Only a Good God

Hello Food Rescue Family,

On the eve of our first fund-raising event, I would like to share with you a vision for the future of our mission and organization.  Over the last 16 months, I have been contacted by many people who are familiar with not for profit charitable businesses, and they have all drawn for me something I had never seen before.   They’ve all drawn a triangle, made up of events, small financial partners, and large financial partners, with the large partners carrying the most importance in sustaining the charitable activities.

As I have digested this model, I cannot help but recognize how distinctly different that model is from our actual organization.  There are very few “key people” within Food Rescue, or should I say that everyone involved with Food Rescue is “key”, depending on your point of view.  In a perfect world, I would like to look back on things and for it to be impossible to point to one financial gift that led to families and children continuing to be fed in our country, rather the contributions of many, which is exactly how the Food Rescue service model was born.

It is my vision to see Food Rescue funded in the following manner.  500 people giving $50 per year, followed by 1000 people giving $25 per year.  After reaching that benchmark, 2,500 people giving $10 per year, and then 5,000 people giving $5 per year.  Each partner in that chain would be as important as the next, just as each volunteer is just as important as another volunteer.    With all of those partners in place, we could expand our impact beyond our imagination.

16 months ago, there was no reason to believe 1500 people could deliver 3 million dollars of retail value food to families and children in need acting in concert together across our nation.  Yet God allowed our story to travel, and here we are today.  Could our funding occur the same way?   Since rolling this vision out to just a few people 6 days ago, 50 people have responded to our 500 Club, which is the first wave of partners at $50 per year.  We need 450 more to move onto phase 2, which is the 1000 club, which would be 1000 partners at the $25 per year level.  Please prayerfully consider sharing this vision with the same passion you have shared your passion for service with Food Rescue, and we will have a story to tell that will confound all conventional wisdom in any world, let alone the not for profit world, and will leave no one with any explanation other  than a good God stretched out His mighty hand to provide for families and children in their time of need, having nothing to do with any one individual.  We will proclaim together that we serve a God of ”sufficiency and abundance” and leave the simplictiy of our actions as a testimony for our world to examine.  This is my vision, this is my passion, and this is my prayer.  Thank you for your encouragement with this vision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot4sgVYCeas

Click Here to become a member of the 500 Club  http://foodrescue.net/volunteers/contactus

God Bless,

JW

Some Food Rescue Stats

1)  Our operating costs are less than 2 cents for every $1 of food we rescue.

2)  Food Rescue delivers food to the Emergency Foodshelf Network in Minnesota, that serves around 2500 families annually as one of 200 EFN loactions in Minnesota.

3)  Food Rescue and Mass Appeal Internatioal partner together to serve 2000 families per month in the Boston area.

3)  Food Rescue and The Open cupboard partner in Naples NY to feed 85 families per month.

4)  Food Rescue and The North End Kitchen Soup  in Brighton ?FlintMichigan partner together and serve 155,000 meals annually.

5)  Food Rescue Partners with Third Phase in Hamilton County Indiana to serve 5000 families each year with food from the Food Pantry.

6)  Food Rescue provides nourishment for 130-140 students from low income families at a school in Toledo OH.

7)  Food Rescue provides nourishment for 10-15 children each week in a children’s home in Simpsonville SC.

8)  Food Rescue partners with City Union Mission in Kansas City MO, which serves between 10,000 and 15,000 meals per month.

9)  Food Rescue partners with Blessed Sacrament’s Soup Kitchen  – toserve 22,000 meals per in the Rochester NY area, and House of Mercy  services over 4000 People per MONTH!

10)  These are just a few of our chapters around the country, not including 2 of our larger chapters in Jacksonville FL and Chicago IL.

 

 

Thanks for all you do Food Rescue Family!

God bless,

John Williamson

Jacksonville Chapter President Story

With permission, I am sharing the story of our chapter president in Jacksonville FL, Kathi Crothers. Kathi tuned into K Love for the first time 8 months ago and heard Food Rescue on the radio, and she now leads a group of 80 people saving hundreds and thousands of dollars of food annually and delivering it to people in need. This is her story:

Three years ago I was a non believer. I was married with a child and I had no idea who or what God was. My daughter attended preschool at MUMC and I found myself in a pickle with financial and marital problems controlling my life. It was suggested to me that I contact a Stephen Minister who may be able to walk me through this difficult time. I accepted and contacted a total stranger. Not being a member of the church or ever attending a service, I didn’t understand why this was available to me. She called me and wanted to know what was hurting me so badly. We talked day in and day out for a month or so before we ever met. I felt closer and more comfortable with her than anyone I have ever met because she showed me complete dedication with out judging me or telling me what to do next. I asked her why she loved me so much and how she could give her time to me without even knowing the real me and her answer was Jesus. Our first meeting was at Wednesday night dinner. I remember how out of place I felt and scared to be there. Throughout our time, I wanted to know more about Jesus. What she didn’t know, we found out together. She went with me to the lawyers to file for divorce. I dont think this was part of her obligation as a Stephan Minister. I think it was because I had a true friend. She had a good friend who was starting up a new ministry called Celebrate Recovery. I thought this was an excellent idea for my husband and I would join with him and be his number one supporter. When I didnt want to go, she would gently inquire about my reasons and behavours behind this. It was her persistant calling and caring that woke me up and made me realize that I wanted to have what she had in her life. Jesus. I needed to get real and honest and find out how I added to the problems my home life was having. She was the first person who encouraged me and told me how amazing I was. I believed her and I began to reach out and find a sister hood community at church. Women from everywhere were saying hello to me and inviting me to be part of their world. I stepped into a world of possibiIities and endless dreams with God. I could never had imagined my life as it is now. I am a single mother, I facilitate through a ministry, and I live for God. Ive never been happier. You see she didnt just ask me how I was doing, she stayed and waited it out to see who I became. My angel… Cheryl.

March Food Rescue Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

 

Recently, a friend of mine was attending a not for profit seminar intended to “ignite the passion” of the attendees of the seminar for the organizations they serve.  The question they used at the outset has not left me since it was shared with me few weeks ago.  The question was simple.  “What would happen if your organization did not exist?”

 

As the economic crisis in our country continues, not for profits are in a fight for their very existence.  There are many organizations that will not survive as people make choices of where their limited resources will go. It will take passionate people in many cases who truly believe the negative impact of the potential demise of an organization is worth fighting for.  Those organizations with high impact and low overhead operating costs should be in position to whether the storm.  Food Rescues operating budget is $55,000 to manage 19 states, 46 chapter presidents, 1500 volunteers with nearly 1000 monthly “food rescues” and over 3 million dollars in annual retail value food given away to people in need.  We have one of the lowest operating budgets per volunteer and per citizen who receives our services in the country. 

 

Our hope is that our lean operating expenses in relation to the high impact we have around the country will result in the survival and continued growth of Food Rescue, however, these facts alone will not make it happen.  The reality is that Food Rescue is currently under it’s lean operating budget, and we are funded by 36 donors and 1 church.  For our mission to be sustained, we need to grow our annual donor base to 500 people (a 500 club) contributing $50 annually.  We are too dependent on a small number of donors, which is ironic because our organizaiton is quite the opposite, with so many volunteers doing a very small thing to make a very big difference in the lives of people around the country. 

 

Today we are asking our volunteer base to help us fund our organizaiton by becoming part of our ”Food Rescue 500 Club” and asking friends to do the same by making a $50 annual contribution if you are able, and if you feel the impact of our demise would have a negative impact on our country.  You can do it one of three ways:  1)  Send a check made to Food Rescue at the address found here , (you will have to scroll down a bit).  2) Use the Food Rescue Pay Pal account. 3)  If you are in Indianapolis, sign up at this link for or our walk a thon on April 25th from 9AM to 11AM in the Grace Community Church parking lot, where we will have breakfast,lunch, and lots of food coupons from our vendors, and great fellowship as we celebrate our first year of existence. I would love to meet all of you that have made such incredible sacrifices to serve people in need. 

 

In other news, I’d like to welcome Candice Saltsman in Hillsboro Oregon, Tresha Souza in Salinas CA, Cheryl Jackson in Plano TX,  Aaron Overfield in St. Louis MO, Rosey Zielke in Novi Michigan, and Ellen Thomas in Cambridge OH, and Carl Gilmour In San Antonio TX as chapter presidents.   Also, our chapter president in St. Paul Minnesota, Lynette Harris, has started a Food Shelf called “Moms Shelf” serving 450 families each month.  She started with one pick up at one location about a year ago.  Finally, I am actually writing this newsletter from Florida, as I am speaking at three churches and strategizing with our largest chapter outside of Indianapolis in Jacksonville Florida.  From my first stop, it looks like we will be starting a chapter in  Naples FL very soon, as well as adding to our support.  Thanks for each and every one of you that has supported Food Rescue with your time, talents, and treasures.

 

God bless,

 

John Williamson

Food Rescue Founder

jw@foodrescue.net

1-317-694-4006