2022 Newsletters
December 2022
Fitting Memorial: Kids’ $20K Donation Honors Chris Hase
The last time Alaina Hase saw her father was at her wedding.
“I don’t think he was doing well then,” said Alaina, who was married last Feb. 20 in Canada. “I’m so incredibly grateful he could walk me down the aisle. It was so funny because, every time I spoke to him beforehand, I asked, ‘Okay, Dad, what’s going on with the outfit? I need to know what you’re wearing.’”
November 2022
From Recipient to Volunteer, He Now Helps Others
When COVID came, Rogelio Lopez could see the impending loss of his late-life career singing and playing live music at crowded events. Then, seeming to drive the point home, he got COVID himself.
“I got sick, and I was the sole provider for my family,” he said through an interpreter, recalling how the pandemic enveloped him several years ago. “So, someone recommended me for help from the food bank.”
October 2022
Couple Fills Children’s Minds at Kids Kitchens
Needy kids need more than food. They’re hungry to feed their minds with books and other inspirational, educational materials. Until recently, just two FoodBank Lakeside-supported Kids Kitchens offered children a lending library. Thanks to Lisa Beeman and Mark Rochon, now all six Kids Kitchens have a lending library – and much more.
September 2022
Dine and Donate: Feed Yourself, Feed a Family
FoodBank Lakeside’s Dine & Donate program has 14 restaurant partners (as of late August) where at each table a colorful table tent implores diners, “You Can Help Beat Hunger.” It notes that, for the price of an average meal, one can feed a hungry family of four for a month.
August 2022
Medical Issues Lead to Monetary Struggles, Foodbank Serves as a Lifeline
Many FoodBank Lakeside recipients suffer from chronic illness, and of those, diabetes is the most prevalent. The disease can cause heart problems, stroke, and nerve damage that can lead to blindness, amputation, and other problems.
July 2022
Insight – Who Is On FoodBank Lakeside’s Recipient List?
How do we connect with those in need? How do we actually determine who receives despensas? How do we know when a family is able to stop getting despensas?
June 2022
Holding On To Hope For The Future
Victor, age 12, is a slender boy with a shy smile and mop of tousled hair. It’s hard to believe, when watching him play with his little dog, that throughout his childhood he has needed complicated medical care due to a spinal condition.
May 2022
A Lifeline For Our Elderly Neighbors
It’s 10 AM on one of Foodbank Lakeside’s despensa distribution days in Chapala. A line is forming outside the bodega where the distribution takes place.
Many of the people in line are those in “la tercera edad” or “the third age” as they say in Mexico – those who are 60+ years old. These are people who’ve worked hard all their lives, who have raised families and contributed to the community, but now, because of illness, injury, or the problems of aging, are unable to continue in their jobs or cover their monthly expenses.
April 2022
FoodBank Lakeside – Past – Present – Future
I’d like to take you on a little journey. It’s one that you, our amazing donor community, have actually been traveling with us over the last two years. Allow me to guide you on a brief trip down memory lane; make a stop in the present day and give you a glimpse of the road ahead.
March 2022
“I See The Difference That FoodBank Lakeside Makes In People’s Lives!”
Feliza Ornelas Ruíz is FBL’s local coordinator for San Antonio Tlayacapan and Riberas del Pilar. Feliza is a lifelong resident of San Antonio and is well acquainted with the people who live there and the issues they face.
February 2022
Wheelchair Naranja o Negra
Everyone had been looking forward to this day with great anticipation, especially Juan de Dio Jacobo Gonzalez. It was the day he would receive his new wheelchair.
January 2022
The Children Came Running With Big Smiles On Their Faces
The Posada is an important Christmas tradition in Mexico. It is a strong part of family Christmas celebrations filled with cheerful atmospheres, socializing amongst family and friend, delicious food and lots of fun!