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Welcome to Grant Mathematics 101.
In the case of Spokane Valley Partners – formerly Spokane Valley Community Center and Food Bank – the latest equation has to do with a $260,000 gift from the state of Washington that is earmarked for the construction of a new food storage warehouse next to the main food bank building at 10814 E. Broadway.
Now all SVP has to do is generate $90,000 in matching funds.
For Don Kaufman, SVP development director, the task is to get the word out about the benefits of the storage facility, a 4,300-square-foot space that, when built, would be a significant boon to a food bank that distributed more than 973,000 pounds of food to over 30,000 local residents in 2007.
A food storage warehouse is scheduled to be built in this area in front of the food bank at Spokane Valley Partners. The organization is hoping to generate $90,000 as part of a state matching grant that will provide $260,000 for the project.
“We could provide a lot more nutritional foods if we had more storage,” Kaufman said.
Another plus is the ratio of $2.88 in state funds for every $1 raised by SVP, a percentage that Kaufman described as “a great investment.”
The emphasis on community investment is on ongoing theme at this organization, founded in 1987 with a goal of providing less fortunate individuals and families with financial support, educational opportunities and lasting stability.
Mollie Dalpae, who served as the center’s executive director from 1998 to 2006, helped coordinate a series of fund-raising events that continues to support the organization’s mission. When Dalpae first started, the center had only one fund-raising project in place – a phone-a-thon held twice a year. Over time, a golf tournament, quilt show and bow-tie dinner were added to the schedule.
Later this month, SVP will sponsor the latest rendition of the bow-tie dinner, a $125-a-plate event to be held at Decades in University City on Saturday, March 29. An array of prizes will be distributed throughout the night, including a $4,000 travel voucher from Triple A.
When Kaufman joined the staff at SVP last April, the organization was gearing up for the ninth annual golf tournament in July as well as the bow-tie dinner that was held in June until the date was changed this year. The golf event, held at Meadowwood Golf Course in Liberty Lake, generates funds specifically for the center’s emergency assistance program which provided over $86,000 in help with power bills last year.
In a year with SVP, Kaufman said he has been impressed with the generosity of residents in giving to the cause. Local businesses, on the other hand, have been slower to respond.
“What I’ve learned is that citizens in the Valley are generous,” Kaufman said. “Businesses have not been as generous as we’d hoped they’d be, but that’s starting to improve.”
Around 43 percent of SVP’s annual budget comes through donations. Kaufman said that starting this year, the organization will substitute one of it quarterly newsletters with an annual report that will provide a description of each program and how funds are distributed. In addition to the food bank, SVP houses a clothing bank, women and infants health center, emergency assistance department and sponsors a variety of annual programs including Coats for Kids, a Christmas gift distribution and Smart Start back-to-school supply drive.
With the recent closure of the St. Vincent DePaul food bank, Kaufman has been made aware of around 150 households that will likely be referred to SVP for assistance. Currently, the food bank has general distribution on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Food is handed out to disabled residents on Thursday by appointment from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. True to the center’s ongoing educational mission, smart cooking classes are on the schedule each Wednesday.
A variety of other programs either call the center home or drop by to provide counseling and support for area residents. The list includes organizations like Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs, ESD 101 and Lutheran Community Services which offers help for victims of domestic violence and abuse.
When it comes to educating the public about the benefits of supporting SVP and its various programs, Kaufman talks about the ripple effect of helping residents establish lives of stability. There has been discussion of establishing a leadership council, comprised of business and civic representatives, that would promote the message on a wider basis.
“If you can talk to potential donors for 20 minutes about how many people we help, then people get it,” he said. “There’s some neat work being done here.”
Want to find out more?
Spokane Valley Partners is located at 10814 E. Broadway and can be reached by calling 927-1153. Website: www.svpart.org
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By
Craig Howard
