Hello! My name is Ari Packer, and I chose to work with the S.A.F.E Food Pantry for my Bar Mitzvah project this past April.  I have had allergies to eggs and all types of nuts since I was two years old. Over the last two years, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) Walk. My work with FARE led me to learn the about the S.A.F.E Food Pantry.

Before coming to the pantry, my sister and I used our saved money, to purchase all types of gluten free and allergy-free food for donation. When we arrived at food pantry for the first time, I was very impressed with how it worked. The bought food was weighed, totaling 143 pounds worth.  I took all the food and stocked the allergy section.

The second part of my plan, was to get others to donate. I started by putting in some informational cards along with the Bar Mitzvah invitations. The information explained the S.A.F.E’s Food Pantry mission, along with an item donation list. After I accomplished that, I took a box attached with some flyers with pantry and collection information, along with an informational poster board with pictures of me stocking the shelves for the very first time. The board also had the food pantry’s mission on it.

A week before my Bar Mitzvah, I went into the K-3 grade classrooms of my Hebrew School, where I gave a presentation on my project and how they could help out! Along with this, I placed a short paragraph in the synagogue bulletin describing my project. It made me feel really good to be helping this great cause in so many different ways.

Four days before my Bar Mitzvah, I sent out an email to all of my friends asking for food item donations on the day of my Bar Mitzvah service. I also had my informational board and box out by the door so everyone could see my project. I wound up collecting a whole bin of food from friends and family! I was very happy to be able to collect this much food for such a great cause!

Foods that are gluten free and allergy friendly are 2-4 times more expensive than the typical grocery items and almost impossible to find in local food pantries.  No one knows this better than Claire* who has celiac disease and other food intolerances.  She receives a modest $15 per month in FSP (Food Supplement Program) benefits to aid her in purchasing gluten free and allergy friendly food.  Step into Claire’s shoes and experience what it is like to choose between hunger and eating something that will make her ill. 
 
Claire is now able to find gluten-free food at the Howard County Food Bank during her monthly visits thanks to generous donors like you.  “It used to be next to impossible to find safe food at the Food Bank.  I would leave there with a small bag of items and go home to bare cupboards, while other people left with grocery carts full of food.  Then, I would have to wait another month to return to see if there was anything I could eat.  I am grateful for S.A.F.E. Food Pantry since I can now find food that works for me.  S.A.F.E. is a real blessing for me.”
 
Financial contributions help people like Claire obtain the gluten free and allergy friendly food that they need to thrive.  Help us assist more clients with gluten free and allergy friendly food with a donation today.

* Client name changed to protect privacy

The S.A.F.E. Food Pantry is finishing off October with a bang.  With three events in three days, our goal to spread awareness about the need for gluten free and allergy-friendly food for those in need is truly happening.
 
On Thursday, October 26, Dr. Donna DeCosta from FoodASC was our featured speaker at our quarterly Food for Thought session.  Her talk on The 3 E's to Empowerment: Passing the Food Allergy Baton covered the main topics to Evaluate, Educate, and Equip children who have food allergies.  These tips also apply to parents of those with celiac disease and other related medical conditions as well as adults.  For more information on this talk, please visit: www.foodasc.com/safe.  While you are there, don’t forget to sign up to join the Food ASC community.
 
Our fall gluten free and allergy friendly food drive took place on Saturday, October 28 at the Giant Food in Clarksville, Maryland.  We were fortunate to have sunny yet cool weather as we embarked on our quarterly community food drive.  We appreciate our new and returning donors for making our food drive a success.  If you would still like to donate, you can:

• Donate $10 or $20 for a gluten free or allergy friendly basket
  
• Drop off food at One Dish Cuisine during their business hours.  There is a plastic box just inside the front door.
• Contact us for a pick up
  
• Send a check to our mailing address:  S.A.F.E. Food Pantry, 9770 Patuxent Woods, Suite 316, Columbia, MD  21046
  

Thank you to our phenomenal food drive volunteers: Allan, Ivette, June, Stephanie, and Tiffany for making this happen as well as our food drive committee team members: Kerry, Libby, Michael, and Monique.
 
Also, on Saturday, October 28, our Youth Fighting Hunger team was invited to the Cel-Kids Halloween Party in Baltimore.  Our youth ambassador, Lily, spoke about her experiences conducting a food drive for her bat mitzvah.  We are so lucky to have Lily and her mom, Sara, as part of our team.  They developed the Youth Fighting Hunger- Allergy Friendly Food Drive how-to guide and customizable flyer.  Tiffany was also there to talk about the organization and food drive opportunities. 
 
We would love to have you join our team as a food drive volunteer.  There are many different opportunities:

• Youth Fighting Hunger–Allergy Friendly Food Drive – geared toward our middle and high schoolers as an opportunity to collect food from neighbors, friends and the community while earning service hours
• Community – lead a community food drive on behalf of S.A.F.E. Food Pantry as a project manager
• Workplace – oversee a gluten free and allergy friendly food drive at your place of business

If you are interested in any of these opportunities or would like to create a food drive opportunity for your group, please visit http://www.safefoodpantry.org/food-drive.html for more information or to sign up.

I had my bat mitzvah earlier this year, and for my project, I wanted to do something to help people who can’t eat gluten because I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I was 2.  I decided to help S.A.F.E. because it is the only gluten free food pantry in Maryland. I’m fortunate enough to have gluten free food whenever I need, but for people who rely on food pantries and are gluten free, they have limited options. To help, I organized a neighborhood food drive where I left bags at houses and returned the following week to collect donations. The project was super easy and fun at the same time.  I was surprised to see how many people donated food, and in total I collected 146 lbs of gluten free food.

Traveling with lots of food allergies can definitely be troublesome. In essence, we who have food allergies are trusting people we have never met and who may not be aware of how devastating food allergies can be to get us a healthy meal. We can do our part by being specific, but if the people on the other end don't take it seriously, or the waitperson doesn't relay all the information, it's up to us to ferret out whether we should enjoy a meal at a particular place from obscure signals and Hercule Poirot-type clues. So here are some tips for eating safe while traveling:

• Call ahead and ask if the restaurant can accommodate food allergies. If you are transferred to a manager, that's a point in their favor.
• Don't assume because it's a four-star restaurant that you can get what you need. Always call ahead and talk to a manager or the chef.
• If the person on the phone suggests you look at the menu online to see what you can have, choose another restaurant. They don't have a clue and probably haven't been trained to address food allergies.
• Choose a time to eat during which restaurants are not likely to be slammed. You don't want a rushed, stressed chef to be annoyed that he has a customer whose meal is requiring extra time when he is already backed up.
• Make up business cards with your allergies and carry them with you. Give one to the waitperson and ask them to attach it to your order. That alerts everyone in the kitchen they can't handle your food like everyone else's.
• Ask the waitperson to tell the staff that, before they touch your food, they are to put on fresh gloves. There are times when you may need to explain about the danger of cross-contamination.
• Be clear on what "nothing" means. Kris once ordered a burger with "nothing" on it. The burger came out on a glutenous bun with no condiments, such as ketchup, lettuce, pickles, etc. She had to explain that "nothing" was defined as "nothing," and throughout the rest of the meal, it became a joke with the waitress on how much "nothing" she was ordering.
• Watch the waitperson when you're explaining all this, and if you see his/her eyes glaze over, ask to see a manager. If the manager displays the same "eye problem," find a different restaurant.
• Confirm when your food comes to you that it has been prepared exactly as you requested--be specific.
• If your food comes out of the kitchen with sauce or oils you didn't ask for, it would be safer to not eat there at all. The extras on the plate are a signal that somebody in the kitchen doesn't understand the dangers of food allergies. Trying to educate them at this point may not be successful if they didn't "get it" the first time.
• While we expect people to be able to follow instructions, don't be disappointed when they don't. Remember that dealing with your meal may be a critical learning experience for them and you may be paving the way for others who will follow.
• Always have "Plan B" in case "Plan A" doesn't work out well--such as another restaurant choice nearby or alternate food choice.

Eating out can be a challenge. It can be even more so while traveling to a new destination. With patience, some research and advanced contact, dining out can be an enjoyable experience. Bon appetit!

In honor of Celiac Awareness Month, the S.A.F.E. Food Pantry is hosting a gluten free and allergy friendly food drive at the Giant Food, 6050 Daybreak Circle, Clarksville, MD on Saturday, May 6 from 10AM-1PM.  We are accepting nonperishable food donations for our dedicated shelf space at the Howard County Food Bank.  We also appreciate monetary donations as they provide us with funding to purchase necessary items.
 
Another option for donating food is through our basket program where we do the shopping for you.  Help families in need who struggle with food allergies, celiac disease, and similar health issues eat safely by purchasing gluten free and allergy friendly food baskets:
 
$10 Gluten Free Pasta Meal
•  Nature’s Promise Gluten Free Pasta
•  Schar Gluten Free Rolls
•  Francesco Rinaldi’s Zesty Tomato Sauce
 
$10 Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly Sides
•  3 Giant Canned Vegetables
•  Giant Applesauce
•  Schar Gluten Free Rolls
 
$20 Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly Sides Deluxe
•  6 Giant Canned Vegetables
•  Giant Brown Rice
•  Giant Dried Beans
•  Giant Applesauce
•  Bob’s Red Mill Cornbread Mix
•  Giant Coconut Oil
•  Nature’s Promise Dairy Free Milk
 
Please indicate in the comments which basket(s) you would like to donate.

Keep in mind that One Dish Cuisine, located in Ellicott City, is a permanent food collection point during their business hours.  Look for the sealed, plastic tote in the front of the café. 
 
Our clients and we appreciate your generosity!

As an all-volunteer organization, SAFE could not accomplish its mission without those of you who volunteer time, attention and effort to perform all the necessary functions to serve our clients. Know that everything you do - helping with administrative work, collecting food items, communicating with the public – contributes to the strength and vitality of the S.A.F.E. Food Pantry. Our clients just know that they are able to get food that allows them to stay healthy. We at SAFE know that is possible because of you. Thank you for being the driving force behind SAFE. We could not do it without you!    

If you haven't joined our volunteer team yet, it's not too late!  We just posted different opportunities on The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County for your consideration or visit our Volunteer page for general information.