Even the Occupy movement would have to agree that not all banks are evil. The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County gathered some of its current and former board members, together with top contributors, at the Santa Barbara Club last week, in honor of its 30th anniversary.
Part of the event was spent looking back at the organization’s history and, according to Diane Durst, the stewardship and planned giving manager, it was also a moment to consider how they would shape their future.
During the event fine wine and hor d’oeuvres were provided as Foodbank CEO Eric Talkin gave a speech and a slide show presentation that overviewed their accomplishments and highlighted the organization’s history and evolution.
Durst said the Foodbank has changed so much that many past board members would be “amazed at the progress” it has made since.
That “progress,” according to Durst, is a new focus aimed toward nutrition.
“We used to be an organization of dry food and packaged goods, but last year we distributed 11 million pounds of food—over half of it was fresh produce,” she said over the phone. “We get a million pounds of it from local farmers.”
Food banks usually operate as a warehouse of food, however the Foodbank is working toward changing that concept. Durst said that the Foodbank has created an education program aimed at teaching people how to grow their own food.
“It’s like the theory where you don’t just give a man a fish, you teach the man how to fish … we want to teach people how to grow their own food in whatever level they can. Teach people that they can take an active role on their own health,” she said.
The organization is also concerned about the high rates of childhood obesity and is taking measures to counter unhealthy eating habits.
“Thirty years ago you’ll hear the old board members talking about disturbing cheese and canned goods. Now that has changed so radically … we no longer have [as much] candy on our shelves,” Durst said.
The Foodbank is reaching out to kids by arranging free farmers markets at after-school programs such as The Boys and Girls Club. Kids are able to “purchase” (the food provided is actually free) fresh produce and learn recipes to prepare the food with.
Despite their newfound focus, the Foodbank’s ultimate goal still remains the same.
“Our goal is to have no one hungry in our community. We want a hungry free community,” Durst said.
Intern Jason Banania wrote this week’s Community Corner. Send information to the Sun via mail, email, or fax.
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 5, 2012.