Pantry Paper – APRIL 2012

SAVE THE DATE, SATURDAY, MAY 12^TH The annual Lettercarriers Food Drive will require volunteers to transport food from the Woodland Hills Post Office, to sort and store it, and to set up and tear down the work site. For more info, call the Pantry (818) 346-5554.

SHOPPING CART RALLY BENEFITS PANTRY We thank the mother-daughter teams of National Charity League for their food/fundraiser Saturday, February 25^th. They competed against each other at Ralph’s at Calabasas Commons. Prize categories included: most coupons, best dressed/team spirit, most variety from shopping list, closest dollar amount and best decorations. Each team was assigned a color and decorated their shopping cart in a race car theme.

SUPERMARKET FOOD DRIVES Help is needed Saturday, April 7th at Sprouts/Henry’s Market at Ventura and Topanga, and Saturday, April 14th at Albertson’s on the south side of Victory west of Fallbrook. Both consist of two hour shifts, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Call Blake Lichtig for the 7th (818) 415-8995, and Al Trumpler for the 14 ^th (818) 887-9384.

VOLUNTEERS WITH STRONG BACKS NEEDED to unload trucks and stock shelves Tuesdays and Thursdays. Must be able to lift at least 30 lbs. Interested? Call the Pantry (818)346-5554.

VOLUNTEER NEWS Our condolences go to the families and friends of Earl Lewis and Celeste Kostanick, long-time volunteers who passed away recently. Both started at the Pantry, when it opened in 1985. We welcome our new Pantry volunteers: Robin Bailys, Susan Canup, Sherrill Carmen, Carol DeVona and Therese Tucker. Thanks to their trainers Antje Bruner, Margy Eisenberg, Helene Fernandez, Phyllis Henkin and Jill Rotner. Also thanks to Cesar DeAnda for food pick up weekday mornings.

TRIBUTES For a minimum donation of $5, you can honor or remember someone and, also, help the Pantry. Please send the name of the person you wish to remember/honor and the reason for it, along with your check, to Madeline Lewis, 6036 Shirley Ave., Tarzana, CA 91356. Also, please let us thank you by including your name and address.

WE NEED CASH-OFF SUPERMARKET COUPONS Some are in Entertainment books or the newspaper; others come in the mail. Please give them to Jeanne Bain at the Pantry.

IF A GROUP DROPS OFF A DONATION, please ask them if they would like to receive a thank you note. If so, pull a donation card from the envelope on the bulletin board, fill it out and sign it. You’ll need to ask their name and postal or email address, describe what they donated and MAKE SURE THIS INFORMATION IS LEGIBLE. Then return the card to the envelope, where it will be passed on to a note writer. When someone drops off a personal donation, give them the card to document a charitable deduction.

FOOD PANTRY T-SHIRTS ON SALE AT THE PANTRY Long-sleeve Small, Medium and Large, and some short-sleeve are available for $5 each to help the Pantry.

SENIOR WEDNESDAY TAKING NEW APPLICANTS April 4^th from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Bring Social Security award letter to qualify.

PANTRY WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, APRIL 9TH, after Easter.

                              FEBRUARY 2012 STATISTICS

P.O.P. Rescate

TOTAL FAMILIES SERVED             744                 526

PEOPLE SERVED: Adults             1,244              1,052  

                         Children             428                 841  

                                              1,672              1,893

Senior Wednesday, March 7, 205 people got large food bags.