All posts by Auburn HTF

This week marked the end of our first six months as an operational soup kitchen, so we decided to take this opportunity to look back at our records and pause to appreciate the amazing work that our community has accomplished through this wonderful network. 

January 1 – June 30, 2020

34 The number of meal services provided by the Auburn Hunger Task Force, Inc Soup Kitchen

7 The number of Dining with Dignity meals (meal services with special gourmet menus)

595 The number of hours our volunteers have donated of their time

2,774 The number of individual meals served to our community

Your checks, cash donations, and support of our fundraisers has ensured that the AHTF soup kitchen was able to provide a meal for every single family that came to us during our first six months – even during the sudden unemployment boom of the COVID-19 crisis. 

Just as the numbers of hungry families in need rose, so too did the AHTF bank account balance, as we began receiving unexpected donations from friends and neighbors intuiting correctly that our need was about to surge. 

We’ve also received surprise gifts of ingredients from local restaurants, crisp apples fresh from local orchards, fresh hydroponic lettuce, scrumptious baked goods, and beautiful farm fresh blue, green, and brown eggs. There were donations of unusual delicacies such as oyster mushrooms, quail eggs, and chevre goat cheese – all of which wonderfully complimented our Dining with Dignity Program, in which we strive to serve at least one meal per month of gourmet quality with rare and delicious ingredients. And one thoughtful donor regularly contributed something which is tremendously costly to our budget but crucial to every meal – clam-shell takeout containers. In this era of social distancing, our ability to serve the public is just as dependent upon being able to afford takeout containers as being able to purchase the food inside of them.

We are so thankful for this continued thoughtfulness from our supporters, and we share with you the gratitude expressed frequently by our guests. 

Your gifts and support have resulted directly in AHTF’s ability to;

1. Increase meal serving sizes
2. Improve nutritional content
3. Improve flavor through higher quality ingredients, and
4. Double the number of days that we’re able to serve meals

We’re so happy to do the cooking, if you’re happy to help support us. Thank you for a wonderful first six months! 

Warmly,
Auburn Hunger Task Force, Inc Board of Directors 

It has been a stressful month at Auburn Hunger Task Force.

But as always during difficult times, so many kind Helpers have emerged. The number of guests we serve spiked this month, with a total of 295 meals served during March. Comparatively, AHTF served 115 meals in January and 176 meals in February. 

But at a time when our community is expressing it’s biggest need for access to food, many generous local food providers have stepped forward to donate food and supplies. Thank you to Dunkin Donuts, Denny’s, KFC, Owen’s Orchards, an individual supporter of Silver Tree Forest Farm CSA, and a few very special community members. Their gifts of food and kitchen supplies have enabled us to increase our meal sizes to accommodate extra families in need.

Generous cash donations were also received this month from Westminster Church, Parker’s Express LLC, and St. Luke’s United Church of Christ. Cash donations help us prepare for future meals and more confidently extend our meal program reach when necessary.

Local entertainer Vin Gleason of Gift Entertainment contributed to the #AuburnStrong campaign by producing a series of video shorts and live music in order to raise public awareness about the Auburn Hunger Task Force. His efforts have greatly increased our membership levels on social media, and our community visibility. You can find his videos on Facebook, at “Auburn Hunger Task Force, Inc”

This month we received our Letter of Determination as a federally tax-exempt 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit through the IRS. This means that we will now be able to apply for foundation grants and community sponsorship from local and national retailers. This is a huge step forward towards our mission of ending hunger within Cayuga County!

Auburn Hunger Task Force is also now recognized as a Bronze-level organization on Guidestar, a national nonprofit database. After a short processing delay, you should soon be able to designate Auburn Hunger Task Force as your charity of choice at both Amazon Smile and Facebook Fundraising. More information will be available soon.

Our Treasurer recently gave notice that she would be unable to continue to serve as an officer and member of the board of directors. We thank her truly for her excellent record-keeping skills and assistance with the birth of the Auburn Hunger Task Force. Graciously, she has offered to continue to serve the community as a kitchen volunteer during meal services. Individuals interested in applying for the Treasurer vacancy may submit a cover letter and resume to AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com, subject line: TREASURER. 

COVID-19 UPDATE: Our Monday meal services are now following strict social distancing guidelines, with meals pre-bagged and available as carryout at the door. One guest indoors at a time, please. If you also require a monthly food box from Calvary Food Pantry, please call ahead to register: (315) 255 – 7772. 

Volunteers have been extensively sanitizing all surfaces and supplies within our kitchen, and are protecting ourselves, our families, and our guests by wearing face masks and gloves. Masks have been sewn and donated by Susan Marteney. 

Most free meal services within Auburn continue to remain open during the Coronavirus crisis, with the following amendments;

Holy Family Church has discontinued their Tuesday lunch program. Knights of Columbus (47 Market St, Auburn) will continue to serve their Tuesday dinner until April 30th. After April 30th, the Tuesday lunch will then be served by Auburn Hunger Task Force, located at Calvary Food Pantry (90 Franklin St., Auburn). 

How You Can Help:

Please make a cash donation. The number of families within our community who are struggling to find food during the COVID-19 crisis is exploding. Cash donations help us purchase food and carry-out supplies so we can gift families with nutritious meals + a few small extras in order to help guests stretch each meal as far possible. 

Paypal: donations may be made to: AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com. 

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/auburn-ny-soup-kitchen-needed-mondayfriday?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/auburnhtf

Checks: may be made payable to “Auburn Hunger Task Force” and can by mailed to:
AHTF
9 Baker Ave
Auburn, NY 13021

Thank you to all local businesses and community supporters who are committed to ending hunger within our community. Your assistance during the challenges of the past month has meant more than ever.

Girl Scouts Troop #60157 with Troop leader Jamie Gleason hosted a chili drive in early February, raising enough ingredients to cover the entire meal for Monday, February 17th. We served hot chili with toasted cheese and garlic ciabatta rolls with apples, bananas, and baked goods. We had 35 guests for this meal. Thank you, Girl Scouts! 

The Patisserie Bakery in Skaneateles reached out to us with an offer to begin donating overstock baked goods for our Monday Meals. Our huge blueberry scones, molasses cookies, jumbo muffins, and more are now compliments of The Patisserie. Thank you, Patisserie! 

Our Patreon account is now ACTIVE! Supporters may now quickly + easily pledge a subscription donation each month at one of three levels;

SOUP Level ($5.55)

PASTA Level ($11)

BIG BURGER Level ($25.00)

Your donation allows us to better budget and meal-plan for our guests. To join as a Patreon supporter, please visit: www.patreon.com/auburnhtf.

We attended the 2020 Wellness Fair hosted by Gift Entertainment at the Equal Rights Heritage Center. Kimberly Patch gave a presentation about our community’s need for a Mon-Fri soup kitchen and explained our mission, our progress, and the steps we will be taking towards reaching our goals and becoming financially sustainable. We collected $50 in donations from our wonderful community members at the Wellness Fair! Thank you!

Our Certificate of Incorporation was accepted by the Department of New York State, making our 501(c)3 status official! We also have our EIN, and Federal Tax Exemption has been applied for, with documentation expected to arrive by mid-March. We are also now registered as a charitable non-profit with the New York State Attorney General, meaning we may begin large-scale fundraising campaigns as early as late March.  

Our Board of Directors and volunteers continue to serve hot, healthy to-go meals every Monday from 11-12:30 located at Calvary Food Pantry, 90 Franklin Street, Auburn. Thank you to Calvary for generously providing the space where we can prepare and distribute this meal. Monday meals have been attended by between 40-54 community members each week this month. We’ve seen an increase in attendance since January.

Our directors continue to research commercial locations within Auburn with the goal of purchasing and establishing a permanent location for our Monday-Friday soup kitchen. Our requirements are that the facility;

• should be located within a high-need region of the city
• be accessible via public transportation
• is large enough to comfortably accommodate seating for 75-100 individuals
• a commercial kitchen is preferred but not required
• additional space for a food pantry, classroom, or other forms of program expansion are preferred. 

We’re currently in communication with real estate agencies and the City of Auburn, but we appreciate suggestions from the public. If you have a tip on a potential location, please email us at: AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com. 

How You Can Help:

• Save your plastic or reusable shopping bags. If you have bags to donate, please email us at: AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com. 
• Now accepting donations of packs of water bottles. We distribute 1 bottle of water with each meal. Your donation of a pack of water helps us stretch our food budget further. 
• Do you know of a commercial building within Auburn that would be a great location for a Monday-Friday soup kitchen? Send your suggestions to AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com. 
• Make a quick donation. Cash donations help us purchase food for the meals we serve. We accept Paypal. Donations may be sent to: AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com. Checks may be made payable to “Auburn Hunger Task Force” and can by mailed to:
  Auburn Hunger Task Force
  9 Baker Ave.
  Auburn, NY 13021
  
  Thank you for your interest in improving access to to food for our friends and neighbors within the city of Auburn.

Things are moving very quickly at the Auburn Hunger Task Force, and January was an incredibly busy month! 

We named our Board of Directors, composed By-laws, and submitted our Certificate of Incorporation to become a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. Thank you to Westminster Church for donating $75 to cover that application fee!

Our Board of Directors and volunteers continue to serve hot, healthy to-go meals every Monday from 11-12:30 located at Calvary Food Pantry (90 Franklin Street, Auburn). Thank you to Calvary for generously providing the space where we can prepare and distribute this meal. Monday meals have been attended by between 30-40 community members each week.

Thank you as well to local artist, Anthony Pierce of Sign Guys / Wayward Studios, who designed the awesome new Auburn Hunger Task Force logo. The heart and cutlery design pays tribute to our mission of continuing the good work of feeding the hungry, begun by the former First Love soup kitchen. “First Love continues…” Pierce has also built and donated the 6’x3’ table banner you’ll see at all of our upcoming public events. You can check out his other design projects at: https://www.waywardstudiosny.com/. Give him a call if you have any signage or graphic design needs around Auburn, NY. He can be reached at: (315) 406 – 5514.

Our directors continue to research commercial locations within Auburn with the goal of purchasing and establishing a permanent location for a Monday-Friday soup kitchen. Our requirements are that the facility;

• should reside within a high-need region of the city
• is accessible via public transportation
• is large enough to comfortably accommodate seating for 75-100 individuals

A commercial kitchen is preferred but not required, and additional space for a classroom or other forms of program expansion are also preferred. We’re currently in communication with real estate agencies and the City of Auburn, but we appreciate suggestions. If you have a tip on a great location, please email us at: AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com.

The UNC (Ukrainian National Club) named the Hunger Task Force as the beneficiary of their annual Pierogi Eating Contest and Take-out dinner fundraiser, which raised $4,400. The UNC then MATCHED the amount raised, and contributed a grand total of $8,801! Thank you to all of the wonderful people at the UNC who organized this event and contributed their culinary skills!

Upcoming Events; 

Come visit us on Saturday, February 22nd from 10-2 at the 2020 Winter Wellness Fair at the Equal Rights Heritage Center, 25 South Street in Auburn. We’ll be tabling with information about local soup kitchens and food insecurity programs, with a presentation by Kimberly Patch at 1:30. Light refreshments will be available at our table, and admission to the event is FREE.

How You Can Help:

• Save your plastic or reusable shopping bags. If you have bags to donate, please email us at: AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com. 
• Now accepting donations of packs of water bottles. We distribute 1 bottle of water with each meal. Your donation of a pack of water helps us stretch our food budget further. 
• Do you know of a commercial building within Auburn that would be a great location for a Monday-Friday soup kitchen? Send your suggestions to AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com. 
• Make a quick donation. Cash donations help us purchase food for the meals we serve. We accept Paypal. Donations may be transferred to: AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com. Checks may be made payable to “Auburn Hunger Task Force” and can by mailed to: AHTF, 9 Baker Ave., Auburn, NY 13021

Thank you for your continued support of the Auburn Hunger Task Force. 

Amanda Pelletier, Secretary