Food Drive

Today members of the Juneau Mendenhall Flying Lions Club helped with a local food drive.  The Coast Guard and National Guard were running the drive for the Southeast Alaska Food Bank.  

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Helping a Hand

One Lion consistently helps out at the local Helping Hands food pantry every week.  We appreciate all that he does in the name of Lions!  Thanks, Lion Hari Dev Khalsa!  

We Serve!

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Feeding the Hungry

Today we served the hungry population of Juneau.  But what's so cool is that it wasn't just Juneau we helped feed, but other communities in Southeast that rely on the services of the Southeast Alaska Food Bank.

This was the Radio Center's Annual Day of Sharing is Caring Food Drive.  They had two locations with a school bus to fill at the downtown location and this container van below at the valley location.

It started at 6:00 a.m.  Yes, a.m. when Lions Soapy Lingle and Mike Norton showed up at Super Bear for their early morning shift.

Lions Mike Norton and Soapy Lingle

For the next three hours they hustled unpacking donations and reloading in milk crates while I handed out bookmarks to customers coming into the grocery store.

Lions Mike Norton and Soapy Lingle

Lions Bob and Donna Hurley did their tour at the downtown Foodland IGA store where their presence helped sell pre-packaged donation bags for $10 or $20.

Lions Donna and Bob Hurley

To make sure we had both stores covered, Lion Tom Dawson did his tour at Super Bear in the afternoon.

Lion Ton Dawson

The day ended with Lion Mike Norton, President of the Mendenhall Flying Lions, and Lion Ted Burke, President of the Juneau Lions Club, in jail for an hour with the promise that if enough people donated nonperishable food items, they would be let out!  And they were.

Lion Ted Burke and Lion Mike Norton

We know there's a problem in Juneau and Southeast where too many people don't have enough to eat on any given day.   And it's only getting worse.  Hopefully, after today, the shelves of the Southeast Alaska Food Bank will be full and there will be plenty of food to go around for another day.

We Serve!
Lion Nancy Norton
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Sharing is Caring

I am happy to say I've never been in jail.  Phew!  Now with that off my chest, I do have to say that my husband may not be so lucky....

I never thought I'd be saying this but, Friday at 4:00 p.m., my husband, Michael Norton, President of the MendenhallFlying Lions will be going to Jail.... His partner in crime, Ted Burke, President of the Juneau Lions, will be locked up with him!

They will be locked up at Foodland IGA for one hour trying to raise enough nonperishable foods to get bailed out in support of the Radio Center's Day of Sharing is Caring program.  All donations will be given to the Southeast Alaska Food Bank.  

Please help bail them out with a donation. Or.... not.... With a large enough donation you might be able to bribe the guard NOT to let them out at the hour. Hmmmm.... Decisions decisions....

Okay, so this isn't going to be such a bad thing!  It's for a good cause after all!  The Radio Center will have two school busses on-site at Foodland IGA and Super Bear IGA in the valley to fill!  Last year they collected 23,000 POUNDS of donations!  Let's see if we can do better this year!

We Serve!
Lion Nancy Norton
#LIONS100

Rotary and Lions Getting the Job Done

Saturday was Rotary's annual food drive for our local food bank.  They took post at three different stores in town and had a school bus waiting at each site to load with canned goods and other items that were donated.

Lions showed up at the Food Bank on Sunday to help unload the school buses, sort, and put donations on the shelves.

When we arrived the shelves were pretty bare.  Darren distributes a huge amount of food every week and this was much needed.

It's a crazy hour!  Boy Scout Troop 247 (that we sponsor) showed up in full force to tackle the job and help get it done!  Lion Mike N. helped sort donations.

Lion Allen brought his daughter, Tara.... a Lion in the making.... ?

Our newest members, Lions Mukhya and Hari Dev brought a prospect to help, Louie, who was a huge help as well.

When you have so many people helping, the work gets done quickly.

We Serve!
Lion Nancy  

Helping the Local Food Bank

The Rotarians of Juneau had a food drive yesterday to benefit the local food bank.... three locations.... three school busses to fill.  Well, 7,000 plus pounds later.... it's all unloaded and sorted and put away.

Lion Soapy Lingle

Three of us took a couple hours out of our Sunday to help unload the goods.  Thanks to Lions Soapy and Mike N. for their time today.  It's always a fun event regardless of whether it's 600 pounds or 7,000 pounds of food we're helping to sort.  This food doesn't last long though....  any perishables are handed out on Saturday mornings to the community (which consists of about 80 individuals who come to the food bank to fill their cupboards).  The dry goods all go to the local churches and other organizations that will distribute to the needy.

Lions Soapy and Mike N.

Helping out at the Southeast Alaska Food Bank helps so many people... maybe even a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a co-worker.  This is a good thing.

The next food drive is Saturday, April 19.  Anyone is welcome to join us sort and put food away!  See you then!

We Serve!
Lion Nancy

Giving Thanks

As the holidays reach out to us, some times it's easy to get caught up in all the fuss of the holidays and forget to find the value in the moment.  Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the fuss!  I love it all! The Christmas movies that have been playing on tv for weeks now.... Christmas decorations in the store.... and you'll even find me humming Christmas carols.

But this weekend brought a different dimension to the holidays as a couple of us helped at the Southeast Alaska Food Bank during their annual 12 hour Sharing is Caring Food Drive.  Because of the generosity of Juneau, the Food Bank received over 14,000 pounds in donations.  It didn't matter if all a person could afford was one can of soup because in the end it all added up and meant others in our town would have food on their table over the holidays. 

Yesterday people showed up at the Food Bank to help unload the school bus that held all the donations.  What impressed me most were all the children.  Kids of all ages--young ones with their parents, pre-teens, and teenagers working side by side making a difference.  They weren't there because their parents made them, they were there because they wanted to help.  You could see it in their actions and their joy. 

Today I am thankful for Darin and his helpers Shane, Judy, and the others as they selflessly give their time all year long, so that our families, friends, and neighbors can have food on their tables. 

Food Drive

Most people like to sleep in on Saturdays.  They've worked hard all week long and this is their day off.  

 

Not the Mendenhall Lions and Boy Scout Troop 247. 

 

Other people would get up on a Saturday and go fishing, hiking, or boating.   

 

Not the Mendenhall Lions and Boy Scout Troop 247. 

 

Other people would have spent their day shopping or gardening or cleaning.   

 

Not the Mendenhall Lions and Boy Scout Troop 247.   

 

They spent their day collecting canned food and other items to donate to the Southeast Alaska Food Bank--639 pounds to be exact!

 

Way to go Lions and Scouts!  Because of your tireless commitment to helping others, your efforts will help feed people all over Juneau.  And that's a good way to spend your Saturday. 

 

 

Postal Service Food Drive

It started out like this: A Post on Facebook

 

Southeast Alaska FoodBank

Just a reminder: the USPS's Stamp Out Hunger food drive is coming up on Saturday the 11th. We're going to need help transporting, sorting, and stocking these donations, so please let us know if you or your group would be interested in helping us that day. Thanks.

 

So we put out an email to the Club to see if anyone wanted to volunteer some time and help out. 



 

 

We heard from Lion Allen who thought this would be a great project for his Boy Scout Troop 247.  They would join Lion Mike N.

 

 And we agree.  Those boys rocked!

 

They worked for 2 hours today sorting through canned goods and other food items.

 

All in all, we sorted and handled 2,231 pounds of donated food that will help feed our community. But equally important, we had a great time and met some really nice people, Darren and Judy from SE Alaska Food Bank.  Who knows, maybe we've started a new partnership....