When I was a kid, I could hardly wait for Christmas. Were you like me and counted each day down to the BIG day? It was my favorite day of the year. Now, I wonder if my parents had that same feeling as I do now: Whoa! Christmas is already too close!!
For the food bank clients Christmas can be a hard time of the year. Their money is stretched and is so very tight. I remember when I didn't know how "Santa" was going to be able to visit my children in 1974. One day there was a knock at our front door & two women, I did not know surprised me with food and wrapped gifts for us. That Christmas is a fond memory we will always remember.
I hope you can help us with gifts, new toys and food for our families. Inside you will find a list of needs we have this year. We deeply appreciate every donation we get. Your generosity goes a long way to help us care for our families.
God Bless each of you,
Fran
About Fran Walster, Director September 2008
During prayer the Lord gave me a vision to start a food bank. With the help and prayers of 4 women, we contacted all the local churches in Maltby telling them of the vision and asking for their help. Three churches responded. Maltby Christian Assembly, Maltby Congregational Church and Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. Our official name was and still is Make Me A Blessing Food Bank. Our first place was a vandalized mom & pop grocery store on Yew Way called the Maltby Mercantile. In August we wrote to the local businesses and many responded with materials to remodel the building. It was completed in December and we officially open January 1993. It has been an amazing journey these past 16 years. We started with 14 volunteers and now have over 40 doing various jobs. We served 15 families the first month and now serve close to 100 every week. We were donated a van for pickups twice a week and now we have a great donated truck that picks up 6 days a week. It has been a life changing experience for me. My relationship with Jesus has grown so much. I learned trust, faith, the meaning of being His servant and greater compassion. I am forever thankful to Him for choosing me to start the Maltby Food Bank. Our goal is to bless our clients, to show them care, respect and help them care for their families by stretching their food budgets. We work hard to accomplish these tasks and I know we are on the right track. We not only give out food, we provide birthday bags, diapers, school supplies, adopt out our single parent families, give out toys and give Senior gift bags to our families at Christmas. We provide holiday food at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. We continue to look for more ways to help our families. I know how it is. I was once a single mom with 3 little girls. There was no food bank available back then. I want our community to know there is a place they can come to during hard times. We are located in an area that is filled with caring people. We would not be what we are today, without this community. I love what I do. Maltby Food Bank is my volunteer job that I love with all my heart. I love talking with the clients and listening to their stories and needs. We can't always help them with all their struggles, but we can give them a listening ear and pray with them if they want us too. The food bank is my joy, my passion and I like the person I have become. I am a better human being today and I am blessed to be one part of this caring, amazing group of volunteers. Thank you guys, you are the best!! Fran Walster, Director
About Natalie Oswald, Assistant Director September 2008
I've been volunteering at the food bank now for 2 1/2 years. They welcomed me with warm hearts, open arms, lots of laughter, and oh yeah, lots of work! Working with Fran and all the volunteers has truly been a blessing to me. It wasn't until I spent the day with Fran, the Director, and Mary, a volunteer for over 13 years, that I realized that I was actually homeless myself when I was a Junior in High School. Although, my parents and I lived in a motor home, we didn't have an address, therefore we were homeless, like many of our clients. My parents did a great job of making me feel safe and more like it was an adventure, than a bad time in our life. For that I'm very grateful. I can relate to our clients because I can see now how easily a few bad choices, an illness, or a loss of a job can change your whole living situation. I feel lucky that I get to meet some of the donors, experience their kindness, and then see how grateful our clients are when they receive those donations. Assistant Director, Natalie
Food Bank Statement Of Purpose
The Make Me A Blessing Food Bank is an independent, non-profit organization. Through advocacy and actions, Make Me A Blessing reaches out to people in need through God's love.
Our goal is to establish a food bank in Maltby that helps meet people's physical needs. To share Christ with our neighbors and bring them to him.
Our objective is to fulfill the purpose of his will. To provide food to people in need. To share Christ with people by showing his love and by praying for their needs, and to give encouragement where needed.
ISAIAH 58: 10, 11 "If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones. You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."
During prayer the Lord gave me a vision to start a food bank. With the help and prayers of 4 women, we contacted all the local churches in Maltby telling them of the vision and asking for their help. Three churches responded. Maltby Christian Assembly, Maltby Congregational Church and Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. Our official name was and still is Make Me A Blessing Food Bank.
I've been volunteering at the food bank now for 2 1/2 years. They welcomed me with warm hearts, open arms, lots of laughter, and oh yeah, lots of work! Working with Fran and all the volunteers has truly been a blessing to me. It wasn't until I spent the day with Fran, the Director, and Mary, a volunteer for over 13 years, that I realized that I was actually homeless myself when I was a Junior in High School. Although, my parents and I lived in a motor home, we didn't have an address, therefore we were homeless, like many of our clients. My parents did a great job of making me feel safe and more like it was an adventure, than a bad time in our life. For that I'm very grateful. I can relate to our clients because I can see now how easily a few bad choices, an illness, or a loss of a job can change your whole living situation. I feel lucky that I get to meet some of the donors, experience their kindness, and then see how grateful our clients are when they receive those donations.
The Make Me A Blessing Food Bank is an independent, non-profit organization. Through advocacy and actions, Make Me A Blessing reaches out to people in need through God's love.
