Clean Your Plate! Or Donate to Cultivate
Did your mom ever tell you not to waste your food because there were starving children…somewhere else? But those kids were so far away, what good could your green beans possibly do them?
Well, your mom was right that there are lots of children in need. But they aren’t so far away.
Nearly 44,000 children in St. Joseph, Elkhart, and Marshall Counties are food-insecure. Like Tonya’s daughter at Wakarusa Elementary, who – even
though her mom works hard at two jobs – still had to eat sodium-filled, nutrient-lacking boxed noodles
for dinner.
But with a gift of just $35/month or $420/year to Cultivate Food Rescue, you can put six nutritious meals on Tonya’s daughter’s table every weekend.
Your mom also had the right idea about the veggies on your plate. Not just that they’re good for you – really, eat your veggies. But also that food waste is bad news! Americans waste 40% of their food, and it
all ends up in landfills and turns into methane gas.
Not good.
So how do food insecurity
and food waste go together, and
what can you do to help?
Cultivate Food Rescue works with local caterers, universities, sports venues, and more with their food that has been prepared but not yet served. Our chefs
transform it into well-balanced, high-quality meals. And these meals are individually packaged by our awesome volunteers (you can volunteer too!) and frozen.
Next, we partner with great schools and
administrators who help identify which of their students are in the most need. Maybe the second grader who never seems excited about the weekend on Fridays, or the Kindergartener who misses school
a lot on Mondays. And your gift of $35/month or $420 for the year can send them home each Friday with one of our special insulated backpacks containing six
frozen meals.
In January, Cultivate would like to expand our reach to these children. We need your help to reach our goal of serving 1,000 schoolchildren with weekend
backpacks. Could you sponsor a child in 2021?
Make your mom proud with a tax-deductible gift to Cultivate Food Rescue before December 31st.
DID YOU KNOW?
Make It Monthly!
Regular monthly donations are easy to set up using our website and your credit card information. Just visit our donation page on the Cultivate Food Rescue website and
set up a recurring donation. You can set up monthly, quarterly, or even semi-annual donations that are automatic and carefree. You can even choose the amount! Every contribution has a huge impact on the
number of meals ($2/each) we generate and the number of hungry kids who will receive nutritious meals to help
them grow and learn! Set up your recurring donation today and know that your dollars are reducing food insecurity in Northern Indiana.
Regular monthly donations are easy to set up using our website and your credit card information. Just visit our donation page on the Cultivate Food Rescue website and
set up a recurring donation. You can set up monthly, quarterly, or even semi-annual donations that are automatic and carefree. You can even choose the amount! Every contribution has a huge impact on the
number of meals ($2/each) we generate and the number of hungry kids who will receive nutritious meals to help
them grow and learn! Set up your recurring donation today and know that your dollars are reducing food insecurity in Northern Indiana.
Cares Act 2020 Tax Benefits
In response to the financial challenges created by the pandemic, the Cares Act of 2020 could make your contributions to Cultivate Food Rescue 100% tax deductible! But these exceptions are for 2020 only. Virtually everyone who has a federal tax liability, even those taking the standard deduction can take advantage
of this “above the line” deduction.
These benefits expire on December 31st! So, consider making a charitable, tax deductible contribution to Cultivate Food Rescue before the end of 2020! For more
information check it out on the web at
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares.
Matt Wikowski has volunteered for Cultivate since 2018. He currently works about 24 hours each week. Matt is a hard worker and has done just about every job we have at Cultivate other than driving the truck.
Matt spends most days helping out in the kitchen. He enjoys using the different pieces of equipment, like the tilt skillet, stick mixer, food processor, and the Hobart. The Hobart 60-quart mixer with 3 attachments and multiple speeds is Matt’s favorite. He likes it so much he has created the “Mixer Dance.” He will happily show you if you ask. Matt is also in charge of blowing the lunch break horn.
Pre-COVID, Matt participated in Special Olympics. He swims, plays basketball, soccer, and football. Matt also
likes to golf, go to the beach, and hunt for treasure with his metal detector.
Matt Wikowski brings a lot of joy and entertainment to the Cultivate kitchen. He always knows when it’s quitting
time and proudly says “Another successful day at Cultivate!” We are lucky to have him and his parents as volunteers along with all of our other volunteers.
Barnaby’s Giveback Night featuring:
Join us Thursday, December 3rd
2020:11am-10pm
Present this coupon and Barnaby’s will
donate 25%of the proceeds from your meal
to Cultivate.
*Dine in or Carry out
South Bend Barnaby’s Location only:
713 E Jefferson Blvd, South Bend, IN 46617
Food for Thought
Did you know, according to the 2018 census numbers, 12% of all Americans are living in poverty? Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of families living in
poverty has grown incrementally and more households struggle to find adequate food sources every day. Cultivate
Food Rescue is coming to the aid of many of these struggling children and families through our backpack program, delivering over 128,000 meals in 2020.
Some believe that governmental food supplement programs such as SNAP and WIC cover the needs of those struggling to put food on the table, but the data shows that 20% or more of those who are food insecure in St. Joseph, Elkhart, and Marshall counties don’t qualify for those
benefits because their income falls slightly above the requirements to apply for assistance. Food insecurity within these families is still a reality though, and without
the governmental support, they must find alternative ways to feed their families.
These families must rely on local food pantries, school feeding programs, and programs like Cultivate’s to meet their basic needs. According to Feeding America, the shortfall of funds for feeding these families is approximately $18 million in St. Joseph County, $11 million in Elkhart County, and $2.5 million in Marshall County. With
the cancelation of food drives and fundraisers, local pantries are struggling to keep their shelves filled, while the need is only increasing.
At Cultivate, with the support of our financial donors, food partners, and volunteers, we support many of these
families by providing nutritious meals to school children and supplying food pantries and service organizations with food to fill their shelves. Together we create a positive
impact in our community.
Volunteer with Cultivate!
Our mission at Cultivate is impossible without the help of our faithful volunteers! Volunteers are a crucial part of food preparation in the kitchen, food packaging, food container labeling, and shipping our meals out to local schools and pantries. The pandemic has posed obstacles to how we operate, but we have managed to still process approximately 5,000 meals a week! If you or your group is interested in volunteering you can sign up on our website https://cultivatefoodrescue.com/volunteer/ or by contacting shellya@cultivatefoodrescue.com.
“FORE!” Golf Anyone?
The 2nd Annual Cultivate Golf Outing at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, was a huge success! Forty-three foursomes took to the courses after a gourmet, box lunch prepared by Cultivate’s very own Chef Randy! We want to thank our generous sponsors, Swan Lake Resort staff, our Cultivate volunteers, and all the individuals who made this such a special day! Save the Date for next year’s golf outing, September 22, 2021 at Swan Lake Resort’s beautiful, two, 18-hole golf courses.
