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Saying Grace Hanson fans have embraced the Tulsa Community Food Bank over the years. As we enter a fifth year as Hanson fans, we may sense a new era beginning. Coincidentally, TCFB has changed its name to better reflect the area it serves. Its new name is, Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. Last year, in a conversation with the former Director of Community Relations, Yvonne Tenorio, I attempted to dig deeper into the backstage workings of this organization. Here is an excerpt from our conversation: What are some aspects of a food bank that people may not be aware? Food banks are all about getting food to people in need--keeping surplus consumable food from going to waste. In Tulsa, the food bank operates as a "middle man," coordinating the distribution of food donations to centers of direct service such as emergency food pantries, anisette feeding centers, etc.--locations where people go to actually receive the food. TCFB partners with America's Second Harvest which is an organization that works on a national level collecting and distributing surplus food that might otherwise go to waste. On a local level, TCFB serves 24 counties in Eastern Oklahoma. Last fiscal year (June 2000-June 2001) 6.5 million pounds of product were delivered to 420 member programs. What is the best way to get involved locally? The best way to get involved locally is to contribute funds or food to your local food bank. It's great to partner with people in your workplace, place of worship and your school. Begin to organize events and raise awareness of the need. When is the best time to get involved? Food banks are busy year-round. Typically people think most often of giving during the holidays. However, member programs experience an increase in services during the summer months. With school out, children who normally depend on free or reduced lunches at school as their only source of nourishment often do not have access to healthy meals during the summer. Many times, member programs are then able to step into this gap. TCFB responds to this season with two specific annual food drives. In the spring, community members, schools, clubs and businesses compete to raise the most food in a drive called, Food for Families. Also, on the Saturday before Mother's Day in May, the National Association of Letter Carriers organizes an annual, national food drive where they collect food items directly from mailboxes. These drives are significant because they provide a variety of food items. What is the Empty Bowls program about? Empty Bowls is a national event, originating in Michigan, that Tulsa has chosen to adopt. TCFB puts is own "twist" on the Empty Bowls concept by holding a live and silent auction of celebrity autographed, artist designed bowls. Patrons can select a ceramic bowl created by local artists and then are served a simple meal of soup, bread and dessert. Guests choose a ceramic bowl to use that day and are invited to keep it as a reminder that there are always Empty Bowls in the world. In the past, Mohammad Ali, Tiger Woods and Hanson have been notable celebrities donating autographed bowls to the local event. Would you be able to share some of the details of the fan-sponsored event that was organized around the Hanson concert in July 2000? About the guitar auction? Two local fans, Deanna Saplin and Debbie Gregory, contacted TCFB about an informal gathering, planned to coordinate with the Hanson concert in Tulsa scheduled for July 2000. Participants brought food items to donate as part of the event. The gathering included games like "Who Wants to be a Hansonaire" and karaoke, among other activities. About 1/3 of the fans were from out of state, and some had flown in from out of the country. A local radio station, KISS 92.1 heard about the event and contributed an autographed Hanson guitar for an auction, with the final bid going toward a donation to TCFB. In a separate conversation with Ms. Saplin, I found out that the fan event grew from a four-family picnic to an event that involved between 350-500 people. Although the day brought torrents of rain, the gathering could only be described as" a complete blast." Through the efforts of both Ms. Saplin and Ms. Gregory, the event involved local businesses as well as TCFB and Domestic Violence Intervention. The gathered fans from as far away as England, Australia and Argentina responded to the opportunity by donating an estimated 400 lbs. of food, clothing and a total of over $1000, including the $755 raised in the guitar auction. The proceeds were split evenly between the two charitable organizations. Final thoughts? I'm touched by the lengths that people will go through from around the world to get involved (with TCFB) in honor of Hanson. It speaks to the type of people who listen to Hanon's music and are affected by it. Note: My humble gratitude to Ms. Tenorio for graciously agreeing to this conversation. All the best to her in her current endeavors. Community Food Bank of Eastern
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