December
22, 2009 - More than 2500 meals served in 2009!
We're
very pleased to announce that in our very first year of producing
the Danville Foodstock Sunday Dinner Series we served more
than 2,500 meals to Danville area residents in need. When
you consider that we served just 27 meals at our first dinner,
we've come a very long way in a single year.
Thanks
very much to the many volunteers, sponsoring businesses and
individual donors who have helped us serve those in need.
Without your support, we couldn't have done it!
Our
goal in 2010 is to serve 5,000 meals. In order to accomplish
that, however, we need to reach out to more people and increase
donations. Remember, every penny and every pea goes to those
in need. No one involved in Danville Foodstock makes a dime!
December
10, 2009 - Site updated
Today
we updated the web site, mostly a cosmetic thing.One new feature
is that all pop-up videos now astart automatically. We've
also added several new pictures. For instance, you can see
many of our volunteers on
this page.
November
23 - Announcing the Danville Foodstock monthly e-letter
In
case you didn't notice, you can now sign up for our monthly
newsletter. It's free, and we promise not to SPAM you or give
your info to anyone else. Sign up to receive a monthly dose
of Danville Foodstock news and information. The sign up form
is near the top left of every page.
November
22 - November dinner serves 350 meals!
Wow!
We just got back from dinner #11. Sure, we're beat, but we're
also thrilled that we served 350 dinners - up 40% from last
month. Thankfully, we had a large group of new volunteers
from Girl Scout Troop 2200 to help serve.
Huge
thanks to MSI food distributors for donating a truck full
of peach pies for dessert! Thanks also to Commercial-News
for sending a photgrapher to cover the event.
September
15, 2009 - Still recovering, new video
Wow.
What a day! Many thanks to all who attended and helped us
serve food - and hope - to those in need! We're still recovering
from the past week's activity, and totalling up the proceeds.
We will report within the next few days.
Meanwhile,
we uploaded a new video today. This one is a Community Spotlight
feature from Doug Quick of WICD-TV.
Watch
the Video
More
Foodstock Videos
September
11, 2009 - Last minute details
Here
we are, the final day before the festival, and we're almost
ready. We've spent the last two days picking up the last of
the prizes for the gift basket raffle and continuing our media
blitz - interviews with local papers and radio, photo shoots,
etc.
We're
all getting very excited, and are very much looking forward
to the concert. If you're in the Danville area, we hope you
will join us as we serve those in our community with the greatest
need. Even if you can't stay, use our Drive-by Donation drop-off
point, which will be on English St. near the band shell. If
you cannot attend in person, you can use the Donation button
on every page of this site. Remember, every penny and every
pea goes to those in need. No one affiliated with Danville
Foodstock makes a dime - we do it because we care.
Thanks
to all who have helped us fulfill our mission, and we look
forward to seeing you at Lincoln Park tomorrow!
September
5, 2009 - New video and festival updates
This
morning we uploaded a new video to introduce Carlo of El Toro
Resaturante Mexicano, this year's senior festival sponsor.
We also updated the entertainment schedule on the Foodstock
'09 page. Watch
the video here.
We'd
also like to call attention to this year's headliner - the
Rick Plester Trio. Rick has recorded, produced, and performed
with many Rock legends, including Scorpions, Michael Schenker
and George Lynch, to name a few. He is making a detour on
his way home to Los Angeles from Canada for this Very Special
Appearance. Joining Rick will be Foodstock founder Lane Baldwin,
and Danny Berton, who is making the trip from Ohio to participate.
While
both Rick and Danny are traveling, with the associated expense
of travel and accomodations, neither of them are getting paid
a dime! They are paying their expenses out of their own pockets!
September
3, 2009 - New videos of WITY interview
Today
we uploaded two new videos, Parts 1 and 2 of a live radio
interview of Lane, conducted by Laura Jacobson of WITY, 980AM.
We had to cut into two parts so we could fit within YouTube's
10 min. maximum length, as Laura was extremely generous, letting
the segment run for almost twleve minutes! That's close to
a year in radio time!!
Watch
the interview
Preparations
continue for the Fall Festival. We've been handing out flyers
and posters all over town, and we're still gathering sponsors
for the Gift Basket Raffle. Check back soon for more updates.
September
1, 2009 - The Final Countdown begins
Boy,
we sure have been busy! This past week has just been a whirlwind
of activity as prepare for the Foodstock
Fall Festival. So far, we've gathered more than forty
sponsors for the Gift Basket Raffle! We're talking better
than FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS IN PRIZES!! And we're still
making calls.
We've
picked up the posters, and 1,000 hand-outs, which will be
distributed by our sponsors. We'll be spreading them around
town over the next several days. And we'll be back soon with
another report.
August
25, 2009 - More festival sponsors
We
just uploaded an update to the sponsor list for the Fall Festival,
adding ten more names. Even better, many of them have donated
multiple prize packages! We certainly appreciate the support
the area's business community is showing, and hope you'll
come out and enjoy the raffles.
View
the sponsor list here.
August
17, 2009 - New video, theme song update
Today
we uploaded a video to introduce you to Larry Weatherford
and Greg Green of Kiss Country and KOOL Oldies radio. Larry
and Greg support us in a number of ways, including making
sure we have Public Service Announcements for ever dinner.
UPDATE:
The recording of Another Man's Blues continues. Last Thursday,
Alan Wait and Chris Taylor recorded the rhythm guitar tracks.
Then Chris did his lead guitar tracks. This week Alan will
record his lead guitar tracks and Lane will record the final
vocals.
August
12, 2009 - El Toro to sponsor Fall Festival
We're
very excited to announce that Monty just secured sponsorship
for our upcoming Fall Festival!
El Toro Restaurante Mexicano is helping us underwrite all
production expenses for the event - and we can't express our
gratitude enough. Monty and Carlos have known each other for
years, and have worked on charity projects several times in
the past. Carlos is a strong believer in supporting the community
that supports him, and believes strongly in our mission. So,
thank you, sir... and Muchos Gracias as well!
By
the way, El Toro has a wide array of great mexican food that
Monty will tell you is the best in town. He also says they
make an excellent margarita! (smile) Our Danville location
also features a fantastic Mariachi band! Call for their entertainment
schedule.
Visit
El Toro's web site
More
on the Foodstock Fall Festival
July 13, 2009 - Theme song now in production
This
past week, founder Lane Baldwin began production of Another
Man's Blues, which will be our new theme song. Tom Foutch,
owner of Morningwood Studios, is engineering and coproducing,
and has donated his services to our efforts.
On
Thursday, Lane recorded the bass part, and original Deeper
Blues drummer Aaron Bouslog played drums. "Aaron is one
of the hottest young drummers on the scene today," said
Lane. "It was wonderful to work with him again."
Guitar
tracks on the song will be performed by Alan Wait and Chris
Taylor. Both men are very highly regarded in the Danville
music community, and have been performing with Lane in the
Danville area. "Chris and Alan are both wonderful to
work with," Lane said. "They're great players, and
very professional. I couldn't ask for more."
Another
Man's Blues,
which was written by Lane several years ago, tells the story
of how one man ended up homeless. "I wanted to point
out that we're all the same inside," Lane said, "that
any of us could end up on the streets."
Lane
hopes to release the song as a down-load single before Foodstock
'09. All proceeds from sale of the download will go to Danville
Foodstock. "This one is for the cause. No one will make
anything from this song," Lane promised.
If
you didn't watch the Behind the Scenes video on this project,
watch it now.
July
2, 2009 - Yet another new sponsor!
Yesterday,
we welcomed Central Illinois Natural Health Clinic as a new
sponsor for our dinner series. Dr. Peters and his team will
make a monthly contribution to our efforts. Glenda has been
seeing the doctor as her primary care specialist for several
years, and I started with him recently. When he heard about
our work, he immediately joined in to help. Thank you, Dr.
Peters, and welcome!
Tomorrow
is the Celebration of Community, sponsored by Old National
Bank, Family Dollar, Auto Zone, Monical's Pizza and Gross'
Burgers. We'll be accepting food and monetary donations in
support of the Danville Area Food Bank. Foodstock founder
Lane Baldwin will be on-hand from at least 11 a.m. till 1
p.m., meeting people, playing some Blues, and helping serve
FREE hot dogs! More info here...
June
26, 2009 - Another new sponsor!
This
morning we welcomed Sugar Cookies by Sarah as our newest sponsor.
Sarah specializes in custom sugar cookies, cookie bouquets,
cupcake arrangements and hand-made candies. Now, she will
donate 25% of her profits from Farmer's Market sales to Danville
Foodstock.
We
strongly support farmer's markets and those who sell their
produce and other goods through them. We also very much appreciate
that Sugar Cookies by Sarah joining the Danville Foodstock
family!
June
25, 2009 - Another new sponsor for our dinner series
It
just keeps getting better! We just learned minutes ago that
our local Butternut Breads outlet will sponsor our Sunday
Dinner series. This month, they are donating over 300 hot
dog buns to the dinner. We very much appreciate all of our
sponsors, and are pleased to welcome Butternut Breads into
the Danville Foodstock family!
June
25, 2009 - New event and update on new sponsors
We
have so much good news to report today, and we couldn't be
more pleased! First, we're very excited to announce another
event in support of the Danville Area Food Pantry - A Celebration
of Community - to be held Friday, July 3, in Tilton. Sponsoring
businesses include the Tilton branch of Old National Bank,
Family Dollar, Auto Zone, Monical's Pizza, Casey's General
Store, Green Jade and Gross' Brugers. For more information
visit the Celebration of Community
page.
Yesterday
was a "two-fer", as we received our new T-shirts
from Apparel Unlimited. All proceeds from sales will support
our Sunday Dinner Series. Check back soon to order your T-shirt,
or get one at any Danville Foodstock event. Later, Monty and
Lane attended the Danville Dans baseball game as guests of
Old National Bank. We were there to accept a donation as part
of Old National's 175th anniversary celebration. We are thrilled
that the bank chose us as the recipient of their donation
to the community.
We
uploaded two new videos today - one on Apparel Unlimited,
and the other covering the baseball game. Watch both videos
on Foodstock TV.
June
22, 2009 - Apparel Unlimited to print T-shirts, and an update
on June 12 entry
Please
join us as we welcome Apparel Unlimited as our newest sponsor.
The Danville company is now the official manufacturer of Danville
Foodstock T-shirts, the proceeds from which will help fund
our free dinner series. We'll offer more information as soon
as possible.
To
update our June 12 entry, we will receive Old National Bank's
donation on Wednesday, June 24, during the Danville Dans baseball
game. We have also confirmed our participation in a Celebration
of Community, sponsored in part by the Tilton branch of Old
National Bank. The celebration will take place July 3, and
will feature a food drive in support of the Danville Area
Food Pantry. By the end of the week, we'll have more information
on the day's activities.
Many
thanks to Apparel Unlimited and Old National Bank for their
outstanding support of our efforts! We appreciate their commitment
to the community.
June
12, 2009 - Old National Bank is our newest sponsor, press
reports added
We're
extremely excited to welcome the Tilton, IL, branch of Old
National Bank as the newest sponsor of our Sunday Dinner series.
On June 24th, founder Lane Baldwin will receive a check from
A.V.P. Branch Manager Lisa Burke, with Mayor David Phillips
in attendance. In addition, we are finalizing details for
a food drive in cooperation with the bank, tentatively scheduled
for early July. We'll post details as soon as possible.
In
other news, we also uploaded the latest press releases and
subsequent newspaper reports. You can read the releases and
articles on our Promotions page.
June
10, 2009 -More Videos from Foodstock Days at Springfest '09
We
uploaded five new videos from Foodstock Days at Springfest
'09, including music videos from Tons o' Fun, Lane Baldwin
& Deeper Blues, Big Creek Guitar Band, and Doc Ashton
& the Root Canals. The fifth clip is of founder Lane Baldwin
giving the audience a short overview of the Foodstock programs.
Watch
the Videos
June
9, 2009 - New Videos from Foodstock Days at Springfest '09
We
just uploaded several new videos taped over the weekend at
Foodstock Days at Springfest '09, including an overview of
the weekend and several music videos.
Watch
the Videos
June
4, 2009 - Andy Takes a Pie for the Team
All
week long, Lane and Monty have been visiting Tom B's Big Show
on D-102. Today, Sports Director Andy Harby took a pie to
the face in support of Springfest and Foodstock Days.
Watch
the Video
May
29, 2009 - Yet Another Video, Update on Sister Chapter
We
just uploaded Bret Buganski's second report on Foodstock for
WICD-15, the Champaign, IL, ABC affiliate. This report added
significantly to what was reported in their first one. To
view, go to the Foodstock TV page.
In
other news, Lane had a nice long talk with Polo Jones, who
is putting together a Foodstock chapter in the East Bay Area,
which includes everything from San Jose to Oakland, CA. The
details are coming together and it looks as if their first
concert will take later this summer. If all goes as planned,
Foodstock Charities founder Lane Baldwin will be on hand for
their inaugural event. For more information, visit the Foodstock
Charities web site.
May
27, 2009 - Another New Video - Pictures From Dinner #5
We
just uploaded the WAND-TV report on our fifth dinner. This
brings our video library up to a total of ten videos. We also
uploaded pictures from the fifth dinner.
To
view the video, go to the Foodstock TV
page.
To
view the pictures, visit the Sunday
Dinner Pictures page.
May
26. 2009 - Fifth Dinner a Hit, New Video, New Sponsor
This
past weekend, we held the fifth dinner in our Free
Sunday Dinner Series.
We
served 245 meals, including over 50 meals delivered to seniors
and handicapped who could not attend. We also had several
new volunteers, so Monty had plenty of help in the kitchen,
and we had enough people on our team to serve to the tables,
making the experience more like a restaurant outing.
During
the event, Lane shot some footage for this short behind-the-scenes
video. In addition, we will soon add news reports from
WAND and WICD, both of which showed up to tell our story.
Finally,
we are thrilled to welcome Wright's Heating and Air as our
newest sponsor. As we didn't need HVAC service, they were
kind enough to offer a donation to help pay for the dinner
series. As we said in our last update, we are very fortunate
to receive such outstanding support from the business community.
We hope you will show your appreciation of their efforts.
May
21, 2009 - New Articles, New Sponsor
Today
we posted two new articles on our efforts. The Independent
News continues to make the community aware of our monthly
dinners. In addition, we're just thrilled that the News-Gazette
felt our work was worth a front page feature! As always, we
deeply appreciate local media's efforts to make the community
aware of our organization.
We
are also very pleased to announce a new sponsor for the monthly
free dinner series: Vermilion Valley Produce. Beginning this
month, they will provide produce for our salads. This means
that we will be able to offer a salad at every meal with no
extra cost!
We
are very fortunate to receive such outstanding support from
the community, especially the businesses in the Danville area.
We hope you will show them your appreciation.
May
18, 2009 - New Video Added
In
Video #8, Lane and Monty show off the new road signs for our
Sunday Dinner series. Many thanks to Earl Gaudio & Son,
Kirchner Building Centers and Big R Stores for their assistance!
To view, go to the Foodstock TV page.
May
13, 2009 - New Sponsors
We
are extremely pleased to announce three new local sponsors,
all of which signed on today. Krichner Building Centers and
Big R have both committed to assisting with supplies and harware.
Thanks to them, we have the wood, stakes and sundries to mount
the road signs Earl Gaudio & Son created for us. In addition,
Great Scott! Services, Ltd., has committed to providing paper
goods and other supplies for our dinner series.
May
9, 2009 - New Video Added
In
Video #7, Lane shows how to dress up basic Ramen noodels to
make a tasty, nutritious and inexpensive meal. To view, go
to the Foodstock TV page.
May
4, 2009 - New Video Added
We
added another video, bringing our total to six. In this one,
Lane takes you on a tour of Glenda and Lane's salsa garden.
To view, go to the Foodstock TV page.
April
30, 2009 - A New Program to Build
Hi,
y'all. Lane here to tell you about a phone call I just had.
Kathy Schuren of Illini Radio Group got a tip from Monty (Schroeder,
Director of Operations) about our efforts. Last night as she
investigated the web site, she had a Light Bulb Moment: Create
an Adopt A Child program to help provide breakfast for children
in need. What an outstanding idea!!
Obviously,
I have no details at the moment. But Kathy will be meeting
with Monty and I in the near future to begin planning. Kathy
also told me that she wants to be our first sponsor for the
program, which tells me we're going to get through the planning
very quickly.
Wow...
I'm pretty flabbergasted. Shocked, amazed and surprised. I'm
also extremely grateful. So, THANK YOU, Kathy. I look forward
to meeting you face-to-face soon! ~~ Lane
April
30, 2009 - New Video Added
While
we're waiting for the "official" copies of news
reports by WCIA3, we're offering a dub of the 5:30 report
we got off the web. To view, go to the Foodstock
TV page.
April
29, 2009 - New Site Logo, New Press Report Added
We
just uploaded another press report on the DHS Interclass Food
Drive, this one from the Independent News. You can read all
articles on the Promotions-Media page.
We
also revamped our main logo for the web site. Now the logo
exactly matches what you'll see on our road signs. And speaking
of road signs, please welcome brand new Corporate Sponsor,
Earl Guadio & Son beverage distributors. We are just tickled
to no end that they will be producing banners and road signs
for our events. As soon as possible, we'll do a short video
on the signs/banners.
April
28, 2009 - Video page added, new videos
Today
we added Foodstock TV to our web site. So we now have one
page on which you can view all of our videos. We also added
two new videos to the web site, bringing our total to four.
Don't worry, though, we'll be adding many more in a short
time. Keep checking back every few days for new content.
April
24, 2009 - New Press Reports Added
Today
we uploaded several recent press reports on our our activities,
as well as the April 21 release on the DHS food drive. Visit
the Promotions - Media page to view.
April
23, 2009 - New Video Added
Lane
picked up the collection barrels from the Danville Area Food
Pantry, for use during the Danville High School Interclass
Food Drive, then delivered them to DHS. Along the way, he
shot some behind the scenes footage. Watch
the video.
April
- 20, 2009 - Fourth Dinner a Success - Web Updates
We're
still recuperating, but we wanted to take a moment to fill
you in on a few things. First, yesterday's dinner was a wonderfull
success! This time around, we served 171 meals, with almost
half delivered to seniors and handicapped. We were also very
fortunate to host Erin Maloney from WCIA-3 TV. We were featured
on the 5:30 and 10:00 news shows, with a different report
on each.
The
new building is outstanding! Tons of space, and the kitchen
is a dream according to Monty. Two ovens makes it easier to
prepare meals. And ten burners up top mean there's always
a spot for another pot.
Today
we uploaded some new pictures, and a new map to the site.
Check out the Meet Our Team and View
the (Dinner) Pictures pages. Now you can put a face to
many of the names you read on our site. Obviously, we'll be
posting more pictures in the future.
April
18, 2009 - Permits Received - WCIA TV 3 to Cover Tomorrow's
Dinner
Yesterday,
Monty picked up our Food
Service Permit from the Vermilion County Board of Health.
The board sent an inspector for a quick look-see at our new
location. We weren't too worried, however, for several reasons.
First, the building is very new and in excellent shape. Second,
it has a full commercial kitchen. Third, to use Monty's phrase,
this ain't his first rodeo. (smile) Monty is well-known to
the staff at the Board of Health. In fact, a recent staff
poll named Monty's as the Cleanest Kitchens in the County!
Even so, we're pleased it went so well, and relieved that
we can scratch that item of the To-Do List.
Tomorrow,
we will host a reporter from Channel 3, WCIA TV. The reporter
plans to interview Foodstock Staff for a report on charitable
work in support of those who have been affected by the current
economic downturn. Don't worry, though... you won't have to
worry about being caught on camera!
April
16, 2009 - Site Update
Today
we uploaded a mild redesign of the web site. In addition,
we have added new pages and rearranged our navigation to help
make it easier to find relevant information.
April
4, 2009 - New Video Report Added
Many
thanks to WICD-15, our local ABC affiliate; first, for covering
our third dinner (March 22, 2009) and second, for allowing
us to use the video for promotional purposes. We just finished
uploading the video to You Tube so that you can view it here.
Watch
the WICD-15 Report on the Foodstock Dinner Series.
April
3, 2009 - New Location, New Head Chef
We're
very excited to announce two wonderful developments: a new
location for our dinners, and a new Head Chef to cook them!
Today
we confirmed our entire schedule of dinners with the Village
of Tilton. We have been using one of their buildings for the
last three dinners. However, nearby construction has made
it increasingly difficult to access the building. That's no
longer a problem, as Tilton is now offering the use of a much
larger and better equipped building at the Tilton Ball Park
complex. Located at 501 N. Mayfield, this building is large
enough to seat over two hundred people at once! Many thanks
to Tilton, and its Mayor, David Phillips for their strong
support!
Last
month, we were saved from tragedy at the last minute by Monty
Shcroeder. When our previous chef was not able to attend last
month's dinner, Monty stepped in with only one day's notice!
Now, Monty has agreed to join our efforts on a permanent basis.
In addition to his duties as Head Chef and Director of Kitchen
and Food Services, Monty will serve on our board as Secretary.
We're
very excited to have Monty working with us for several reasons.
First, he's a great cook and has many years of catering experience.
We know he'll do an excellent job of managing kitchen and
food service operations. Second, Monty is a life-long volunteer.
When Monty isn't working his "real job", chances
are you'll find him giving time to one of his organizations.
Because of his long years of service, Monty knows just about
everyone in the area, and has already begun to spark interest
in many areas we had yet to tap.
March
31, 2009 - Danville High School Food Drive Competition
Danville
Foodstock is proud to announce the DHS Interclass Food Drive
Competition. Sponsored by the DHS Library Club, the competition
will raise food and money for the Danville Area Food Pantry.
For the week of Monday, April 27, through Friday May 1, each
class - Freshman through Senior - will bring in donations.
Each child in the class that raises the most will receive
a certificate personalized with their name. The Library Club
will also raffle numerous prizes for members of the winning
class.
Officers
of the Danville Area Food Pantry will audit the donations
to ensure accuracy. The DHS Library Club will work with faculty
sponsor Kurt Willer to oversee collection of the donations.
"We're
very pleased to work with our local students," said Foodstock
founder Lane Baldwin. "We hope to encourage our youth
to be active volunteers in their community, so that they know
first-hand the sense of fulfillment derived from serving others."
March
27, 2009 - Foodstock Partners with Spring Fest
We're
extremely excited to announce that Spring Fest is partnering
with Danville Foodstock to mount another drive in support
of the Danville Area Food Pantry. Spring Fest will be held
June 3-7, 2009, at Danville Area Community College. Saturday,
the 6th, has been designated Foodstock Day. We will be accepting
food and monetary donations all day long. As always, every
penny and every pea goes directly to the pantry, with nothing
deducted for expenses.
As
an added bonus, our founder, Lane Baldwin will bring his brand
of Deeper Blues to the show. Time slot is not yet determined.
Check back for more information as the date approaches.
March
22, 2009 - Third Dinner Better Than Ever!
Well,
we're barely done washing the dishes, but we wanted to take
a minute before we put our aprons away and our feet up to
tell you how things went. In a word - WONDERFUL! First
off, we fed 127 people, including almost 60 seniors and handicapped
who could not attend in person. Many thanks to Mr. Bill for
helping out with deliveries. And HUGE thanks to Monty Schroeder
for stepping in at the last minute to oversee the kitchen!!
We couldn't have done it without you, Monty.
I'd
like to ask everyone to say a prayer for Bob Stevens, who
normally oversees our kitchen. Bob was hospitalized the day
before the dinner, and we're all sending our best thoughts
and prayers for a speedy recovery. Hang in brother!
Many
thanks also to WCID, channel 15, our local ABC affiliate station
(Chamapign, IL), for sending Bret Bugonski to report on our
efforts. As of this posting, we haven't seen the news yet
(5:30 and 10:00), but we know Bret will do us proud.
Finally,
our ongoing thanks to County Market Stores for their incredible
support. Also to the Circle of Gratitude and Love Learning
Center, for sponsoring every dinner.
We'll
be back as soon as possible with more news. Until then, remember,
we're serving food - and hope - to those in need. We
invite you to join us.
February
18, 2009 - WDWS Interview Added to Site
We
just received a copy of the interview Lane Baldwin gave to
WDWS NewsTalk1400, and have posted it on the site here.
Many thanks to Gary O'Brien for fitting into a hectic programming
schedule!
February
16, 2009 - Second Dinner a Success!
Yesterday,
Foodstock Charities (a project of the Life with Spirit Foundation)
held its second monthly Sunday dinner.I'm very pleased to
report that it went very well, and that we served almost twice
as many dinners as we did the first time. Including meals
delivered to seniors and handicapped that could not attend
in person, we served fifty-one meals, up from twenty-seven
for the first dinner. So our total stands at seventy-eight
meals served.
Now,
that might not seem like a lot until you consider the situation.
First, most of our funding still comes from our own pocket.
Thankfully, this is changing. (More in a moment.) Second,
we have been careful to slowly ramp up the program. Again,
this is, in many ways, still a private program run by three
individuals. We have been careful in our advertising so that
we were not overwhelmed by more mouths than we could feed.
The
good news is that the community is beginning to take an interest
in our work. We received numerous donations yesterday, which
will help fund future dinners. In addition, one dedicated
long-term Tilton resident has contacted us with the interest
of providing significant funding for March's dinner! That's
right - an anonymous donor has offered to assist with funding
for next month's spaghetti dinner. Thanks to this wonderful
news, we will not be limited by the amount of funds that Glenda
and I can offer.
Before
closing, I'd like to offer our sincere thanks to those who
assisted:
Kiss
Country, KOOL-FM and WDWS radio stations for conducting interviews
in advance of the dinner to help spread the word. We greatly
appreciate our media partners that kindly offer their support.
Duane
for planting (and then removing) the signs that got folks
to the Tilton Lions Club building.
Arlene
for the milk run! (smile)
The
community of the Circle of Gratitude and Love Learning Center.
After their noon service, the entire group came to show support,
offer donations, and generally have a wonderful time!
We
all ended the day feeling very positive about the Foodstock
Sunday Dinner Series. We made new friends and gathered new
supporters. We strengthened bonds among various segments of
our community. And most important of all, we fed more than
fifty people in need.
Next
month, we again hope to double the number of meals we serve.
The March dinner is scheduled for Sunday, the 22nd. Again,
meal time will be from noon till 3 p.m. We will also continue
to offer delivery (or carryout) for seniors and handicapped
individuals who are unable to attend in person.
We
are all taught to live a life of service to others. In so
doing, we are told, we find our greatest fulfillment. I can
tell you from personal experience, that knowing you've done
something to ease the suffering of others, to reach out with
a hand of compassion and friendship is to truly live a life
with Spirit!
February
13, 2009 - Second Dinner Tomorrow
Tomorrow
is our second dinner, and we're all ready to go. Bob and Lane
did the County Market run this morning, picking up all the
food needed to prepare the meal. Also, today the Commercial
News ran a story (based heavily on our press release)
announcing Sunday's event. We hope it will help make the community
aware of our efforts, and encourage more people to attend,
or to call requesting delivery. Our goal is to feed one hundred
people tomorrow. We'll see how close we come.
We
owe a HUGE debt of thanks to County Market Stores, and especially
to Matt Smith, manager of the Village Mall location (North
Danville). Matt has supported our efforts since the very beginning.
Thanks to his commitment, County Market assists us with every
dinner we provide.
In
other news... Who says Friday the 13th has to be bad? We just
got a call today from someone who wants to help underwrite
next month's dinner! Woo-Hoo! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
Many
thanks are due our media partners, especially Larry Weatherford
and his stations Kiss Country and KOOL-FM. Greg Green did
an interview with Lane earlier in the week and both stations
have been running it in "heavy rotation." We also
welcome WDWS (NewsTalk 1400) and thank them for attempting
an interview with Lane on Wednesday. Unfortunately, Lane was
driving home from Chicago - through the thunderstorms - and
was cut off. They were quick to cover, however, reading from
the press release so that listeners still got all the info.
Even better, they're calling back this afternoon to re-do
the interview!
If
you're in the area tomorrow, please feel free to stop in to
say hi and have some meatloaf. For further info, including
directions and a map, visit the About
the Dinners page.
January
8, 2009 - Next Sunday Dinner Scheduled, Now Includes Delivery
After
meeting with the Tilton Lion's Club this week, we have scheduled
our second Sunday dinner for February 15, 2009, from noon
till 3pm. The menu will include Meatloaf, with two gravies
and all the fixin's. Learn more on the About
the Dinners page.
We've
changed to the third Sunday of the month, as we have been
made aware that for those on assistance, this could be a time
of greater need than the first part of the month (immediately
after receiving their monthly allotment). We're also starting
(and ending) earlier so church-goers can come directly from
services.
One
exciting new addition to the program is the delivery of meals
to seniors and the handicapped. We realize that we have many
in need who are unable to attend due to transportatoin and/or
health issues. And we want to serve these people, too! Our
Volunteer Coordinator, Glenda Ford-Baldwin, is overseeing
the delivery operation, which will take place during the dinner
hours. Delivery is subject to avilability! How
many meals we can deliver will depend directly on how many
people volunteer to take them. If you would like to help out,
send us an email.
January
5, 2009 - Inaugural Sunday Dinner a Success
Well,
we did it! The first Sunday dinner came off without a hitch.
We served 27 meals, which met expactations, and everyone loved
the menu! Many thanks to the Commercial News for sending a
reporter and photographer to cover the event. You can read
the article here, view the print version here. However, we
do want to clarify one thing - the subheadline in the print
version states: Concert proceeds mean meals. This is
incorrect. Funding for the Sunday Dinner series comes from
Lane Baldwin and his wife Glenda Ford-Baldwin, and through
the efforts of our primary local sponsor, County Market Stores.
Moving forward, we are accepting donations to help expand
the project. In fact, we've already received several donations
over the last few days. We hope to serve at least one hundred
meals in February, increasing our capacity with each succesive
month.
January
2, 2009 - A New Year and a New Project
Greetings
and welcome to the New Year! We hope you had an excellent
holiday season and are off and running for a spectacular new
year. The entire Foodstock team is very excited about our
latest project - The Foodstock Sunday Dinner Series. Our first
diner is THIS SUNDAY, from 3-6 p.m., at the Tilton
Lions Club house. Read more about it here.
To
all who helped us last year - Thank you so much!!!
We appreciate everything you've done to help us help those
in need. We look forward to a very productive 2009, and hope
you will continue to support our efforts.
December
30, 2008 - A Note from Chuck Brooks
What
an absolutely wonderful way to end the year! Chuck Brooks
oversees the Danville Area Food Pantry, and was instrumental
in helping us coordinate our efforts on its behalf. Today,
we received a very thoughtful email from him and we'd like
to share it with. And, on behalf of the entire Foodstock team,
thank you, Chuck for all your work for those in need!
