June
2006
| HOUSE
HUNT CONSTRUCTS AFFORDABLE HOUSING CASHE 
The
Cooperative Feeding Program (CFP), in conjunction with Project H.O.P.E. held its
first House Hunt Road Rally on May 27 looking for hidden affordable housing in
Broward County. About ten teams hit the streets looking for affordable housing
that does not generally make it to the classified ad page or to real estate literature.
The teams departed from The CFP with a camera, a compass, a zone map of the target
area to scour, and a score sheet to tally up their finds and to document descriptions
and details to accompany their photographs. More than 30 housing units were located.
One team member Robin Wolfer met a Realtor who got excited about the rally and
provided an additional 29 section 8 eligible units in Broward, bringing the total
units to more that 60 for the two hour rally. A post rally party was held to announce
the hidden housing finds.
The CFP and Project H.O.P.E. plan
to host additional rallies to find housing to help get last year's hurricane victims.
The Cooperative Feeding Program, Project H.O.P.E. and Adopt a Hurricane Family
have been working since Katrina to help displaced families find homes.
With
grant support from The Sun-Sentinel Children's Fund Hurricane Relief Campaign
a fund of The McCormick Tribune Foundation, United Way of Broward's Carnival Cruise
grant, Neighbors 4 Neighbors Fund (CBS/UPN33 viewers), ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran
Church Association), The Community Foundation of Sarasota, Kiwanis Club of Bradenton
Foundation, First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale, Broward Community Foundation,
and Manatee Community Foundation, The Cooperative Feeding Program has been
aggressively working to keep hurricane victims safe and housed, to relocate them
to areas where they have family support, to find new places to rent or purchase,
and to do minor repairs to homes previously damaged by Katrina and Wilma. Hundreds
of families have received clothing, gas vouchers, shoes, food boxes, toys, household
items, furniture, bus passes, bikes, vehicle repairs, emotional support, move
in costs, etc. through the assistance of these three agencies and the generosity
of the community, area businesses, and dozens of volunteers. In one week alone
in June, six families moved into new housing with help from these grants, 50 families
received food boxes, a child with sickle cell has a brand new mattress after sleeping
on the floor for eight months, a young mother found a good paying job, a dozen
gas cards were distributed, and twenty people attended a grief and recovery support
group hosted at The Cooperative Feeding Program by Project H.O.P.E. (a FEMA funded
entity.)
Photo
from left to right: Sarah Gable, Robby Greenberg,
Rhonda Khadaran and Theresa
Butler
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Helping
Hands
The
Cooperative Feeding Program enjoys extra helping hands each month when students
from R and R Inclusion come to help stock shelves, bag rice, collate mailings,
and do other assorted tasks to help the hungry and homeless of Broward. This on-going
relationship has provided The CFP with thousand of hours of volunteer help from
the willing volunteers. The Cooperative Feeding Program is fortunate to have this
devoted team of helpers who consistently lend their helping hands to our important
work.
BRACING
FOR THE STORM
The Cooperative Feeding Program is bracing
for what has been projected to be a very active 2006 hurricane season. More than
$25,000 in special hurricane food has been purchased and will be used to make
emergency hurricane food kits for more than 500 low-income Broward families. The
kits include bleach, eye droppers for calculation of the water/bleach ratio to
sanitize the water supply; a cellophane tub plug with directions of how to make
any tub water tight for ten days to hold a water supply; heater meals to provide
hot food during the blackout; and healthy snacks to fill and sustain if the food
supply is blocked for a period of five days. While the TV news may alert residents
to stockpile food for a week during a hurricane warning and watch, many low income
families do not have the resources to prepare. Working multiple jobs just to survive
and living day to day, food set aside is not a possibility. With that in mind,
The CFP is bracing for the storm by being prepared to meet any surge in customer
need. The CFP assisted more than 70,000 people last year and is aware of the import
role we play for many Broward county residents during times of crisis.
DANIA LIONS
HONOR CFP's FORMAN
The Dania Lions Club has selected
Cooperative Feeding Program CEO Marti Forman to receive the 2006 Lions International
Medal of Merit for continuous service to the South Florida Community. Forman,
along with Florida House of Representatives' member Timothy Ryan and Bob Weaver
(Weaver the Weatherman) were honored at a dinner ceremony held at Dania Jai Alai
on June 17.
THE
ZIDAN'S SERVE TO HONOR OUR VETERANS
Photo:
Houd and Ana Zidan |
Houd
Zidan and his wife, Anna participated in the Serving and Service Program at CFP
this past Memorial Day. This unique program links socially conscious business
and corporate leaders together with CFP so that jointly we may address two growing
concerns in our community: hunger and homelessness. Being a restaurant owner,
Houd is keenly aware of the hunger issues we face locally and is working with
CFP to help diminish the levels of family suffering. In addition, Houd and Anna
have come to CFP on other occasions to help out in the pantry and made a much
needed donation of bottled water. We appreciate their continued support and compassion
to work for change.
THOSE
WE SERVE VOICE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE HUNGRY
Winners:
Flora H and John H. and George Wilson of First Serves! First Presbyterian Church |
Our
clients celebrated National
Hunger Awareness Day on June 6, 2006 by telling their personal stories of "Hunger
in a Land of Plenty." Most people have no idea that there are so many hungry people
in the United States. Locally, one in seven children in Broward county go to bed
hungry each night. Winners of the contest were given Publix gift certificates
which were donated by Tim Dobbins, Outreach Minister of First Serves! at First
Presbyterian Church of Ft. Laurderdale. Poetry
winners: Michael B., Flora H. and Maye D.
Short Stories winners: Lori L.,
Flora H. and Freddie H.
Photography winners: Mazetta, Flora H. and John H.
CORBIN
JOINS CFP
Jillian Corbin recently filled the newly created position
of Deputy Director at Cooperative Feeding Program. Jillian is a MBA graduate of
Barry University and brings over nine years of experience managing social service
programs. "I am thrilled to be a part of an organization that feeds the hearts
and souls of so many people." Welcome to CFP Jillian!
SCHOOL
SUPPLY DRIVE IN PROGRESS
With
school just around the corner, it's time to start collecting for our Annual Backpack
Drive. We are asking for donations of school supplies, new or recycled uniforms
and children's underwear and socks. We are looking for volunteers to call our
families in need, assemble the backpacks and schools supplies and distribute them
to families. If you would like to help in any way please call Liliana Imamovic
at (954) 792-2328 or Liliana@FeedingBroward.org.
Thanks to a genenerous donation from Staywell Health Plan of Florida, we have
500 backpacks ready to be filled with donated supplies. Thanks for helping us
help others.
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