Lacey Township Food Bank

FROM ALL OF US AT THE LACEY FOOD BANK !

	The "OC Band" Fundraiser The "OC Band" a popular Ocean County cover bank managed by JC Johnny Music, held a fundraiser-dance on 12/12 at the SeaBreeze Active Adult Community. "The OC Band" hosted this free event and donated the band's performance while guests were encouraged to write a check, in any amount, that would be earmarked for holiday gifts for the Kids!! John Jurik, The OC Band spokesman presented $975 to us on December 14th. But we invited John back for our Christmas shop set up last week for a photo and so that he could see and share with all the generous residents of Seabreeze what donations like theirs can do to help Keep the Promise of Christmas!!

	Lacey Community Hall transformed into Santa's Workshop For centuries man has kept an appointment with Christmas. And so yesterday and today, the women, men and teens who make up the Lacey Food Bank Kids Volunteers honored the Promise of Christmas as Community Hall was transformed into a Santa's Workshop. Volunteers set out box after box, table after table of new toys and games and sports equipment. Our toy tables were filled with dollies and trucks, scooters and craft kits and everything Frozen and Star Wars!! With something to please Mom and kiddies alike, 221 children on our client list received new, warm clothing of their choosing, along with the "must have" Christmas items of pajamas, socks, scarves and hats. We gave away more than 1000 pairs of socks!!!! An extraordinary gift, from CWR Electronics, provided for an extra special Christmas morning breakfast that was a welcome surprise to all of today's parents! Even more exciting was finding bicycles under our tree!! Parents participated in a random drawing and there will be 3 very happy little boys and girls in Lacey on Christmas morning!! We could only wish to be able to thank each and every one of you who helped us make Christmas wishes come true for the children of the Lacey Food Bank. For the most part gifts come to us anonymously - collected in school drives, dropped off in bins located in stores and offices throughout Lacey, through employee collections and angel trees, drop offs at the Food Bank and in dollars and cents stuffed in our collection jars. For all of you, please know that we and the children are grateful for what you so freely give in the real spirit of Christmas ~ Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Lacey Food Bank Kids Volunteers ~

	Shore Pines Region Girl Scouts Tradition is so much a part of the Lacey Food Bank at Christmastime. None more so than the sight of boxes and boxes of cookies piled high for the Christmas food distribution. Girl Scouts, from Kindergarten through 12th grade, from all over the Shore Pines Region took part in a Service Night that provided the Lacey Food Bank with 250 boxes of homemade cookies and enough toiletry gift bags for every one of our home deliveries! This yearly gift of cards and cookies is eagerly anticipated by our clients who have often remarked that it's this homemade treat that reminds them of Christmas' of long ago. Thank You Scouts and Leaders for sharing the Sweetness of the Season!!

	Dick Sansone Receives Congressional Recognition More accolades fall upon Dick's head as the outside world gets a peek at what he does, 7 days a week. All to make sure that those who need food, get food. It is his total life commitment. Pictures from the surprise presentation to Dick from Congressman McArthur's office Tuesday, December 15, 2015.

	TJ Max donates to Lacey Food Bank! Dick Sansone, food bank stores master, accepts a special donation from Karen, manager at TJ Max. We appreciate all those who help the Lacey Food Bank throughout the year and during the holiday season!

	LACEY'S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE Dick Sansone, food bank stores master, in front of the festive Xmas van. Our annual appearance , thanks to the Lacey Elks, gathered us a half van load of groceries donated by the parade audience along the route. Helping out were the Jr. Elks "Antlers", who marched along pushing grocery carts. Our thanks to all who participated. (Webmaster note: Camera difficulties prevented our pictures coming out. If you have any to share , send them as an attachment to laceyfoodbank@aol.com and we'll put them up on the website)

	Cub Scout Pack 35 in Time for Holiday Distribution Pictured here is Max White,7, Aiden White 10, from cub scout pack 35 (Ninja Taco den, and Tiger Den 4 ), along with 10 bags of food they collected. Dad Frank helped bring the food to the food bank in time for Christmas distribution. A big thanks goes out to them

	A visit from our faithful friends in the Intergenerational Club If it's the week after the Thanksgiving distribution club, we know the Intergenerational Club will arrive with a bus load of non food products for the clients. You know, all those needed things that break the budget, things like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, paper towels, toilet paper, garbage bags and aluminum foil, plastic wrap and all that good stuff. The club unities seniors and elementary school students from all four schools in Lacey and they spend a year doing good deeds together. Lucky for us they come every year. The stores master delights in seeing them arrive. To get an idea on why he gets so excited, take a look at the pictures of this astounding donation. Thanks to all of you from all of us at the Lacey Food Bank.

	He's Our Man! A meaningful gift for his service from the Forked River Rotary. Meet Dick Sansone, the Lacey Food Bank stores master. Here is a shining example of "good deeds do not go unnoticed". You can meet Dick any day of the week, as he cruises the aisles of ShopRite checking out the bargains or arranging to buy 200 of an item for our monthly distribution. He's been doing this for almost 20 years. Dick was recommended and invited to the Ocean, Monmouth, Burlington counties Rotary Club award dinner in Toms River as one of the volunteers of the year. Pastor Terry Chapman was responsible for nominating him to receive this honor from the Rotary Club of Forked River. All of us at the Lacey Food Bank concur with the wisdom of choosing Dick as the volunteer of the year, and are proud that he received this honor. Diamond Frandsen, Chairman of Forked River Rotary, presenting the award. Recipients honored from the three counties receiving awards

	Scouting for Food is an annual food collection orchestrated by Scouts Across America. Local Scouts distribute plastic bags to homes in their area and return to pick up the bags, now filled with food, one week later. Collected food is distributed to food pantries throughout the communities of the Council. The volunteers at the food bank were there , and by past experience in full force waiting for the food to arrive. Late morning it started and the scouts poured into the building with their collected donations all afternoon. In all, a very bountiful day, with 503 bags of food adding to our shelves for the holiday season. And for that we thank you all of you from Troop 156 & Pack #35. Enjoy the following pictures of these some of these fine young men doing the ultimate good deed, sharing with others less fortunate. (click on pictures to enlarge) Anthony from troop 156 Pack 35 John from pack 35 Pack 35 A CARLOAD OF GOOD DEEDS.

	. . . Forked River Rotarians set up post outside of the Walmart With the Thanksgiving meal bags distributed by the Rotary last Friday barely put away in the cupboard, the Forked River Rotarians set up post outside of the Walmart in Lanoka Harbor on very windy and chilly Saturday for their Rotary Day Food Drive - a day geared to restocking the shelves of the Lacey Food Bank. In anticipation of another cold winter and a higher than ever amount of families needing help the Rotary Club of Forked River together with the Staff and Shoppers of WalMart pulled together and presented the Lacey Food Bank with more than 2500 lbs of shelf stable non-perishable groceries! More than 2500 lbs of food was collected and not one expired can in the lot!!!! And perhaps, even more important, this Day of Giving reinforced how all of us together, Rotarians, Walmart and the Shoppers who supported this program, can be a Gift to the World simply by doing a little bit of good right where we live! Thank You Rotary Club of Forked River, WalMart and WalMart Shoppers for your support of this Rotary effort to help those in our community who need it the most! PS. During the monthly Rotary Club meeting, the club presented Storesmaster Dick with $570. which was collected during the event. A bonanza going into Christmas!

	Thanksgiving help from the Rotary Club of Forked River and the students of the Lacey High School Interact Club   The Lacey Food Bank is thankful and grateful to the members of the Rotary Club of Forked River and the students of the Lacey High School Interact Club who provided the manpower to sack, pack and carry out the fixins' for a complete Thanksgiving Dinner for our Lacey Food Bank families. Joining them this year to lend hand was a team from WalMart including General Manager George Smith. For more than 25 years Thanksgiving Dinners have been a gift from the Rotary Club of Forked River to our families in need. . With turkeys gifted by Walmart and the trimmings from ShopRite this joint venture with the Lacey Food Bank also allows us all, the students, Rotarians and volunteers, to experience first hand a true 21st century version of the shared harvest feast. The Lacey Food Bank is indebted to the many community groups, businesses, individuals and schools who open their hearts and their pocketbooks to help us feed our Lacey neighbors. In a time when more people than ever are reaching out for help, we are proud to be part of a community working together to put food on the tables of those who need it the most. Happy Thanksgiving to You All!!

	(Mill Pond food delivery fairy Carrie Hodgson + trunk full of food.) A TON OF THANKS TO MILLPOND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Just in time for the holidays, Mill Pond School staff and students came through for us in a big way. Working with Monmouth Ocean Food Bank's school initiative program, we received and weighed almost a ton of food collected by them and delivered to our door by their advisor, Carrie Hodgson. This has got to be record for a small elementary school. Most people don't realize that over 60% of our food donations come from the drives held by our schools in Lacey, from pre-K through high school. For this we thank all of you.

	Mr Football (l r) Teacher\cheerleader advisor Erin Tiazkin, Cheerleader Erin Kilmurray, Chairman Pete, Mr. Football Jake Post and Coach V (Vircillo) Each year, the cheerleaders and football players at LTHS hold a Mr. Football contest. Cheerleaders team up with a player and set out to sell votes for their "man". This gets very spirited and competitive and raises a lot of money for the Lacey Food Bank as well. This year's Mr Football is Jake Post, abley assisted by cheerleader Erin Kilmurray. Both students are off to college next year. We're proud of them and the whole team. The Lacey Food Bank is so appreciative of this long lasting event. The support we get from Lacey High School is so vital for our ability to do our job. For this we thank all of the clubs , teams and classes who are there for us.

	Lanoka Harbor Walmart Grand Re-Opening   WalMart and the Lacey Food Bank have been Community Partners since store opening in October 2009. Today WalMart celebrated a new sleek and contemporary look to the Lanoka Harbor WalMart Superstore with a Grand Re-Opening Celebration. Every department has received an update to make shopping easier! Through the years WalMart has supported the Lacey Food Bank and the Lacey Food Bank Kids through local participation in the Feeding America Program and with grants and direct donations to the Lacey Food Bank Kids Programs. Representing the Lacey Food Bank was Rosa Steitz and LFBKids Chair Laura Caroccia who accepted a donation of $250.00. Donations were also made to the American Legion, The Rotary Club of Forked River and the Marching Band of LTMS/LTHS. The Lacey Food Bank joins the rest of the Lacey Community in wishing WalMart and General Manager Mr. George Smith a Happy Grand Re-Opening!!

	The Yarn Dolls Pictured - L to R - Front Row Marilyn Morrow, Vicki Mooney Back Row Loni Taylor, Linda Camria, Nancy Cellucci, Eleanor O'Leary, Ellen Larney, Pat Skuravy and Adrienne Melnyk Good deeds come in many forms. A month ago we put out a request for knitted hats and gloves and scarves for the Lacey Food Bank Kids Keeping the Promise of Christmas Campaign. That request didn't look like it was going to be filled. Until a few short days ago. That's when we heard from an outstanding and talented group of ladies based in Berkeley Township who go by the name of the YARN DOLLS. They had gotten together and in a few short weeks filled 2 huge bags with warm and beautiful knitted hats and scarves and afghans for chilly winter nights. Thank You YARN DOLLS! These will certainly keep our LFBKids warm and cozy in the winter months ahead!

	THANK YOU to all of you who helped support the Lacey Food Bank Kids Fundraiser! Because of your generosity, you helped raise $350 in a monetary donation PLUS $225 in food products for the kids and their families! As we move into the holidays, I encourage everyone to do something...donate a toy, a warm piece of clothing, a gift card for the harder to fit and older children or your Holiday Turkey . More than 200 families are supported and your support is so very much needed. With great appreciation, Laura Caroccia and Colette Chimenti, Your Tastefully Simple Consultant

	LFB Kids Halloween Right after any holiday the members of the LFB Kids Division goes out looking for their own Triple D's....Deals, Donations and even the occasional Dumpster diving. Halloween always is an especially difficult project for us to fund. But thanks to the efforts of the tireless LFBKids Volunteers and armed with a shopping discount provided by WalMart, we once again managed to provide brand new Halloween costumes to the little ghosts, goblins, superheroes and princesses that make up the children's roster at the Lacey Food Bank. No TRICKS here as our Moms, some with their children in tow. were able to select just the right TREATS from our assortment of costumes, wigs and accessories. Each family also received a small goodie bag, a safety whistle and a mini-pumpkin! On behalf of the volunteers of the LFBKids. THANK YOU for your continued support. Wishing you all a Safe & Happy Halloween! ~ Laura Caroccia

	2015 Psychic Night A crisp Fall Friday night combined with the fiery torches that light the river just outside the Captains Inn in Forked River provided the perfect backdrop for the 6th Annual Psychic Night presented by the Lacey Food Bank Kids Division. More than 100 guests were entertained by a talented company of intuitives from Charmed in Company who read cards, palms and angels while shedding light on career changes, romance possibilities and trips to foreign lands! While they waited, our guests learned about the Tastefully Simple on-line fundraiser to benefit the Lacey Food Bank Kids currently in progress and they had a chance to test their own psychic ability at the Mystic Gem Corner! A tasty sampling from the Captains Table satisfied everyone's taste buds, while the gift auction table offered fabulous themed baskets. The LFBKids Committee thanks everyone who came out and supported this event. We can't do any of what we do, without you!!! Special thanks to Rosa Steitz, Debbie Candeletti, Andrea Flaherty, Elaine Brueckmann, Jenna Caroccia and Lorraine Campbell who handled the door, the raffles and the spirits!!! This couldn't have happened without them!! And Thank You to Debbie Kay and the staff at the Captains Inn for their help and excellent service...even with us running nearly 2 hours over!! The night's profit of $1531.00 will help us reach our goal of providing Christmas gifts to each of the more than 250 Lacey children on our food bank client list. We know we'll see you next year! ~ Laura

LANOKA HARBOR SCHOOL HOLDS A FUNDRAISER AND FOOD DRIVE FOR THE LACEY FOOD BANK All the money and food were delivered to the food bank in loving  tribute to  their dear friend, colleagues and teacher, Susan Curtin. Susan in a last good deed, asked that donations be given to the food bank in lieu of gifts. And for that we thank her family for seeing this was done.  And we thank all of you at the Lanoka  Harbor School for this gift

	GARAGE SALE A "WASH OUT" The wind it did blow and the rains they did come. Unfortunately, business was slow but we made enough to buy 274 cans of tuna fish so it wasn't all bad. Thanks to all the plucky volunteers who braved the storm to set up the tables and special thanks to garage sale dynamo Regina Discenza who once again helped us publicize and run the annual event. See you next year.! ANNUAL APPLE FESTIVAL - SMALL TOWN AMERICA AT IT'S BEST   The Lacey Food Bank is honored to participate in this popular event, an important fund raiser for the Lacey Historical Society . Held on the Old Schoolhouse grounds, the main attraction is the pie sale, closely followed by the pumpkin patch. Regulars know enough to attend early before the delicious home made pies and apple crisps vanish. The Lacey High School Band adds a festive note and the youngsters line up eagerly to get a ride on a fire truck.. Our trusty volunteers manned our booth, handing out fliers about our program and we finished the day with almost $1,000 from generous donors. In case you weren't able to attend, above are a few pictures of what you missed.

	2015 Annual Picnic Luncheon September is our annual picnic luncheon for the wonderful volunteers at the Lacey Food Bank. Chef John has been our master chef for the past few years and again he outdid himself with the premium extra flavored hot dogs and hamburgers. We should design a medal for him to wear..... In the back of the pavilion is the horseshoe pits, where Bert, Paul, Don, Ernie, and Dick battled long and hard for a winner... Seems we have a "ringer" with Bert and Don in there. The weather was perfect and everyone truly enjoyed themselves

Girl Scouts on Tour Pictured here are the Lacey High School Girl Scout Troop 393 on the Food Bank tour with Office Manager Ginger helping them to "Be Prepared" . They are Heather B., Hannah K., Ginger., Erin F., and Troop Leader Michele B. The girls were surprised to see how we operate in helping over 280 families here in Lacey. If your group is interested in taking a tour, please call 242-2848 between 10 am and noon, or leave a message on our message center.

	Back2School Program of the Lacey Food Bank Kids Committee The Back2School Program of the Lacey Food Bank Kids Committee saw an increased number of children get the necessary supplies to start off the 2015/16 school year. Backpacks, stocked with pencil cases, pencils, notebooks, crayons, markers, rulers, erasers, sharpeners, glue sticks, child scissors and more were distributed to children in K-6. The students in grades 7-12 had their pick of binders, 1, 2 and 3 subject notebooks, pens, highlighters, staplers, index cards, sharpies and so many other supplies geared to the older student. Our Pre-K students were invited to take crayons, markers, notebooks and other pre-K friendly school supplies from the take-me area as well. The Kids Committee is aware that sometimes kids fall through the cracks. For that reason, we pay it forward every August by donating a number of stocked backpacks to our Lacey Elementary Schools for the children's use during the school year too. This year was no exception. Thanks to your generosity! Our thanks and appreciation to the community organizations, businesses and townspeople whose donations made this Back to School event one of the best ones yet! An extra round of applause to Exelon/Oyster Creek Generating Station and Ryan's ServiCenter for going above and beyond to get us where we needed to be this year! On behalf of the 135 Lacey Food Bank client school children who would not have had the opportunity to Start Smart this year.......THANK YOU!!

	LFB Kids Special Thanks to our friends and supporters at  Oyster Creek Generation Station and Marita & Michael Zaremba I'm not sure how you can adequately thank a group of people, most of whom we will never know, who are always ready to lend a hand. The Lacey Food Bank Kids has a good friend in the workers and contractors who make up the Exelon Corp/Oyster Creek Generating Station. and in particular our good friends and supporters Marita & Michael Zaremba. With a pickup truck overflowing with backpacks and notebooks and crayons and every other type of school supply, the Zaremba's recently made their annual Back2School donation drop off. It was just what we needed to get us to the top of our Back2School wish list!! And just in case they missed a needed item or two, they also presented us with $250.00 to buy whatever else we needed to make B2S a success!!! Thank You Exelon for your help and support but most of all THANK YOU for believing that every child deserves an opportunity to start smart and prepared in September!

	Shout out to the girls of Troop 244 (and their leader Mrs. Joyce Deeb) for taking part of their summer vacation time to collect some really colorful socks for our Christmas Sock Drive! While they were here, the girls also took a tour of the food bank with volunteer Elaine and myself and learned a lot more about who we are and what we do for the people of Lacey! Thank You Ladies for your exuberance and your help!!

	Lacey Food Bank Volunteers Complete CPR & AED Training Pictured below are the dedicated food bank volunteers who completed the 5 hours CPR and AED training, (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, and Advanced Electronic Defibrillation). They are qualified to administer life saving procedures not only in our Food Bank, but anywhere emergencies are present. We are striving to have an AED donated for the Food Bank. All avenues you can suggest for this to happen would be appreciated. (contact Pete Peters at 609-242-2848) Seated left to right, Debbie ,Arlene , Lois Trudee , Debbie. Standing left to right Bert, Don, Ed, John, Pete. Missing is Ed's wife Lori, and John is standing in for Ellie.

	CARING & SHARING Every Tuesday, Walmart gives us a large amount of pantry items - so large that we call in a special crew of volunteers to unload and sort the bounty. The Lacey Food Bank thanks Walmart's generosity in helping us stock our shelves.

	LACEY DAY 2015 The Set Up Crew Guy, Dick, Frank & Ed Kathie & Bill Our "pride of Lacey " volunteers represented the food bank at Lacey Day this week. The popular annual event, run by our great recreations department, and assisted by Casey's guys from the DPW, was held under sunny skies. The public enjoyed the free hot dogs and hamburgers set out by the recreation crew, and our volunteers were happy to educate them on the needs and goals of the food bank, while handing out lollipops to the kids. Along the way, we collected over $300 and welcomed Helen Dela Cruz to our list of esteemed sponsors. See you next year!

	Say HELLO to Hannah Sampson who, along with her parents and good friend Kayla Fitzpatrick paid a visit to the Lacey Food Bank recently. Hannah, you see. is an old hand at doing a little bit of good right where she lives. For the 2nd year, Hannah has made and sold beaded bracelets at the Sampson Family 4th of July Celebration. This year, with an assist from Kayla (and a little rounding up by Dad) Hannah presented to the LFB Kids a check for $154.00 to go toward the Back2School drive benefiting our own Lacey client children. WOW! Thanks go to Dianna & Dennis Sampson who, by example, are teaching Hannah the selfless qualities of kindness and generosity. Good Job Hannah! Good Job Kayla! And Thanks for my bracelet! I'll wear it every 4th of July!

	Special Thanks to the LTHS Interact Club The Lacey Food Bank Kids was the recipient recently of a very generous donation by the LTHS Interact Club. Presenting a check for $500.00 to LFBKids Chair Laura is the outgoing advisor to the Interact Club, Mrs. Bunny McGauley. The LTHS Interact Club, the youth club of the Rotary Club of Forked River, performs community service and fundraising activities throughout the school year to benefit so many of our community needs. The Lacey Food Bank knows them well from their yearly participation in the Thanksgiving distribution along with lending a hand at the Food Bank yard sale. Although Ms. Bunny has retired from school and as the Interact Advisor, she promises that she'll continue to drop in and help out at the Lacey Food Bank on a regular basis. We'll be saving a spot for you Ms. Bunny!! Thank You INTERACT and all best wishes to Ms. Bunny on her well earned retirement!

It is with great sadness and regret that I post this. . One of our valued volunteers has lost a loved one last Monday in an horrific accident in Morristown NJ. . Debbie Smith's 31 year old daughter Kelly has passed way too soon.  Kelly was the lovely young lady that has helped several times at the food bank where her Mom Debbie is a regular at our distributions. Ryans Funeral Home is Bayville is handling things.      The viewings are scheduled Sunday from 2 til 4 pm,  7 til 89 pm, and Monday at 1 pm prior to interment at Good Luck cemetery.  We all wish God be with you in this time of great sadness Debbie.

	SOCK IT TO ME A few weeks ago the LFBKIds issued a challenge via our Kids Facebook Page (Lacey Food Bank) to all our Scout/Sport/Student/Youth Groups to help us provide NEW socks to our client children at Christmastime. Our goal is 1000 pairs of new socks. That's about 3 pairs of socks per client child. Taking on the challenge was Pack 35 under the leadership of Scoutmaster Paul Devaney. Mr. Devaney, cheered on by the co-leaders, Scouts and their parents, offered to take a pie in the face as an incentive to the Pack to get those socks donated! Sure hope he liked pie as he was bombarded when Pack 35 surprised us all with a donation of nearly 500 pairs of socks!! Pictured is a pie covered Paul Devaney and Pack 35 along with LFBKids volunteers Rosa & Rosalie who were on hand to receive them. Special thanks to Sue Eckert for serving as "sock transport"!! Ps..........we still need more socks to get to 1000....so keep them coming!! And Thank You Everyone for your support and encouragement!!!

	THE FOURTH ANNUAL SAVERIO B. COSTANTINO MEMORIAL FOOD DRIVE Who was Saverio B. Costantino? Well, he was the beloved father of Sam Constantino who has chosen this way to honor his dad's memory. This dynamic young man, accompanied by friends, held a day long collection of non-perishable food items plus raffles, entertainment and as he put it on his colorful flier "Good Vibes" And yes , the vibes were definitely there. What a loving way to pay homage to a dear one. Additionally, he collected  $1,000 - which will make him an esteemed sponsor supporting 4 families for the next year - The families will receive a $10 gift certificate to ShopRite and fresh produce meat or eggs to add to the pantry offerings they receive. monthly. Thanks Sam & Friends and to all who showed up to make this a reality. from all of us at the Lacey Food Bank.

THE BEST OF THE BEST An homage to the volunteers at the Lacey Food Bank was held via a thank you luncheon at the Captain's Inn recently. Each year a special award is given to someone or a group in Lacey celebrating their role in making us w hat we are - an organization dedicated to helping the food deprived among us.  At our monthly distribution, held during the third or fourth week when cupboards are bare, the clients line up to collect bags of pantry supplies, along with perishables like hot dogs, chicken, margarine, cheese ...... But the one thing missing was fresh produce. In stepped the” HATS”, the Hunger Action Team from the Forked River Presbyterian Church. Educating them of our need were our Monday storekeepers and HAT members, Lorelle Gormley & Valerie Krusieski and so this project began.  Led by Susan & Peter Henders, the group buys and sorts fresh produce so that each client goes home with a bag of the makings of a salad, or fruit, potatoes, vegetables and more. By a unanimous decision of the committee chairmen, the dedicated service group received the plaque naming them “FOFB” or Friends Of the Food Bank for 2015. .  This (prestigious) trophy has been given only a half dozen times, and is uniquely embellished with a mini shopping cart. Our sincere thanks to Pastor Terry Chapman and his entire congregation for the support they give us, including an ongoing food collection. During the luncheon, Co-Chairman Pete Peters paid tribute to all the volunteers - the storekeepers, the big blue crew, the LFB kids committee - and yes, they are the best of the best that Lacey has to offer.

Co-Chaiman Pete Peters and Susan & Peter Henders

Terry, Valerie & Lorelle admiring the (prestigious) plaque  : )

DICK, CO-CHAIRMAN ED, LAURIE & THE RISHERS.	LAURA CAROCCIA HEADS THE KIDS TABLE.	BIG BLUE FRANK LYONS, BUD & JACK FROM RECREATION AND GOOD OLE STORESMAN DICK.
MURIEL, AUDREY, TERRY & LORELLE	JOHN, MICKEY, JOHN & PENNY	MERETA,KEN, & THE ARNAOS (aka Monday am sackers & packers.)
JOHN & ELLIE BIDWELL	FRIENDS OF THE FOOD BANK, "THE HATS" PETER & SUSAN ENDERS, MAY, JACKIE LOIS & MURIEL	CAROL TAKES THE PRIZE

Caffrey's is probably THE Esteemed Sponsor , going back to the beginning of the Lacey Food Bank when their annual $1500 donation comprised most of the budget.  Our Esteemed Sponsor page has the story of how Caffrey’s  inspired this  program which today enables us to serve almost 300 families a month. Continuing their tradition, along with sending $250 each month as an Esteemed Sponsor they hold a "March is Lacey Food Bank Month at Caffrey’s".  Their customer’s, employee’s and friend’s generosity was shown in the $1,000 gift they recently sent to us. For this we thank all for their generosity and declare Caffrey’s  a "FOFB"  Friend of the Food Bank J

	APRIL GROW YOUR OWN "Give a man a tomato and he'll make a sandwich. Give him tomato seeds and he'll be eating tomatoes all summer!" A slightly different spin on an old adage but so very, very true!! At the April food distribution the LFBKids committee shared with ALL the clients the chance to start their own garden by providing them with self-watering Jiffy greenhouse kits and a choice of vegetable or flower seeds. Every one who came through the doors greeted this extra addition to this month's distribution with a big smile and an even bigger Thank You!! The Lacey Food Bank Kids Division thanks Walmart for this generous contribution of containers and we thank the LFBKids volunteers who believed in the success of this project. ~ Laura

	Volunteer Needed.. The food bank has a few new clients who are hearing impaired with difficulty in communicating. Do you or anyone you know, know how to sign? The Volunteer would only need to serve one day a month on distribution day. Please email laceyfoodbank@aol.com or call 693-8703

	The Lacey Food Bank Kids are lucky that so many of our community hold them close to their heart. No where is this more apparent than in the support they receive from our friends and neighbors at Exelon. Aside from their generous corporate donations to the Food Bank, Mrs. Marita Zaremba often spearheads separate group projects for the KIDS. Pictured here is Marita & Michael Zaremba dropping off Easter baskets for our children along with a check for more than $700.00 to help us provide healthy protein items for our families. Mrs. Zaremba explained how an empty jar in the 'break room' was the source of this unexpected but much appreciated donation. Thank You Exelon and Marita & Michael Zaremba for this fabulous Easter gift!!

	SOUPS ON! A Very Big THANK YOU to the students, staff, and parents for the huge amount  of soup that both Cedar Creek and Mill Pond Elementary School donated during recent food drives.

	Shop Rite Holiday Dinner Promotion Started February 22nd - goes through the month of March - if you don't need it WE DO! Turkey breasts are also welcome since they don't take up as much freezer space. Thank you for your support!

	LFB Volunteer Luncheon  We wish we could do more to say thank you to a swell bunch of generous, time giving, hard working folks!

~ LFB Co-chairman's New Year Message ~ "A Letter from Co-Chairman Ed" I would like to amplify on some of the thoughts that Pete expressed in his New Year message to the volunteers of our Lacey Food Bank. How does the marked increase of our client base effect day to day operations? Well, for one thing, we used to be able to have all our grocery bags ready for distribution week. Now, with so many clients, we just don’t have enough room to store all the bags we need, so we scurry to make up new bags as soon as table space is available after the Thursday distribution. We are looking for creative ideas, short of stretching the walls. We see the trend of increased client base continuing in 2015, as the federal SNAP (food stamp) program will be diminished again this year. Another impact is the sheer number of groceries that we pack. Above and beyond what we get in contributions from food drives and food drop offs, we spend about $5,000 a month; money donated by individuals and corporate sponsors. Oh, and speaking of food drives, the schools and the scouts came through for us big time in 2014. I believe that not only have the Lacey Food Bank volunteers met the challenge, but the people of Lacey Township are awesome in stepping up with their generosity! Also stepping up is our local Walmart. We had gotten contributions from them in the past, but this year a program was formalized, and they have contributed about 500 pounds of groceries every week, as well as school supplies. Perishable food items received from Walmart on non-distribution weeks are distributed to churches and food pantries in the area for immediate distribution. For those kids who receive subsidized lunches during the school year, you might ask, “What about when school is not in session?” Started last summer, the Lacey Food Bank participates with the township’s churches in a program to provide nutritious lunches to kids in needy families during the summer and holiday breaks. These are delivered to the homes on a daily basis. On a subject near to me, the Social Services program, for which I am the director, helped nearly two dozen families last year, paying utility bills, car repairs and the like. We have little left in the pot for these services in 2015, but I ask our volunteers to bring the neediest cases to my attention, so maybe we can help a family not have to decide between buying groceries and paying the electric bill. I look forward to working with all of you in the new year. Co-chairman Ed ______________________

"A Letter from  Co- Chairman Pete"

As we enter another challenging year, we find the statistics rising as they have done in the past. During my 11 years as a volunteer, our client base has multiplied from 47 families to over 281. I'm proud to say our, esteemed sponsors, schools, churches, food and $$ donors, local businesses & professionals & anonymous benefactors have enabled us " in keeping our heads above water" despite the rising tide of client needs . Along with the steadfast support of our township committee, somehow it all works out. Wearing my other hat, as director of Volunteers, I can't say enough about the passionate and warm hearted volunteers that make up our great group. So many have gone over and above the call to help our friends in need of not only food, but of other support. Our Food Bank Kids committee has been outstanding in the services they provided to over 400 children this year. Our "blue crew" folks who not only use their own vehicles but are there every week to pick up and deliver huge amounts of donated foods from Shop Rite, Walmart, and other places of business. Our "sack and pack" crew who sort, inspect, and pack 500 + grocery bags throughout the month for distribution days, deserve a big thanks. The store keepers who maintain our operation every day from 10 till noon at the Food Bank, filling emergency orders, handling phone messages, registering new clients and stocking our monthly distribution area. I can't forget the volunteers who man our tables at distribution days, helping to carry and load clients packages. Many volunteers wear more than one hat as well as folks behind the scenes that are compassionate in their efforts to aid those less fortunate. So yes, the New Year will present more challenges for our little village of Lacey but with our continued efforts we will meet and overcome these challenges. I'm proud to be part of such a tremendous, caring group of folks called the Lacey Food Bank. Harold (Pete) Peters Co-Chairman, LFB