Make a Difference Day

COMMUNITY FOOD NETWORK VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY!

For more than two decades, USA WEEKEND and Points of Light have joined together to sponsor Make A Difference  Day, the largest national day of community service. Points of Light leads thousands of projects each year from coast to coast involving corporations, communities, nonprofit organizations, entire states and individuals.

Make A Difference Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Saturday in October and connects people with opportunities to serve, increases the strength of communities and promotes civic engagement.

The nationwide undertaking includes revitalizing community centers, rehabilitating parks, improving low-income homes, creating community art projects, mentoring, serving meals, developing community gardens and much more.

Here in Montcalm & Ionia Counties we will celebrate Make A Difference Day by hosting the Community Food Network's Harvest Celebration recognizing all the wonderful volunteers who work in community gardens, food pantries, soup kitchens, and conduct food drives and healthy eating educational classes in our community.

The Challenge:  Across the Feeding America network of over 63,000 agencies, 66 percent of pantries, 41 percent of kitchen programs, and 11 percent of shelter programs have no paid staff, relying entirely on volunteers. 

The Need:   One hundred percent of food banks responding to a Feeding America survey reported increases in demand for emergency food assistance over the last year.  Demand for emergency food assistance increased at a rate ranging from 28.6% - 37.7%

Seventy-two percent of food banks do not feel as though they are able to adequately meet the needs of their communities without adjusting the amount of food distributed. Community Gardens help to fill the need by growing food locally, teaching community members how to grow their own food, and encourage local farms to give excess produce to local pantries.  By coming together to address the problems we all face, we are building a stronger, more vibrant community.

For more information regarding Make A Difference Day events, please visit  Get CONNECTED!  or the Community Food Network Blog.

Mini-Drive Workshop

The Community Food Network is proud to be the coordinating agency on the 5 Annual County-Wide Food Drive, originally begun by WION Radio! Donations will be collected throughout Ionia County to support not for profit organizations helping families in Ionia County.

There will be a Mini-Drive Kick-Off on October 21st at the Ionia Co Intermediate School District Admin Building from 4-7pm.

Mini-Drive hosts are encouraged to stop in to pick up supplies, pick up marketing materials, and chat with the Food Drive Committee. Organizations and businesses are encouraged to host a mini-drive at their location with all donations coming together at the Ionia Intermediate School District on November 22nd where they will be sorted by volunteers.  Mini-drives can take place any time between Make A Difference Day on October 26th to National Family Volunteer Day on November 22nd.

Mini-Drives Must Include:

• Placing a Collections Container at your business. 
• Displaying Community Food Network print materials. 
• Drop off your collected donations at the Ionia ISD on Friday, November 22nd.

Volunteers Needed

To help set up stations at the Mini-Drive Workshop!  Organizations hosting mini-drives will need help at each station completing tasks.  One of the biggest stations will be the supply station where Organizations can pick up collection boxes, marketing materials and additional supplies.

We will need a wide variety of collection boxes!  If you have any to donate, please drop them off at the Ionia ISD on October 21st after 3pm!

Community Food Network Harvest Celebration

As the Community Food Network celebrates 5 years of community involvement, we want say THANK YOU to each and every one of our volunteers!  Please join us for the Harvest Celebration and mingle with other VOLUNTEERS who are having an impact in our community!

5 PM - VOLUNTEER POTLUCK!  

Bring your favorite Harvest Recipe as a dish to share! You can also bring a recipe card for our special Harvest Section that will be included in the 2014 Cookbook!

6 PM - HARVEST WORKSHOPS!

7 PM - VOLUNTEER AWARDS!