Over the past few years a three-staff member committee has led activities to support food shelves in all 18 counties we serve.
Since its beginning in 2008, the Southwest Initiative Foundation volunteer giving program has distributed approximately $3,750 in cash donations and 3,500 pounds of food donations, all personally contributed from staff and board.
Meeker County Emergency Food Shelf Director Brenda Voigt says the cash her organization receives from SWIF staff members is used to purchase food. In 2015 the Meeker County food shelf provided more than 32,000 meals to clients from 60,000 pounds of food, serving more than 2,700 individual recipients.
“The majority of the purchases are made through Second Harvest Food Bank in St. Paul,” Brenda says. The ongoing support from organizations like SWIF is especially appreciated during the slower times of the year, including the summer months when donations generally drop off a bit.”
“It’s what keeps our shelves filled,” Brenda says. “It helps so much.”
The idea to donate came out of a staff meeting discussion and prompted the delivery of a box of food to the McLeod County Emergency Food Shelf.
For SWIF’s 25th Anniversary Celebration planning in 2009-10, Deb Berggren, SWIF accounting specialist; Marsha Frauendienst, SWIF community resources assistant; and Janet Menton, SWIF loan servicing specialist created a committee to collect food items and cash from SWIF employees for other area food shelves. Our Board of Directors also participated.
It was a fulfilling success and five years later, the effort continues. Since then, Deb, Marsha and Janet have helped plan activities and incentives for staff and board members to continue their volunteer participation in the program.
For example, the three women dressed up as Abe Lincoln on President’s Day and held an event where staff joined one of three teams to compete and gather as many “Presidential Coins” as possible. The coins were then counted at the bank, with the winning team being awarded a traveling trophy.
Cash donations also come from coffee cup contributions in SWIF’s employee kitchen. Once it reaches $50 or more, the collection is given to area food shelves, along with food boxes, which occurs every couple of months.
“Even though we don’t have staff members living in all 18 counties of our region, it is important to us to give to all 18 counties,” the committee members say. “Staff members traveling for meetings and events throughout the region volunteer to take the boxes and cash to the designated counties.”
Deb, Marsha and Janet also say it’s been wonderful to have the support of the SWIF leadership and board for this special effort.
Want to help? Make a donation to your local food shelf!
