Happy Fall and greetings from Sunrise Christian Food Ministry. We have much good news and exciting progress to share.
Since our last update in the Fall of 2022 the demand for help from the food closet continues to grow. Over the past 12- month period the food closet has distributed 30,000 food boxes to 100,00 individuals totaling 3.75 million pounds of food. Of the 3.75 million, 1 million pounds consisted of recovered food that was saved from becoming organic waste in a landfill.
These numbers are staggering! The math of feeding the hungry becomes even more miraculous when you start to calculate how many times our volunteers handle each pound of food that eventually finds its way into a hungry tummy. For each donation received, whether from a retail partner, community member, civic organization or Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, our volunteers pick up (1), load (2), unload (3), weigh (4 & 5), shelf (6), pack (7), prep (8), fill (9) and load into client’s car (10). This turns the 3.75 million pounds of food into 37,500,000 million pounds of volunteer processed food. INCREDIBLE! Our mighty team of volunteers step up to the challenge every day and get the job done. Thank you hardly seems sufficient, but it is a start. We are eternally grateful for our dedicated volunteers that meet the needs of our community 7 days a week, 365 days, and 52 weeks a year. This ministry does not exist without our volunteers. Last year alone our staff and volunteers gave 20,000 hours to this community and ministry.
Even though we have a solid team of volunteers, we are always in need of new people to give our veteran volunteers a much-needed rest every now and then. If it has been a while since you have shared our needs with your members, we are asking supporters to renew their commitment to the success of this ministry by rallying the troops and sending volunteers to help. We need all Mission Directors, Volunteer Coordinators, and community groups to prioritize our ministry as you have in the past. Our board of directors and/or volunteers would love to come speak to your group, provide an update, and share our current needs with you.
With 2024 right around the corner we are also asking for your continued financial support to serve those in our community that are food insecure. In the last few years, we have seen increased overhead costs that are a direct result of COVID-19 and the new way we distribute food to clients. We ask for your help to meet our current needs as well as plan to build our capacity.
We are grateful to our community partners that take the time to show our volunteers how wonderful they are. Our ministry goes above and beyond to support the great work taking place in Citrus Heights. One of our biggest supporters and allies in our work to help the homeless is Citrus Heights HART. This Fall HART recognized Sunrise Christian Food Ministry and all our wonderful volunteers with their Outstanding Supporter of the Year award at their annual Spaghetti Fest fundraiser. This honor came as a complete surprise and spotlighted the work we do in the community.
THANK YOU
!
We want to show our gratitude to you as well. On October 28, 2023, we are opening our doors to the community, volunteers, and supporters to give a behind the scenes look at our ministry and celebrate the last 40 years of service in Citrus Heights. We hope you will share this invitation with your members and join us. Our volunteers are excited to prepare a BBQ lunch and thank you personally for the role you and your organization have played in the success of our ministry.
If you can’t join on the 28th, consider coordinating a group of volunteers and signing up to help distribute Thanksgiving food boxes on November 16th and 17th. Groups can visit Hands on Sacramento to sign up for a shift. There are also opportunities on November 14th & 15th to help pack holiday bags that will be given out at the distribution. We are expecting 2000 families to visit our Thanksgiving giveaway. We need all the help we can get. Check it out.
With so much going on and changing, we would like the chance to update you monthly. If you would like to join our newsletter email list, please send your name, organization name and email address to scfmoffice123@gmail.com with the subject NEWSLETTER. We have a volunteer that is excited to start writing a monthly newsletter beginning in January. Sign up today.
We are so thankful to be in partnership with you serving the needs of our community. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like additional information on our ministry.
Blessed to be a blessing!
April Jacek
President, Director of Operations