Ventura County’s only regional food bank offers calendar with daily tips to get involved during September’s National Hunger Action Month, hosts volunteer day on Sept. 11.

From loiscapps.org

 (OXNARD, Calif.) – Embracing the idea that anyone can bring about positive change by small daily actions of getting involved with feeding hungry friends and neighbors, FOOD Share asks the public to step up and take action against hunger throughout September in honor of National Hunger Action Month.

 To further highlight the growing need, U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capps will visit FOOD Share’s Oxnard headquarters beginning at 11 a.m. on Sept. 9.

 Congresswoman Capps voted for the Recovery Act, which provided $300 million to states for their SNAP program in 2009 and 2010. Also, Capps recently signed a letter sent to U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi urging for swift passage of the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act, which makes crucial improvements to school lunch and breakfast programs, the summer food service program, the child and adult care food program (CACFP), and WIC.

 FOOD Share also will host a volunteer event from Noon to 4 p.m. on Sept. 11. Volunteers can help sort non-perishable food items for distribution to the 150 partner agencies served through Food Share’s Oxnard warehouse.

 By sharing 30 simple ways in 30 days, Ventura County’s only regional food bank hopes to engage the community to take action against the area’s growing hunger problem. Whether it is skipping a morning latte and donating the saved cost, growing a home or community garden and sharing the harvest or volunteering at the community food bank, FOOD Share knows the combined efforts of many individuals can make a positive impact in fighting hunger right here at home.

 “We are very blessed to live in a community where people look out for one another,” said Bonnie Weigel, CEO of FOOD Share. “Unfortunately, the ranks of Ventura County’s hungry are growing and, as a result, we continue to seek even greater support from individuals, businesses and partner agencies to meet this urgent need.”

 A 30-day Hunger Action Month offers simple suggestions that anyone can implement and share with family, co-workers or friends.

 For more information about FOOD Share and their volunteer opportunities, call Meg Horton, Food Share volunteer coordinator at (805) 983-7100.

Did you know??? that Ralphs also has a very successful “fresh rescue program” working with FOOD Share… all the meat in their coolers reaching the freeze or sell by date … and not sold… is frozen specifically for FOOD Share and retrieved on a regular basis… since January 2010 we have received 12,745 pounds of protein for the hungry in our community…. All this wonderful protein had been thrown away until the start of this fresh rescue program… thanks Ralphs!

 September is Hunger Action Month

30 Ways in 30 DAYS 

DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS? DO YOU LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD? Can you BROWN BAG IT FOR CHANGE? September is HUNGER ACTION MONTH and a big canned and cash drive for FOODShare. Who would think that here in beautiful Ventura County we have over 80,000 hungry, many of which are children. SO any help you can give and in September, our Hunger action month is right around the corner!

We have fun ways you can help 30 ways in 30 days!

Day #1, Wed Sept 1: Save loose change and donate it to FOOD Share. You may not think that a dollar or two doesn’t count, but believe it or not, $1 donated to FOOD Share can buy $7.15 worth of food. That could mean a meal for a family and in these economic times, that makes a big difference.

Click here for the full calendar and a list of our partner agencies.

 Applied Merchant Services will donate part of the receipts of merchant services fees from this business back to FOOD Share, Ventura County’s regional Foodbank. There is no cost to you to do this. Just a simple swipe of your card will help wipe out hunger by bringing food to those in need.

FOOD Share feeds over 54,700 friends per month through their 150 member organizations like churches, food pantries and more. However, there are more folks that are struggling. With this new landmark program Applied Merchant Services will help FOOD Share and so will you. Swipe to Wipe Out Hunger! Every swipe of your credit card = a donation to FOOD Share

FACTS ABOUT FOODSHARE:

• FOOD Share feeds over 54,700 friends each month in Ventura County alone.

• In 2009 over 7.5 million pounds of food will be distributed through FOOD Share and it’s partners.

• Senior programs provide 1,610 low income seniors countywide with bags of healthy groceries every other week, and deliver 2,835 meals a month to homebound seniors in Oxnard and Ventura.

• FOOD Share’s Snack Attack program provides 77,119 healthy snacks per month to serve 17 after-school children’s programs in the County.

Applied Merchant Services  has a wonderful new program to help the local community and this business has decided to be a part of it!

For more information, contact Jeanne Benetiz jbenetiz@foodshare.com 805-983-7100

Donate to the Feed the Need Fund  and your donation will go toward the purchase of an animal at the livestock auction. This provides much need protein for our friends in need. Click here to donate.

Feeling adventurous? Come to the Livestock Auction August 13 at the Ventura County Fair to purchase livestock to donate to FOOD Share. Contact jbenetiz@foodshare.com for more information.

Pictured Left to right … Bonnie Weigel, CEO of FOOD Share, Ernie Pineda, District Manager Wells Fargo

Hi Gardening Friends:
Wonderful News…our Garden Share program is growing by leaps and bounds, with 79 new members from the Strawberry Festival!  Thanks,  Ernie Pineda and Wells Fargo for sponsoring our booth to display our sample gardens and help educate the public about the issue of hunger in Ventura County and one of our solutions… the Garden Share Program! Working with Agromin our wonderful sponsor we are encouraging others to “grow a row” for the hungry. According to the Wall Street Journal a small garden pictured below can save approximately $600.00 per season off your grocery bill.  Thanks for helping us feed our hungry friends and neighbors.
We have also found some wonderful new partners who will provide FOOD Share with seeds and veggie plant starts so you will receive additional e-blasts when these products are here and available for you to pick up for your gardens.

Please remember July 15th is the deadline for donations to be recorded to be eligible for the “Pounds for Produce” contest.  The Individual and school that has donated the most produce in the following categories: Potatoes, Tomatoes, Celery, Onions, Broccoli and Citrus will receive that same amount of free soil from Agromin on a pound for pound basis.  To date this program has yielded 65,000 pounds of healthy and delicious produce for the hungry in Ventura County….  The winners and their poundage will be announced in the August Garden Share Newsletter. Please enjoy the attached Garden Share Coupons and keep your garden thriving! 
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!

July Gardening Tips from Agromin

Reduce Water Usage in July While
Still Creating Lush Outdoor Garden

OXNARD, CALIF.–Reducing water usage in July does not mean you cannot have lush and abundant flower and vegetable gardens. Simple steps will cut summer water bills but will not affect summer gardens, say experts at Agromin, an Oxnard-based manufacturer of earth-friendly soil products made from recycled organic material from over 50 Southern California communities.

Time Your Watering: Automatic sprinklers allow hassle-free early morning watering. Set sprinkler timers between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. so water will not evaporate by the summer sun. Water should soak six to eight inches into the soil. Do not water at night to reduce the chances of mildew and other diseases. Use drip irrigation, soaker hoses or other water-conserving methods around plants, borders, shrubs and trees. Water, at most, two or three times a week for 10 minutes per watering.

Water Your Lawn Less: A lawn can do well during the summer months when only watered every three days. Lawns watered daily but for short periods will turn brown because roots remain close to the surface and are subject to quick water evaporation and summer heat. By watering your lawn every three days for 20 minutes, water is slow to evaporate as it soaks into the soil, causing roots to naturally grow deeper into the ground and away from the sun.

Reduce Your Lawn Size, Plant Low Water-Use Vegetation: Consider removing three to five feet of your lawn around its edges and replace it with a border of native ground cover. Native plants usually require little or no water once they are established. Check with your local nursery for native plants in your area. California native ground covers include Manzanita, California Lilac, deer grass, Island Alum Root and sage.

Replenish Mulch: Mulch, usually made from recycled trees and other wood materials, naturally thins over time. Ideally, a three-inch layer should surround plants and trees. When the mulch compresses to about two inches, add another layer. Mulch is a water saver. It keeps roots cool during the heat of the day and reduces moisture loss after watering. Mulch also reduces soil erosion, which is critical on hillsides and slopes. As an added bonus, a thick layer of mulch will suppress weed growth. 

Vegetable Gardening Note: By July, gardens should be producing an abundance of tomatoes, peppers and zucchini. Pick the vegetables even if you don’t plan to use them immediately. Keeping vegetables on the plant past their prime will inhibit further blossoming and production. Harvest vegetables every day during the summer. Particularly fast-growing vegetables to watch include beans, cucumbers, eggplant, squash and tomatoes. Also, check herb plants for signs of flowering. Nip flowers quickly to encourage leaf growth.

Not Too Late to Plant Summer Gardens: Gardening procrastinators still have time to plant a vegetable garden in July and enjoy their harvest by late summer and early fall. Vegetables to plant in July include beans, beets, carrots, corn, cantaloupe, okra, squash and spinach. Flowers such as gladiolus, calla lilies, marigolds, zinnias and dahlias can also be planted in July

For more gardening tips, go to www.agromin.com.
For more information on FOOD Share, go to www.foodshare.com

Click here for a discount coupon

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Other exciting news for Father’s Day weekend was the Johnny Cash Festival which had over 15,000 attendees. Food Share received proceeds from ticket sales as well as from a signed guitar raffle.

On June 25, we met lots of new friends through the Warped Tour that came through Ventura County. 995 lbs of food in total were collected thanks to the help of the John Lennon Tour Bus and Feed Our Children Now.

We are grateful for all the support that the community gives us and for all the new partnerships we have developed!  Every little bit helps, whether that be attending an event, donating food or funds, or volunteering time.

Click here to become a member of  Garden Share - it’s FREE!