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Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore receives $5,380 donation from Woodforest Charitable Foundation.

22-May, 2013

Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore receives $5,380 donation from Woodforest Cha

Photo Caption:Presenting the check (left to right) is Dan Holley, VA Regional Manager, WNB; John Jalonen, VA Regional Manager, WNB; Anitria Hawkins, WNB Branch Manager, Portsmouth, VA; Fides Solomon, WNB Branch Manager, Chesapeake, VA; Sean Yellin, WNB Branch Manager, Onley, VA to Joanne Batson, Chief Executive Officer, Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore; John Kimani, WNB Branch Manager, Norfolk, VA; Shelly Lynch, Director of Operations, Woodforest Charitable Foundation; Tyron Maclin, WNB Branch Manager, Suffolk, VA and Jessica Valentine, Senior Vice President - East Coast Division, WNB.

Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore
Norfolk, VA – On a continual basis Woodforest National Bank employees perform a multitude of fundraising events benefitting the Woodforest Charitable Foundation.  Both Woodforest National Bank and Woodforest Charitable Foundation are committed to making a positive impact in the communities in which Woodforest serves. This partnership benefits the community and organizations such as Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, which recently received a $5,380 donation, from the Woodforest Charitable Foundation.


Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore was founded in 1981, since inception over 200 million meals have been provided in their service area.
Their mission is, “Leading the effort to eliminate hunger in our community.” Their vision is, “A Hunger-Free Community.”
 

Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore participates in several feeding programs, including a Community Garden, USDA Commodities, Food Rescue Program, Mobile Pantry Program, and Child Nutrition. Their Child Nutrition Program consists of two feeding programs, Kids Café and a BackPack Program.
 

The Impact of a BackPack
Twelve items, which includes a bag of cereal, two juice boxes, two shelf-stable milks, two canned meals, two fruit cups, two canned vegetables, and a snack item. These are the things a child who is part of the Foodbank’s BackPack Program receives every other week to get them through the weekend. It’s what 8 year old Sade Middleton has received for the past two years.

Sade is an Honor Roll student in third grade at Westhaven Elementary School in Portsmouth. Daughter of a welder at a local shipyard, and a mom who is currently unemployed, she dreams of one day becoming a singer, a lawyer, or a doctor.

Annette says that receiving the BackPack gives Sade a sense of pride and has increased her already giving spirit. Knowing that someone has helped her has made her more willing to help others.

“There’s no telling what these kids can become in life because someone helped them,” her mother, Annete Middleton says.  Sade loves to learn and takes a great deal of satisfaction in always doing her best at everything she tries.

Along with those twelve items, the Foodbank includes a nutritional information sheet with a word puzzle and a coloring section in each pack, which Sade really enjoys. She looks forward to the canned ravioli most, as well as the juice and healthy snack that she sometimes shares with her parents.

From October to July, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore currently partners with 49 schools and distributes bags to just over 3,000 children through the BackPack Program.

For more information on the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern, please call 757-627-6599 or visit www.foodbankonline.org.


Woodforest Charitable Foundation
The Woodforest Charitable Foundation was created by Woodforest National Bank in 2005 as a direct result of its desire to support and invest in the communities in which it serves.  The Foundation is committed to assisting those in need, enriching lives and communities through dedicated leadership and faithful administration by providing funding to qualifying 501(c)(3) charities. For additional information regarding the Woodforest Charitable Foundation, call (832) 375-CARE (2273) or visit the foundation’s website at www.woodforestcharitablefoundation.org.

Woodforest National Bank
Celebrating 32 years of service and ranked among the top earning banks in the United States, the Woodforest family of banks currently has assets of approximately $3.7 billion and services more than 837,000 customers with branches in excess of 760 throughout seventeen states:  Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.  For information about Woodforest National Bank, please call 832-375-2000 or visit the bank’s website at www.woodforest.com.