You could say marriage is made from the creamy deliciousness of an A&W Root Beer float. Well, Donna & Ken Dorn can say that anyway because that’s where they met 51 years ago – at an A&W Root Beer stand!

According to Ken, “She knew instantly,” when asked how long it took before they knew they were right for each other. While Donna filled their kitchen with laughter at Ken’s comment, Ken whispered, “me too.”

Well, something must have been right, because just a year later they were married and getting settled into their new roles as husband, wife, and farm owners. Just “nine months and nine days” later (Ken emphasizes the “and nine days” with a knowing smirk, a waving finger, and a twinkle in his eye), Donna and Ken welcomed a new addition to the Dorn household. Over the next three years they would add two more little ones to the family.

But things weren’t all ice cream and root beer for Donna and Ken. Ken will tell you, “there were good times and bad times. A lot of good times, but there were a few bad times.” Bad times like Donna losing two pregnancies and being told that she shouldn’t have any more kids. Bad times like their barn, with almost 50 head of cattle in it burning down in 1981.

Since 1981, Donna and Ken have had a series of job and home changes. Despite both of them working, there never seemed to be enough to build a comfortable nest egg for their retirement. Five years ago, after turning 65, Donna decided to retire from working at the local bank. Just a few months later Ken’s company was sold to a company based in Iowa. When the owners decided to move the company, Ken decided to retire.

Today Donna and Ken’s only income is social security. But that only goes so far. “By the time you pay your bills there isn’t a whole

lot left in a month,” said Donna. One night, about a year ago, when playing cards with friends, they heard about our mobile pantry at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Marshall. So they decided to give it a try.

“Uneasy,” that’s how Ken described that first time at the mobile pantry. “You don’t know who’s there, and when you do, you don’t know if they’re gonna start talking about you because you’re there. Should I really be here, or shouldn’t I? There are other people who are worse off.” Donna added, “You wonder, what do they think? Why are you there? You’ve got this in the back of your mind.”

Now a year after that first time at the monthly mobile pantry, Donna and Ken estimate that they receive about half of their total food for the month from the mobile food assistance program. According to Donna, “It helps us tremendously. We don’t have to worry about not eating. We’ve got plenty of food.”

UNEASY

Donna and Ken are incredibly grateful to Second Harvest and our generous donors. “It makes things a lot easier, we have a little more money that we don’t have to spend on food that you can be a little more relaxed.”

Earlier this spring I read an article in the Washington Post that shared the difficult process some schools go through when they are considering whether or not to close due to weather. It’s not just, “are the roads safe,” or, “how cold is it,” they know that closing the school will mean many students won’t get a meal that day.

That article made me think about how hard it must be for families facing hunger when school isn’t in session. At a time of year when many school-aged kids are looking forward to a summer of being able to sleep in, hang out with friends, take family vacations or participate in summer camps, many others are thinking about where their next meal will come from. It’s no wonder our partner programs and agencies see a rise in the number of people they serve during the summer months!

How can you help?

• Spread the Word — There are summer feeding programs available! Unfortunately, only 1 in 6 children that receive help during the school year are able to take advantage of these programs because they either don’t know about them, or the child can’t get to the program site. Help get the word out that these programs are there to help.

• Share the Wealth — Support your local pantry, meal site, shelter, or Second Harvest with

your financial gifts to help them meet the increasing demand this summer.

• Share Your Time — Like Second Harvest, local emergency food providers rely heavily on volunteers to do what they do to meet the need.

Please consider giving a few hours of your time.

Thank you again for all you do to help us make a difference with kids… our future.

FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK

NO SCHOOL, NO LUNCHUPCOMING EVENTSFood. Health. Hope. Open House Join us May 20 to celebrate the completion of our Food. Health. Hope. expansion campaign. See insert for details.

Red Nose DayOn May 25th, money raised through Red Nose Day goes to organizations that help children and young people living in poverty in the U.S. and across the world. Support Red Nose Day and help Second Harvest receive a grant to help end child hunger! Visit Rednoseday.org for more information.

All-City Swim Meet Food/Fund Drive Challenge This summer, help raise meals for Second Harvest’s Madison–area food pantries and Kids Cafes as pools compete for the Top Pool honor! Donate today and support your pool in the competition: SecondHarvestMadison.org/AllCity.

Madison MallardsJoin us for a night at the Duck Pond on July 21st. Purchase a ticket for just $15 at SecondHarvestMadison.org/Baseball and a portion of the ticket sales will benefit Second Harvest.

SAVE THE DATEGo Orange on September 7. Mark your calendars now to help end hunger this September 7 on Go Orange Day. For every picture posted to NBC15’s Facebook page of something orange or you wearing orange, generous sponsors will provide meals to those facing hunger. If you would like to be a Go Orange sponsor, contact Laura Gaffney at LauraG@shfbmadison.org, or call 608-216-7205.

NBC15 SHARE YOUR HOLIDAYSBe a part of celebrating our 22nd year; join us as a campaign sponsor! For more information, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org/SYHSponsor.

Help Us Get $10kAs part of the American Family Insurance Championship Senior PGA tournament they are giving $10,000 to the non-profit with the most votes. Vote at SecondHarvestMadison.org/PGAVote

Business Hours:Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Agency Food Distribution Hours:Mon.–Thurs. 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.Friday 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

Foodbank Tours:Linda Murray • 608-216-7221LindaM@shfbmadison.org

Don’t want to get the newsletter?Katie Ishmael • 608-216-7220KatieI@shfbmadison.org

Mark Thompson Alliant Energy, Chairman Luke Hutchins J. H. Findorff and Son, Vice Chairman Vicki VillacrezTDS Telecom, Inc., TreasurerMargaret UtterbackQuarles & Brady LLP, SecretarySierra Beckles YoungUW Madison - Office of Legal AffairsJim FruscianteKraft Heinz

Aaron GirardSeneca Foods Inc.Justin HartCapitol BankFrank LuciaDean Health PlanBeth NormanRBC Wealth ManagementBill WestrateAmerican Family Insurance

Board of Directors

UPCOMING EVENTS

MANY THANKSRecently, Second Harvest received a generous contribution of $15,000 from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield a BadgerCare HMO to help support our Mobile Pantry Program. In total, the gift will provide over 165,000 pounds of food to people struggling with hunger. We are very grateful for this and all gifts in our fight to end hunger. If you would like to help those facing hunger in our community, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org.

Thank you to the following donors for their gift of $5,000 or more to the Food. Health. Hope. Campaign:1848 ConstructionThe estate of Carolyn AhrenholzAmerican Family Insurance Dreams Foundation AnonymousAssociated BankSam and Anne BallwegCourtier Foundation, Inc.CUNA Mutual Group FoundationDental Health AssociatesKen Dickson and Marianne NoverDoug and Kathy DittmannEcumenical Fund for Nutrition (a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation)Vikki and Tim EnrightEnterprise Holdings FoundationFirst Business BankIrwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Foundation, Inc.Gordon Flesch Charitable FoundationJohn Deere FoundationJohnson BankTom and Mary KleinJoe Krupp and Diana GroveLandmark Services CooperativeTim Lightner and Sheri Rice

Madison Community FoundationMadison Gas & Electric FoundationNational Guardian Life Insurance CompanyNeckerman Insurance ServicesPark BankPure Sweet Honey FarmDan & Patti Rashke (TASC) Family FoundationThe estate of Ernell RotheDan and Patty SchultzFred and Debbie SchwartzSiebert Lutheran FoundationDan and Susan SteinSteve Stricker American Family Insurance FoundationDavid SullivanThe Evjue Foundation, Inc., the charitable arm of The Capital TimesMargaret and Wiley UtterbackTuris Systems, LLC ® (in kind)Wall Family EnterprisesRick WeindruchBill and Shela WestrateWittwer Family FoundationBill Zorr

For almost a year and a half Second Harvest Foodbank has been engaged in an effort to bring more healthy fresh and frozen food to the more than 100,000 people in southwestern Wisconsin who struggle with hunger every year. The campaign – which we call the Food. Health. Hope. Campaign – happened in two phases. The first phase included raising over two million dollars in capital funds to pay for the expansion project, and undergoing construction efforts to consolidate and expand coolers, add on new freezer space, add new volunteer project rooms, and increase the number of shipping/receiving bays.

Thanks to the generous supporters listed below, and a lead gift of $500,000 from the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation, we were able to raise all the funds we needed to pay for the construction project more than a year ahead of schedule.

In the second phase of the campaign we have asked the public to help us raise $200,000 to keep our new space filled. Thanks to a $50,000 matching gift from a generous individual donor, and another $35,000 matching gift from the Nimick Forbesway Foundation, we are well on our way of meeting our goal.

If you would like to support the Food. Health. Hope. Campaign, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org/FHH today!

CAMPAIGN CONCLUDESFOOD. HEALTH. HOPE.

Just two short weeks after principal construction was completed on our new freezer space, we were able to take advantage of the space by accepting two Semi-truckloads of frozen chicken. This was a generous donation that we would not have been able to accept without the completion of the expansion project.

Generous Donation

15-SOUWI-0517-N

PLAN TO GIVEA planned gift in your will or estate plan can have lasting impact. For more information, contact Linda Murray at LindaM@shfbmadison.org, or call her at 608-216-7221.

Help Second Harvest Foodbank by giving dairy—a rarely donated and nutrient-rich product—in an easy way.

Here’s how it works: Choose a cow from GiveDairy.com to “adopt,” then decide if you’d like to donate a day’s ($36), week’s ($252) or month’s ($1,080) worth of milk production. Up to $22,000 in adoptions will be matched by Physicians Plus, and other generous sponsors!

Plus, you can meet the cows at an Adoption Ice Cream Social on June 10 from 2-4 p.m. at Sassy Cow Creamery (for more info visit SecondHarvestMadison.org/Adopt).

Learn more about Ruby, Tia, and all the cows, as well as how to donate, at GiveDairy.com.

Give the Gift of Dairy Today!

Give the Gift of Dairy Today!www.GiveDairy.com

Partners

Just in time for

June Dairy Month!

RADIOTHON HITS THE MARKFourth Annual Hunger’s Hope RadiothonOn March 9 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. the fourth annual Hunger’s Hope Radiothon was held. Our goal this year was to raise $25,000, which would be matched by two generous organizations, BioSentinel and Genesis Painting.

Combined we hoped to raise $50,000, which would help us provide 150,000 meals. Gifts came in to our temporary call center located in the training room of our radio partner, Midwest Family Broadcasting. The first shift of volunteers arrived at 5:45 a.m. ready to take your calls.

Slowly, but steadily your gifts came in. From modest donations of a few dollars, to an extraordinary one of $5,000 in honor of a lost loved one, each gift was met with heart-felt gratitude on behalf of those we serve. When it was all said and done, you helped us raise nearly $80,000 after the match – which will result in over 238,000 meals to those facing hunger in southwestern Wisconsin.

Thank you for being Hunger’s Hope!