A NEW YEAR AND A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION
By Marti Forman, CEO
 The year 2010 marks the 25th Anniversary of The Cooperative Feeding Program. We have decided that this year will truly be a year of celebration, ushered in with a new name, a new logo, new web page, new collateral materials, everything new, new, new!
What will remain the same is our purpose, to ease the suffering of those in crisis. Our vision is to heal the broken and wounded by listening to their particular stories to decipher the need. Each one of them will have a different need, a different timeline to recover from their losses, and a different way to grieve.
 A grandmother struggles with the loss of her family from the earthquake in Haiti. One child remains and has now been relocated for her to care for. She wails for her losses. The child is the one who will keep the family name alive. She knows that he is her responsibility from this moment forward. An overwhelming mixture of emotions washes over her. She throws back her head and the tears roll down from her tightly closed eyes. The child sits quietly and watches her pain and tears. It is hard for him to understand all the changes. He’s already seen too much for his young life. Innocence robbed.
Unemployed for the first time in over 50 years, he has no where to go when he wakes up each day. He frets about how he can keep health care for his ill wife. He’s never been trained on how to prepare for these traumas to the heart. He’d been a peaceful, confident man. Where can he find the roadmap that will help him find his way out of this hell?
So, while much is new, much has remained the same. Hunger, poverty, homelessness, and unemployment remain without a cure. More homes have been visited by these dark entities. “Wait lists” are created and people are told to wait for days, months, and years. So, while they wait, we do some of the same old things we’ve always done. We listen. We share information. We say we are sorry for their pain and struggle. We feed them, give them something to wear, maybe pay a bill for them. We do the same old things, for a different crowd of people. The excitement of the new, new, new us gives way to the tragic and never ending roster of people who need our help. We celebrate our survival. To exist in these harsh times is miraculous. To be able to offer comfort to so many is amazing. We collapse exhausted in the midst of the dichotomy. We’ve never seen it this bad; yet we’ve never felt so sure about the importance of our work.
NEVER MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP
With need at unprecedented levels, civic engagement is nearing an all time low. The counters of numbers and trends don’t know what to make of the dismal numbers. Why, when so many are without work, are the numbers of volunteers dropping. Maybe fear has kept them homebound. Maybe it’s a money thing and the ever fluctuating cost of gas keeps them close to home. Maybe they remain close to the phone in case an important call comes in. Whatever is going on, we have not reduced our need for help. We need workers more than ever to deliver food, unload trucks, bag rice and make food boxes.
Giving, during a time of personal need, reduces the pain and shifts the focus. Sometimes a good dose of volunteerism is all it takes to make us run home to hug the kids, wife, dogs and goldfish. Our plight does not seem as severe when our eyes scan the sea of those who have so little.
“A volunteer is a person whose charity is fidelity, who is faithful in an unfaithful world, grateful in an ungrateful world, giving when all about are grasping, listening when others need to tell about their fears and problems.” Reprinted from The Beacon, newsletter of Birth rite, South Africa. VOLUNTEERS: To volunteer to help at our agency contact:Chris@FeedingBroward.org.
Events & News
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Publix Food for All Program awarded over sixty local charities over 1.3 million dollars to assist them with their emergency food programs. The Cooperative Feeding Program received $15,000 an increase of $5,000 from last year. |
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May 8th the Letter Carriers Food Drive for 2010 was a resounding success. Hundreds of volunteers worked in conjunction with Letter Carriers Union 2550 sorted and boxed over 275,000 pounds of food. |
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In most recent events: Andy’s Pasta Dinner expanded to a two day event. On Saturday, February 27th a VIP Tasting Party and on February 28 the Andy’s Family Pasta Dinner w/Joe Rose at Signature Grand was a huge success. More than 300 people attended the Italian feast and over $35,000 raised.
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Our Filling Empty Bowls Dinner was held on April 8 th at four host sites: First Congregational Church, Temple Bat Yam, The Unitariun Universalist Church of Ft. Lauderdale and the Center for Spiritual Living. It was a great night of fellowship and a time to discuss the hunger epidemic in America and world wide.
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The Galt Ocean Mile “Walk for Hunger Awareness” was held at 8:30 a.m. February 28 th. The coldest march ever, dozens still braved the cool 47degree weather to walk & run against hunger. The event was the kick off for the month long Galt Food Drive. In addition to the walk, tons of food were collect and more than $12,000 was raised.
Anne Marie Adams, Condo Chair, and Condo President Gary Trioli of the Edgewater Arms accepts the Grand Champions Award from Food Drive Chair & CFP President Domenic Faro. The Edgewater Arms, smallest of the Condo Associations, were the Grand Champions collecting over 3,500 lbs for a 41.5 per unit.
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 Save the Date
Don’t miss out on any of our great events to ring in our 25th year.
An over- the- top, 25th Anniversary bash is set for September 25th at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66. Tickets are $150 and include dinner, great world class entertainment, cocktail hour, special honoree awards and auctions. |
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A Parrot Head “Feeding Frenzy” Beach Party, June 26, 2010, Noon to 8PM at the corner of Palm Ave & Del Mar in Lauderdale- by- the Sea. We have partnered with the South Florida Parrot Head Associations to raise money and hunger awareness through a “Feeding Frenzy” beach party which will be open to all Parrot Heads everywhere. Even if you are not an “official” Parrot Head you can join still us for a day at the beach featuring killer live Surfer Music, Beach Olympics, Big Kahona & Sweet Whine Contest, a Best Cheese Burger and Frozen Concoction Throwdown and a Jimmy Stowe and the Stowaways Concert.
For more event information call Scott 954-792-2EAT or email scott@feedingbroward.org |
We've booked a summer concert for July 25
and details are being
put into place.
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Cooperative Feeding Program/LifeNet 4 Families has been invited
to be a part of Sawgrass Mills Mall’s Role Models Gala.
Watch for news on our special honoree.
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| We will continue to keep you posted on all our important events. We want you to be there! The details about these upcoming events and how you can plan to join us are available on our new web site www.LifeNet4Families.org. |
HAITIAN FAMILIES HERE SEEKING HELP
Bringing photos of their destroyed homes and lives, Haitian families are arriving here seeking food, clothing and assorted other items they need. The stories are overwhelming; with survivors knowing they are the lucky ones, in spite of all their losses. They are requesting tents and waterproof tarps to send to family members who are soaking wet and cold. Iasdf
f you can help us with our Haitian Relief effort, please mail us a check at 1 N W 33 Terrace or visit our web site to make a donation. www.LifeNet4Families.org.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CAUSE?
• feeding the hungry
• providing clothing
• mail room
• daily showers for the poor
• financial assistance
• counseling
• haircuts
• disadvantaged children
• elderly shut-ins |
• Haiti relief
• medical assistance
• helping foster kids who “age out”
• hygiene supplies
• bus passes
• recovery program
• food stamps
• veterans
• classes, advocacy, self-help |
We do all this and more at LifeNet 4 Families. A donation to us is used for direct services to our customers. A modest 14% of our money goes to fund raising and administrative costs. The other 86% goes directly toward services for people in need.
Leiser Grant Helps People In Need: LifeNet 4 Families welcomes the Josephine S. Leiser Foundation, Inc. to our roster of incredible donors. The Foundation has partnered with us to expand our shower capacity and to help people in need.
MOM SQUAD
We’re all about helping mothers in need find ways to improve their lives and the lives of their children. Enter the “Mom Squad.” Moms are gathering one Saturday each month to learn how to make the best of these difficult times. With topics including networking, determining your assets and worth to others, health care advocacy, healthy cooking, financial matters and so on, moms gather to unite in their effort to find a better life. Several dads have slipped in, determining that the squad would have information that was valuable to them and their families also. The Mom Squad project is funded by The Community Foundation of Broward.
PALANK FUNDS HELP FAMILIES
A donation from The Paul Palank Memorial Fund has helped families with emergency financial needs to avoid homelessness, abuse and neglect. Through this generous gift our families have gotten beds, food, housing and also have had their utility bills paid.
GIVING: Hunger is no day at the beach. Hunger is 24/7, 365 days a year and the pressure on us to provide food and services is continuous especially now with increased home and job loss.
Your continued support, helps us provide essential services to those in Broward County who need it the most. Since those we help are never charged, the funds to provide these life changing services must be raised from private donations made by kind hearted people like you.
In this difficult economy, our donations have suffered greatly and without your help we are concerned that we won’t be able to serve all who turn to us for help. That’s why we’re requesting your help. Please consider making a life changing donation today. You can make an online donation at either www.feedingbroward.org or www.lifenet4families.com or send a check to the Cooperative Feeding Program, 1 NW 33 rd Terrace, FT Lauderdale, FL 33311. Its never too little or too late. Thank you.
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