March 25, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Food Lifeline Presents 2009 Agency Excellence Awards
Winners receive $5,000 grant to advance hunger relief efforts
Shoreline, WA (Wednesday, March 25, 2009) –Food Lifeline presented its Agency Excellence Awards to four of its local member agencies at its annual Agency Conference on Monday, March 23. Winners received a $5,000 grant to continue expanding their missions and to increase and better their capabilities to serve hungry people in their communities. The awards highlight how the member agencies Food Lifeline serves excel in creating innovative programs to meet the needs of hungry people throughout Western Washington. The awards and award-winners included:
- Excellence in Community Resource Development, Sponsored by Food Lifeline
Presented to ShareNet for demonstrating their strategy to raise awareness of hunger in the Kingston community by developing its first media-integrated fundraiser, Neighbor Aid 2008. This fundraiser surpassed its goal, allowing ShareNet to continue serving hungry people after noting an 80 percent increase in clients in 2008 from 2007.
- Excellence in Collaboration, Sponsored by Pacific Continental Bank
Presented to the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank for working together with the community and organizations to help end hunger. With no Department of Social and Health Services or Public Health Service Offices nearby, a program was created by collaborating with the nearest Public Health Office to offer those services to individuals that would otherwise need to pay to take a ferry to the closest office. The program gives individuals access to the support they qualify for without facing a huge financial and time burden.
- Excellence in Food Resource Development, Sponsored by Food Lifeline
Presented to the Ballard Food Bank for demonstrating its efforts to provide more food for hungry people by creating a Mobile Distribution Project. Utilizing its already-established extensive food recovery network, the project will expand the food bank’s grocery distribution hours by 25 percent by transporting a mini version of its food pantry to an off-site location. This provides more access, avoids wasting surplus, and increases responsiveness to clients unable to visit during regular hours.
- Excellence in Client Service, Sponsored by Food Lifeline
Presented to the Skagit County Community Action Agency for demonstrating its exemplary approaches to ending hunger by providing creating a Mobile Food Express service, bringing food, information and resources to those who are unable to leave their home unassisted or are facing an emergency food crisis. The program helps feed hungry people that the food bank simply cannot reach.
“These awards are a way for us to honor excellent programs that are making a real difference in communities all across Western Washington while building the capacity of the system we serve. With the generous support of Pacific Continental Bank we can continue to invest strategically in the solid work of our member agencies,” says Food Lifeline President & CEO Linda Nageotte.
To learn more about Food Lifeline, the Agency Excellence Awards or any of the award-winning member agencies listed above, please contact Kadi Engquist at (206) 432-3614, or log onto www.foodlifeline.org
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About Food Lifeline
Food Lifeline is the largest hunger relief organization in Washington State, efficiently serving the local Western Washington area by using 95% of revenue to directly feed hungry people. Last year the organization delivered more than 17 million meals to hungry people through its network of more than 300 neighborhood food banks, hot meal programs, shelters and other food providers. Food Lifeline is also a member of the national organization, Feeding America. For more information about Food Lifeline or to make a tax-deductible donation, log onto www.foodlifeline.org or call 206-545-6600.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kadi Engquist
Marketing Coordinator
(206) 545-6600 x3614