MINUTES
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
(Food Pantry)
2:30 p.m. April 27, 2009
Cooper County University Extension Center Meeting Room
(Click Here For Print Friendly PDF
Format)
Present: Virgil Goodin, Tom Priester, Louise Bolin, Marsha Goodin, Jeanne Pascale, Wanda Vonderahe, and Art Schneider.
Not Present: Randy Richards, Hazel Stone, and Joyce Roach.
Marsha offered a prayer at the beginning of the board meeting.
Call to Order: Virgil Goodin called the meeting to order at 2:53 p.m. The meeting was moved from Open Bible Praise Center to the Extension Center, resulting in the delayed start.
Marsha Goodin has an e-mail address that will be used for future NHN e-mailings.
March minutes: Marsha moved and Jeanne seconded that March’s minutes be approved. Unanimously passed.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom reported as of March 16 there was $2,523.78 in the NHN checking account and $16,041.22 in the savings account—including $4.67 interest.
Tom reported income of $1,244.67 and expenses of $1,741.09.
A question was raised about the $30 bonus deposit. Tom said he did not have the source. Jeanne looked at last month’s minutes and noted $30 given in memory of Dorothy Hutchinson. A question also was raised about a debit for $71.11 as returned. Tom said it should have been noted as phone expense.
Questions also were raised on the source of two $50 donations attributed to Church of Christ. This should have been noted in the books as Christ Church Episcopal. Also was noted that $500 deposit in savings was noted as Church of Christ and it should have been Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Tom reported that the bill for Dave’s Country Mart was actually two bills. He said he was not aware of the first bill until receiving the second bill with the note of arrears.
Tom also reported that the monthly ACH debit account has increased by $20 over the past month so that $127 a month is now debited from Citizen Community Bank.
Art moved and Marsha seconded that the treasurer’s report be approved with revisions noted in the minutes. Passed unanimously.
There also was discussion on the closing date for the monthly reports. The food pantry operates on a calendar year budget and it was requested the monthly treasurer reports be consistent with the monthly food and hourly volunteer donations and with the monthly report of citizens/families served. Tom said at an earlier meeting the board approved a change from reporting monthly to accepting bank statements between board meetings. The secretary was not able to find this in the minutes.
Jeanne moved and Art seconded that in the future all treasurer reports be monthly. Unanimously approved. So, for the May meeting the treasurer report will cover April 1 through April 30.
Tom also reported purchasing two flash drives for financial recordkeeping.
Donated food weight and volunteer hours: Jeanne reported 2,356.8 pounds of food donated and 583.25 volunteer hours in March.
NHN Food distribution in April
Virgil reported the following:
-
Total families assisted: 348 -- Total people served: 986
-
Thursday distribution: 70 families
-
Tuesday distribution: 144 families
-
Saturday distribution: 74 families
-
Total families on Food stamps: 165 families
-
Total families receiving TANF: 15 families
Also eight families were assisted as an emergency need, 14 families with a handicapping condition and 38 families through senior housing distribution.
Recommended vehicle and board liability insurance: Tom reported Tom Million will be at the May meeting to discuss this.
Potential board members: Art also asked if Tom Priester would suggest Tom Million be asked to join the board. Art also, will contact the new general manager of the Isle of Capri.
Exterminator: As Randy was not presented tabled until next meeting.
Local Schools: As Randy was not presented tabled until next meeting.
Raymond Paxton: Art said he had left a message with the distance runner about possible sponsorship in a future marathon, but has not received a reply.
Pilot Gas credit card: Tom reported the food pantry was denied a credit card. No reason was given. Art noted that the pantry spent $200 on gas at Pilot this past month. Tom will check with Love’s or Breaktime or Casey’s about a credit card.
Update on Open Door food pantry software: Virgil said he still does not have PC hooked up and does not have the software. He said there currently is a Harvest House resident knowledgeable about computers and that he will check the individual. Art asked about the laptop provided by the Extension Center. Virgil said he had not tried it.
Future Interest in Boonville Area Summer Youth Development: Virgil reported Art had contacted him earlier about this project, but that he thought the pantry needed more lead time and also an expanded volunteer base. He suggested this could be brought up this winter.
Art noted that several high school clubs are doing it this year as community service and as a fundraiser for their projects. He will see what the experience is this year and if the clubs would ant to continue in the future.
Food for A Spell Fundraiser: Virgil said he was not able to get out the information on roles needed this past month, but would do so this month.
Perishable fruit: Board member Joyce Roach noted in an e-mail that perishable fruit not distributed often cannot stay “fresh” between distribution dates. She noted several BDN employees complained of feeling sick because of the smell of deteriorating perishable foods. In particular, bananas and grapefruit were noted.
Virgil said the issue is a legitimate complaint. The board discussed only placing a fruit order for the day with the largest distribution—the first Tuesday of the month.
Virgil noted in some instances items such as potatoes and bananas are only available if the food pantry accepts an entire skid.
Art suggested he write the food bank over having to accept large quantities. Virgil said part of the issue with the food pantry is that it does not have the volunteers needed to separate or bag large quantities into smaller units.
There also was some discussion about the quality of the food the bank sometimes offers.
Virgil noted that the food bank had worked out an arrangement with Super Wal-Mart in Sedalia that one week a month perishable food from retailer is picked up by the NHN food pantry. This has worked out well. He said the retailer freezes meat the day before its sale date expires so that it is not wasted and that the fruits and vegetables have been of good quality.
Virgil will follow-up on the perishable food and keep that in mind when ordering for the month.
BDN Truck Pathway blockage: Occasionally BDN needs to unload pallets of inserts for the newspaper. This necessitates an open pathway between the dock and the BDN mail room at all times.
Board members are aware of the issue and plan to move bags and a refrigerator under the stairway. This should free up the pathway.
With no further business the board adjourned at 3:51 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
Art
Schneider
Board Secretary