to the National Board, the National Board expects to notify all of the qualifying jurisdictions by the end of June 2011."

As much as we would like to hope the economy and unemployment is getting better, it would be hard to prove by the numbers of people coming to our pantry.

Here are some of the figures compiled from our monthly sign-in records by Cliff Knudson:

*2011 numbers are based on first six months annualized.

While there is a slight decrease in these figures, there is no less need or appreciation from the people who do enter our door.  The thanks and praise we get as they

leave is sincere and effervescent.

On another note, five of our pantry team attended the opening and dedication of Second Harvest's new warehouse and distribution facilities in Watsonville. Their transition from the old to the new methods of handling packaged goods and fresh produce is  very impressive.  Sort of compares to going to a local farmers market in the past, to a streamlined version with a Costo type appearance.   One of our team, Jill Lucas, won the door prize of a beautiful ceramic plaque.

Last topic, we are now participating in an internet website called AmpleHarvest.org, which gets individual gardeners to donate their excess garden produce to local food pantries.  Since this movement is in its infancy, we haven't had any donations from the public, however, if  any of your friends, relatives, or neighbors have a surplus from the garden,     don't hesitate to bring it to our pantry on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month between 9 & 11 am.  It will be much appreciated.

Dave Meyers

What's in a name?

Last week I was sweeping the leaves from the gutter in front of my house when a  small pick-up truck parked nearby.  The driver got out and yelled to me down the street, "Hey, You're the guy from the "Little Red Church." Turns out he was a regular visitor to our Food pantry.  A day or so later, I went to the Staff of Life market to purchase some scrip for our program.  When I said I had come in to pick up the scrip for Calvary Church, my contact there, who I have delt with for three years,  said "I've been meaning to ask,  Where is Calvary Church? When I told him it was at Lincoln and Cedar Streets, he said, "Oh, that’s the Little Red Church.  Of course,

EVERYONE knows where the Little Red Church is!. He continued by saying, "That church is so small, I bet it's packed to standing room only, every Sunday." I said, "Not quite, but we are looking forward to it happening in the future." Since then, I have talked with many of the clients in the Food Pantry line who for the most part refer to us as "The Little Red Church."

The vibes I gathered from all this is that we have a great reputation in the community as the "LITTLE RED CHURCH."We should be very proud this moniker and build on it for some good use in the future.

In late October, we were pleased to learn that Second Harvest Food Bank had awarded our Food Pantry $ 600, to be applied to our account with them. On the same day we heard from Valley Churches United Missions that at the end of October they were sending a grant in our name to Second Harvest in an amount between $300 and $500. Needless to say, we really appreciate and need these gifts just before the holidays. They will go a long way to keeping our expenses in balance for the coming year. A few years ago, we went to a workshop on applying for grants. One of the things the leader told us to list on the application was "Who Else Loves You?" Here are two that do! As more come in, we'll keep you appraised. If you know of any companies, organizations, or individuals who may like to add their names to the list , please let us know.... 

An unsolicited testimonial:
On 10/13, as one of our needy friends was leaving with his bags of groceries, produce and a cup of coffee, he exclaimed to another coming in the door:
"This church lives and breathes!"

Submitted by David Meyers

June was a banner month for "freebies" from Second Harvest Food Bank, thanks to their inventory clearance at the end of June. In addition to approx. 1000 lbs. of free fresh vegetables (which are usually partially free or a nominal $ .02 lb.), this month we picked up 500 lbs. free canned and dry goods that we would normally purchase, plus 300 lbs. of free bread (which is always free). We even took a second trip to Second Harvest on 6/23 and picked up 400 lbs of end of inventory freebies. The last bonus was 763 lbs. of food drive goods from collection barrels, etc. In all, that rounds off to 3000 lbs all for free. Thanks Second Harvest!

We can't get too carried away by all this, as we are running pretty thin financially on an annual basis, due to the steady increased flow of people that come to our doors for food. If you feel so inclined, put a few dollars in an envelope marked for Calvary Food Pantry. Also, if you want to see the appreciation, smiles and hear the thank you's from the people receiving the goods, come to the Pantry at 10 am on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. It's a rewarding experience.

From January thru June, the average Wednesday visitors to the Calvary Food Pantry were 85 per day with the highest being 103 on April 28th. During July and August, the crowd has slowed down to an average of 72. There is no clear indication of what has influenced the decrease. As fall approaches, we will see which direction, things are going. Cliff Knudsen has been developing a great database that shows many things, such as there are 10 to 15 new names added to the list each week, & about 60% are male. While several have come on a regular basis, there have been a total of 550 individuals served so far in 2010. Our big big thanks to all who have helped with their time, efforts, and donations to make this possible. 

Submitted by David Meyers