Recognize an Outstanding Volunteer at Your Agency with the Shanahan Award!

Do you have an outstanding volunteer that you would like to recognize for their work on behalf of your organization?

You are invited to nominate them for the 2014 Rotary First Harvest Shanahan Award. This award recognizes outstanding volunteers who work with hunger relief organizations in our community.

Below is a nomination form for the 2014 RFH Shanahan Award. The deadline for nominations is next Wednesday, November 5th. Shanahan award winners will be recognized at Rotary First Harvest's annual event on Friday, November 21st from noon to 1:30 pm at the Seattle Yacht Club.

ShanahanAwdNom Form 2014

#givingtuesday Begins TODAY!

While many people look forward to 50% off the latest TV on Black Friday or saving on shipping for online purchases of Christmas gifts on Cyber Monday, the Washington Food Coalition is looking forward to Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is Tuesday December 2nd and is a day designated to give money, time, food, and thanks to both local and national organizations, charities, campaigns, and foundations. While in years past people can only sign up to give their money or time on the specific Tuesday, this year donations can begin TODAY! 

WFC is working on a campaign to Protect Food Bank Funding in Olympia in order to help us be better equipped for the legislative session. We hope to employ a lobbyist to be more knowledgeable with our elected officials and better advocate for the alleviation of hunger in Washington State. 

If you would like to know more about #givingtuesday, you can watch this video or if you would like to go right to the Washington Food Coalition page, please click on our link. You can help us with our two specific campaigns or you can donate or pledge specifically to WFC if you would like. If you would like to share what Giving Tuesday is doing and how we can work together to alleviate hunger, please share and follow our campaign page. Join us and Giving Tuesday in celebrating global organizations and the ability to give and work together in new ways.

Hot Topics from WRAHC (Western Region Anti-Hunger Consortium)

 

Washington Food Coalition attended the Western Region Anti-Hunger Consortium meeting on October 16^th in Reno, Nevada at the Grand Sierra Resort. This is a fantastic opportunity for hunger advocates from a large region of the country to meet together regularly and collaborate on hunger issues. This type of effective, geographically widespread meeting is a unique and powerful forum.

There are several larger issues that were discussed at the meeting with close relevance to the work of Washington Food Coalition members. Examples of these include:

Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR)

The CNR bill is scheduled to be passed in 2015. There are many critical nutrition programs that this bill covers. One of these is the summer meals program, which many WFC members run. Senator Patty Murray from Washington State is leading a bill that offers an alternative to the traditional congregate meal site model of summer meals by providing a boost in SNAP funds on EBT cards for families with school children during the summer. There’s an additional bill coming forward that would change some of the structure for the current summer meals program.

National Hunger Commission

Cherie Jamason, President and CEO of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada is a member of WRAHC and also serving on the National Hunger Commission. Cherie shared with WRAHC members what’s been done so far and also solicited input on 30 hunger relief ideas that she could submit for the Commission to focus on.

She also shared the initial report from the Commission, titled Current and Prospective Scope of Hunger and Food Security in America: A Review of Current Research. 

The full report can be found here.

Other hot topics include developments in SNAP, Community Eligibility, and innovative approaches to fighting hunger being done in other states from the Western Region.