Welcome: OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to distribute as much food to our distributor/clients as we can, with the amount of labor and warehouse space that our income can support.  Every single day, we are trying to increase our income, to pay for the extra labor, ever increasing fuel costs and equipment maintenance.  We are in the pipeline to supply as much food to the children, elderly and homeless that can be accomplished under our financial structure.  FIND is a non-profit, community-based organization. It is committed to providing food to people who struggle to feed themselves and their families.  It is also committed to maximizing public awareness of hunger while working towards long-term solutions to hunger and poverty.

 Supporting Beliefs:

We believe every single person in every Coachella Valley neighborhood offers strengths, capacities, abilities and gifts. Hunger and poverty diminish a person’s capacity to be effective in their family, neighborhood and society.  Governments also have the legal and moral responsibility to ensure all Coachella Valley residents have adequate food necessities;

• We must help the needy, before it becomes a real need.
   

• Collecting and using surplus food is in itself a worthwhile activity.
   

• People from every walk of life are necessary to fulfill our mission.
   

• This should include nutritionally adequate and culturally appropriate food.
   

• Solutions to poverty will only be found once people are invited to the table.
   

• We should work with the community to seek solutions to the causes of hunger. 
   

• We have a responsibility to be leaders in combating hunger and poverty. 

Framework Evaluation:

A volunteer, community-based Board of Directors guides FIND FOOD BANK, INC.  The Board directly evaluates the Mission and Supporting Beliefs being followed on a daily basis.  The Board directly establishes policy and hires the executive staff of the organization to reliably create positive results. 

An Overview of a Blueprint to End Hunger in the Coachella Valley;

Federal Government:

• Live up to the official U.S. commitment to cut hunger and food insecurity in half by 2010, and commit to ending both by 2015.
   
• Invest in and strengthen the national nutrition safety net.
   
• Invest in public education to increase outreach and awareness of the importance of preventing hunger and improving nutrition for health, learning and productivity.

State and Local Government:

• Strengthen local use nutrition programs.
   
• Invest in public education to increase outreach and awareness of the importance of preventing hunger and improving nutrition for health, learning and productivity.

Schools and Community Organizations:

• Provide eligible children the full range of federal nutrition assistance programs, including free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch, after-school snacks and supper, the summer meals program, and the child and adult care meals program.
   
• Ensure that all eligible children who wish to participate are enrolled in the school meal and child nutrition programs.
   
• Invest in public education to increase outreach and awareness of the importance of preventing hunger and improving nutrition for health, learning and productivity.

Nonprofit Groups:

• Work to increase public awareness of the problem of hunger in the community and advocate for policies to end hunger.
   
• Ensure that state and local governments take advantage of all federal nutrition assistance programs.
   
• Educate low-income people about their potential eligibility for nutrition assistance and help connect them with the appropriate programs.
   
• Monitor program performance in food stamp offices, schools and communities.
   
• Ensure that, once families are connected with food assistance, they also have access to affordable nutritious food.
   
• Continue to acquire and distribute balanced and nutritious food.

Labor and Industry:

• Collaborate with government and community groups to connect low-wage workers to federal nutrition programs.
   
• Contribute time, money, food, warehouse space and /or transportation capacity to local anti-hunger organizations.
   
• Support workplace giving campaigns that target hunger.
   
• Advocate for improved public policies to end hunger.

Individuals:

• Urge elected officials to do more to reduce hunger by improving and expanding the local nutrition programs.
   
• Become involved with local anti-hunger organizations by donating time, money and/or food.
   
• Raise local awareness of hunger by talking to friends and family, and working in your local community.

In Closing:

As we make progress toward ending hunger, it will be important to re-assess these policy recommendations to make sure they continue to represent the most effective approach.

The level of investment needed here will rise or fall depending on economic conditions and advances (or setbacks) in areas such as employment, work supports and overall poverty reduction.

Our mission will continue regardless of the economic conditions in the Coachella Valley, but we will help others to also while receiving the free food, to realize and understand the possibilities of establishing a strong work ethic for their talents, that will benefit themselves and/or their family.  Work helps end hunger!