The Power of CommuniTy To Change Lives winTer 2014

Published for the Friends and Volunteers of Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry

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Giving Tuesday Donations Make National NewsWhen Loaves & Fishes decided to participate in the second national Giving Tuesday campaign, we secured a $20,000 matching grant from an anony-mous donor. Little did anyone know that by noon on Tuesday, the grant would be increased to $25,000 and Loaves & Fishes would be on our way to earning $97,147.89 for the entire day and making national news.

Charles P. McLimans, Executive Director/CEO, said the overwhelming community response was a tremendous inspiration.

“It is so inspiring for me to witness this outpouring of love and generosity directed towards our friends and neighbors in need,” McLimans said. “Loaves & Fishes connects community to compas-sion, and we are so blessed to live in such a caring and giving community.”

In fact, the national publication, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, included Loaves & Fishes in its analysis of nonprofits with successful Giving Tuesday outcomes. http://philanthropy.com/article/Giving-Tuesday-Doubled/143391/

Loaves & Fishes is proud of our participation in Giving Tuesday because the donations will help address the essential human service needs of thousands of Naperville and DuPage County families. McLimans noted that while Loaves & Fishes averaged 600 families per week for much of the year, we recently served a record 880 families the week before Thanksgiving, and demand continues to exceed the norm due in part to recent cuts to the food stamp program and long-term federal unemployment benefits.

So far in Fiscal Year 2014... (July 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013)The number of people visiting Loaves & Fishes for food significantly increased since November, coinciding with the implementation of a reduction in SNAP funding. Families who barely paid their bills suddenly could no longer purchase enough food. Since federal emergency unemployment benefits were eliminated in December for those exhausting their 26-week state benefit, we expect even more people to come for help. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our volunteers and supporters, Loaves & Fishes can continue to be a reliable source of food and services.

14,275 individuals made

64,862 visits to receive food

323 clients participated in a Pathways to Empowerment program

Empowerment programs continue to meet client needsLoaves & Fishes continually offers one-time and recurring programs to meet our clients’ needs. In addition to ongoing Affordable Care Act enrollment, which began in November, we recently offered flu vaccines in partner-ship with Walgreens. Students and parents mystified by the complex paperwork associated with student loans appreciated the recent session on Free Application for Federal

Student Aid (FAFSA) help from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Here is a preview of other programs starting soon.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is back for a fourth year, after helping 357 taxpayers receive $600,000 in state and federal returns in 2013. This session begins on Saturday, February 1st and runs through Saturday, April 12th. Regular hours will be Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Wednesday evenings from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. We will have Sunday hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. from February 2nd through mid-March. VITA is available for low-to-moderate income individuals, the disabled, non-English speaking taxpayers, military personnel, senior citizens, and those who qualify for the homestead credit or the

earned income credit. While it is not necessary to be a Loaves & Fishes client to use our VITA program, appointments are required. Please call 630-355-3663 or e-mail reception@loaves-fishes.org and type “VITA” in the subject line.

Legal Solutions is a new monthly program that recently debuted. Offered by Loaves & Fishes Board member Matt Pfeiffer of Pfeiffer Law Office, P.C., this attorney-led discussion will answer questions on divorce, alimony, child custody, guardianship, and other family law issues. While it is not necessary to be a Loaves & Fishes client to use our Legal Solutions program, attendees are encouraged to RSVP. Please call 630-355-3663 or e-mail reception@loaves-fishes.org and type “Legal Solutions” in the subject line.

Director’s Corner2014 is a special year for Loaves & Fishes, as it marks our 30th year of service to our com-munity. February 5th marks the first request for food made to St. Raphael’s Catholic Church, answered by what would soon become Loaves & Fishes. As I reflect on the many changes that have occurred in the past 30 years, I am reminded of the many people who have shaped Loaves & Fishes through their vision, volunteerism, and generosity.

This year, a series of articles will spotlight aspects of our history and evolution to the Loaves & Fishes of today, beginning with a piece on our Founders on the back cover. And please mark your calendars now for June, when we will hold two major events kicking off our 30th year (page 3).

Thanks to all of you who supported us during the recent holiday season with donations of funding and food. Your generosity made it possible for a total of 3,033 families to enjoy a celebratory meal around their tables, 1,711 at Thanksgiving and 1,322 at the Winter Holidays. We hope your family’s holidays were made more special knowing that you helped other families to enjoy theirs!

However, the holidays were a bittersweet time for some families due to recent legislation. Reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in November sent a record 880 families to our door during the week before Thanksgiving, 320 in just one day. Abrupt elimination of long-term federal unemployment assistance on December 28th affected many who had relied on this benefit as their sole income during an extended job search.

Thirty years later, the mission of Loaves & Fishes remains relevant: provide food and leadership in the community by uniting and mobilizing resources to empower people to be self-sufficient. Thank you for sharing our journey of service.

board of dirEctorsBarry horek, ChairCPA, Retired partner, Ernst & Young

mike havala, vice ChairGoldTree Capital Advisors, LLC

Peggy Beata, secretaryRLP Images

alice sisbarro, Treasurer CPA

Brian Bolliger, immed. Past ChairSkeensMcDonell Consulting Group, PLC

Charles mcLimans, Ex officioExecutive Director/CEO

Charlie Brooks UPS

David Brown Mondelez International

Kevin BurnsCPA, WTAS

harol-Deane garren, EmeritaRetired Teacher

wendy hayum-grossMary Kay Cosmetics & NCC LCPC

Tom KallayNicor Gas/AGL Services

george mannGlobal Risk Services, Ltd.

alicia mcCareins, PhD, JDRECA, Inc.

Tom mcgoughConAgra Foods

Chris michalskiBMO Harris Bank

matt Pfeiffer Pfeiffer Law Offices, P.C.

Tom wintersPepsiCo

ManagEMEnt tEaMCharles mcLimansExecutive Director/CEO

Jody BenderDirector of Community Engagement

Cary gilkeyOperations Manager

elizabeth hoffmanOffice/HR Manager

Jane macdonaldDirector of Client Engagement

megan selckDirector of Advancement & Engagement

shelly schmitzDirector of Volunteer Engagement

Loaves & Fishes1871 high grove Lane naperville, illinois 60540

Ph: 630.355.3663 fax: 630.355.0562info@loaves-fishes.orgwww.loaves-fishes.org

As a registered 501(c)(3) charity, all donations are fully tax-deductible.

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cELEbration of coMPassion aWards rEcogniZE sErVicE

Each year, Loaves & Fishes recognizes the distinguished service of volunteers and supporters during the previous year. On November 8th, we held the Celebration of Compassion at the Celebration Center! in Naperville to announce this year’s honorees. Guests included major supporters as well as volunteers who donated more than 100 hours of time during the year ended June 30th. The Metea Valley High School Jazz Combo entertained at the reception prior to the ceremony.

A Lifetime Achievement award was presented to the Ed Hoy family. Patriarch Ed Hoy passed away in 2013, and his family has continued its storied tradition of exem-plary volunteerism and support. Jody Bender was the first staff member honored in celebration of her 10-year

work anniversary. John Robbins of Awards & Fine Gifts, Naperville, donated awards. Awards and certificates reflecting each of our core values, and the Fireball award, which encompasses all core values, were given to the individuals below.

2013 Celebration of Compassion Award Winners

Lifetime Achievement The Ed Hoy Family

Community Doris & Alice Wood

Compassion (2) Andy Lindsay Tom Wcisel

Dignity Ned Bacon

Hope Dave Kelsch

Service (4) Bob Elazan Alex Lints Elizabeth May Jody Bender

Fireball Jim & Patrice Lia

Outstanding Community Partner (2) Whole Foods Naperville The Rotary Club of Naperville

Photo at left: Fireball award winners Jim and Patrice Lia accept their award.

Don’t Miss the following events Do you love to participate in charity 5K events? Snow may be on the ground now, but Spring isn’t far off! Loaves & Fishes will be part of two 5K fun runs in April.

Join the Loaves & Fishes Race Team for one or both of the races below and help chase hunger out of town!

SATuRDAY, APRIL 12TH AT 9 A.m.

foodie 5K Kick off the running season at Cantigny Park in Wheaton with this inaugural 5K fun run benefiting our food acquisition partner, the Northern Illinois Food Bank. The entire family can enjoy the post-race festival featuring live entertainment, food trucks, and a kids’ area. All runners must register in advance, as there will be no race-day registration. Registration fees for runners enrolled before march 1st are $30, including a 2014 Foodie 5K dry blend long-sleeved t-shirt. After March 1st, the registration fee increases to $35 and does not include the t-shirt. All registered runners will receive a $2 coupon for a food truck tasting of their choice. Learn more and register for the Loaves & Fishes team at www.crowdrise.com/Foodie5k. When registering, under Fundraising, select “Join a team” and choose “Loaves & Fishes” from the drop-down menu.

SATuRDAY, APRIL 26TH AT 9 A.m.

the Human race Two weeks later, Loaves & Fishes is thrilled to again be part of the third annual Human Race, organized by Giving DuPage to benefit participating nonprofits, such as Loaves & Fishes. This family-friendly 5K run/fitness walk will be held at the Esplanade at Locust Point in Downers Grove. Dogs, strollers and wheelchairs are welcome on the Fitness Walk route only. Volunteer leader Patrice Lia will again serve as Race Team captain and will schedule training sessions as weather permits.

Registration fees are $25 for walkers and $30 for runners through January 31st. Fees increase by $5 each month so register now at

www.active.com/donate/dupagehumanrace2014/LoavesandFishes. Make sure your supporting organization is Loaves & Fishes. You don’t have to be a walker/runner to participate—you can make a donation directly on the Loaves

& Fishes fundraising page or create a “Team Member Fundraising” page. For more information on the Human Race, please visit http://www.dupagehumanrace.org/

save these June Dates for loaves & fishes!Watch our website for details on these exciting events or contact Diane Ramonas at dramonas@loaves-fishes.org or 630-355-3663, ext. 107.

FRIDAY, June 13TH , 11 A.m. – 7 P.m.

day Without Hunger This marks the seventh year of our free onsite community festival featuring food, music, and community partners committed to ending hunger and empow-ering lives.

All food drive proceeds received until June 10th will count toward our Day Without Hunger goal of 400,000 pounds. Learn how

to hold a food drive and register yours on our website at http://www.loaves-fishes.org/ways-to-give/donate-food/.

SATuRDAY eVenIng, June 28TH

night to End HungerJoin us at Heritage Prairie Farm, Elburn, IL for a very special evening featuring an organic farm-to-table dinner and breathtaking views.

faith Community initiativeMany volunteers and clients first learn of Loaves & Fishes through their faith communities. Our new Faith Community Initiative is designed to connect with DuPage County houses of worship that may be unaware of our services. Do you know a faith community we should meet? Please e-mail contact information to Jody Bender at jbender@loaves-fishes.org. Please help us connect to your DuPage County faith community so we can share the work and services of Loaves & Fishes.

volunteer Corner Congratulations to Patrice & Jim Lia! Our Fireball award winners were honored by Naperville Bank & Trust as Outstanding Volunteers in the December 2013 issue of Positively Naperville.

Welcome to Ned Bacon, our 2014 Chair of the Volunteer Action Committee, who brings enthusiasm, experience and operations knowl-edge with his leadership. Our thanks to Andy Lindsay and Tracey Zweig, who gave so much time and energy to all the group’s activities.

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Chasing Hunger Out of Town!

2014

DAY

The Power of Compassion: Restoring HopeYour donation to Loaves & Fishes helps meet the immediate nutritional needs of families as well as helping families achieve the long-term goal of self-sufficiency.

Donate today at www.loaves-fishes.org or mail your gift to Loaves & Fishes, 1871 High Grove Lane, Naperville, IL 60540

Ending Hunger Empowering Lives

1871 High Grove Lane • Naperville, IL 60540www.loaves-fishes.org

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www.loaves-fishes.orgvolunteer • donate • support

1984 the Year it All BeganThe world would never be the same after 1984. Apple’s iconic ad for the Macintosh ran during the Super Bowl, The Cosby Show

debuted on NBC, the Bell System was broken up, and Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller earned Grammy’s Album of the Year. .

Naperville would never be the same, either. Members of the Service Ministry at St. Raphael Catholic Church who volunteered at Chicago soup kitchens suspected that hunger wasn’t just a Chicago problem, but also touched the lives of people in their community. The first request for food was made on February 5th and by May 6th, word spread that families in need were welcome to come for two bags of food per month. By 1990, 400 Naperville and Naperville Township families received food monthly from Loaves & Fishes. Stay tuned as we commemorate our 30th year of changing lives.

Zapatista Makes L&f spirits bright during the Holidays What began as a tree decorating contest became a meaningful and joyous experience for Loaves & Fishes’ clients during this past holiday season. In October, local restaurant Zapatista invited Loaves & Fishes to compete in its first holiday tree decorating contest. Zapatista participated in Day Without Hunger and we were excited to collaborate with its staff again.

With a decorating plan in place, our staff set out to dress up our tree, but not before Keith Zust, general manager at Zapatista, had an inspiration: to brighten the holidays for Loaves & Fishes’ clients! Since we wanted to thank the many talented young artists who submitted beautiful draw-ings during the summer months, we chose their families as the recipients. Before long, Zapatista was transformed into a winter wonderland, with gorgeous trees donated by Timeless Holidays and decorated by local businesses and organizations.

Our clients gathered at Zapatista on December 18th to see the trees that Keith would deliver to their homes the next day and celebrate the holi-days with delicious Mexican cuisine. NCTV-17 and Ruben Renteria, owner of Naperville Night Out, were there to cover the story and promote the

holiday cheer with their followers. The night and project were a huge success—our clients were thrilled to receive the trees! As one family shared with us, “Thank you and God bless you! This is our first Christmas tree in the U.S.!”

LeARn TO beCOme A VOLunTeeR!

Volunteer Open House on monday, April 21st from 4-7 p.m.

E-mail volunteer@loaves-fishes.org for more information.