Mariner Finance: Lowcountry Food Bank

Pictured from left to right: Kathryn Douglas - Chief Advancement Officer of Lowcountry Food Bank; Melvenia Greene– Branch Manager of Mariner Finance in Charleston, South Carolina

On January 12, 2018, Mariner Finance Branch Manager, Melvenia Greene, delivered a $1,500 donation to the Lowcountry Food Bank to help the food insecure in the Lowcountry Region of South Carolina.   

In 2017, Lowcountry Food Bank distributed over 28 million pounds of food among their 300 partner agencies serving 200,000 people. 97% of charitable dollars were spent on programs and services provided by the food bank and over 43,000 volunteer hours aided in the success of this program.

Mariner Finance: The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana

Pictured from left to right: Tammy Washington – Branch Manager of Mariner Finance in Shreveport, LA; Meg Coleman – Development Director of Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana

On January 9, 2018, Tammy Washington of Mariner Finance presented Meg Coleman at The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana a check donation for $1,500 as well as 42 lbs. of food collected from the Annual Hands on Hunger Food Drive. Each dollar donated is the equivalent to $10 in food value.

The mission of the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana is to serve as a primary resource for fighting hunger in the region. Since their start in 1995, the food bank has grown into the largest distributor of donated food in the state. Local food donations from businesses like ours play a large role in supplying the food needed to provide 9 million pounds of food distributed to 75,000 people last year.

Mariner Finance: Food Bank of Central New York

The Foodbank of Central New York was selected to receive a $1,500 donation from Jeffie’s Choice.  Ali Chaudhry and Eric Foss of Mariner Finance had the wonderful opportunity to deliver the check along with all the canned goods that branch collected during the December 2017 food drive.  The operations & donations managers of the Food Bank of Central NY were nice enough to give a tour and share all the wonderful things they have going on at their NEW facility right outside Syracuse. 

Eric and Ali delivered the donation to the Food Bank of Central NY.

This is the new 35,000 sq. ft. facility just outside Syracuse; their trucks make daily deliveries to hundreds of local food shelters, church organizations and ‘soup kitchens’ every day!  On a typical cold & snowy winter day in Syracuse, you can imagine how important this service is to so many people in need.

An impressive food bank that services 11 counties in central and northern NY requires a lot of food as seen in this photo. Food Bank staff explain how a foodbank with only a handful of employees is able to ensure no food goes to waste with an impressive inventory management system!

The extraordinary service area of the Food Bank of Central New York is featured above.  Think about how much food is needed DAILY to feed an area that size!!

Mariner Finance: Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

On January 2, 2018, Greg Higgerson, on behalf of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central FL, accepted a $4,000 donation delivered by Mariner Finance’s Michael Hiti, Tatiana Pacheco and Sal Scaffidi to help with the immediate needs from Hurricane Irma.

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida collects stores and distributes donated food to more than 550 feeding partners in six Central Florida counties. Last year, with the help of numerous donors, volunteers and caring, committed community, the food bank distributed nearly 56 million meals to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, senior centers, day care centers and Kids Cafes.

Second Harvest also transforms lives for economically-challenged adults by offering an 18-week culinary training program to place graduates into ‘better-than-minimum-wage jobs’.

Mariner Finance: Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina

On December 28th, 2017, Jeff Zuch and Eric Todd of Mariner Finance visited the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC  to deliver a $1,500 donation to staff at the Food Bank.

Established in 1980, the Food Bank is a nonprofit organization that has provided food for people at risk of hunger in 34 counties over 35 years. It is a network partner of more than 800 partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and programs for children and adults through distribution centers in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, the Sandhills and Wilmington. Sadly, food insecurity remains a serious problem in central and eastern North Carolina. In these counties, more than 630,000 people are struggling to access nutritious and adequate amounts of necessary food for a healthy life.

Mariner Finance: Houston Food Bank

On December 18, 2017 Mariner Finance employees Elizabeth Rico, Kenneth Poirrier, Karina Rivera and Eduardo Jaen met with Carrie (pictured middle) of the Houston Food Bank to deliver a $4,000 donation to help with those affected by extreme weather in the region. This donation was able to provide 12,000 meals to the hungry.

The Houston Food Bank distributes 83 million nutritious meals through its network of 600 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other hunger relief charities in southeast Texas, feeding 800,000 individuals each year. In 2015, the Houston Food Bank was presented with the highest honor given to one food bank among the 200 Feeding America members across the U.S., Food Bank of the Year!

Jeffie’s Choice: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN

Pictured are Anne Rodriguez and Phillip Nevils of Mariner Finance delivering a $1,500 donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN on December 12, 2017. Amanda M. Richard (Pictured center, Corporate Partnerships Manager of Second Harvest Food Bank) graciously accepted the donation.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN opened its doors in 1978 with commitment from several community leaders and people who wished to help provide food for hungry people in Middle Tennessee. Second Harvest was designed to collect food that would otherwise be wasted, inspect and sort this food then distribute to soup kitchens, pantries, and shelters serving the hungry. During the first year, total distributions of 160,000 pounds of food were delivered to 75 member agencies. During the 2016/2017 fiscal year, Second Harvest distributed more than 32 million pounds of food to more than 490 partner agencies providing more than 26 million meals of food to hungry people throughout the 46-county service area.

Pioneer Credit Company and Mariner Finance: Chattanooga Area Food Bank

Left to right: Gina Crumbliss , President and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, and Emily Beaty-Hildebrand, Pioneer Credit Company Marketing

On Thursday, August 4th, a representative from Pioneer Credit Company presented a donation of $1,500 to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. The food bank provides 13.3 million pounds of food annually to those who live below the poverty line in the Chattanooga area. With programs specifically for hungry children and seniors, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank is active in its community to help fight hunger. This food bank is also one of three food banks in the nation distributing fresh milk to its clients. For every $5 donated, the food bank can provide 20 meals to hungry mouths. That means that Jeffie’s Choice, in partnership with Mariner Finance and Pioneer Credit Company, provided approximately 6,000 meals for people in the Chattanooga area!

Food banks like the Chattanooga Area Food Bank couldn’t be this successful without the help of dedicated volunteers. If you’re wondering how you can get involved, you’ve come to the right place. At Jeffie’s Choice, we work to pair eager volunteers with accredited organizations such as the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. If you’re passionate about ending hunger and are looking for where to start, simply email info@jeffieschoice.org and we will put you in contact with a credible food bank or other association in need of your help. 

Mariner Finance: Angel Park Donation

Bud Szczybor, in orange, with Angel Park volunteers during one of the community build days.

Mariner Finance, in partnership with Jeffie’s Choice, donated a wheelchair-friendly picnic table to Angel Park. Angel Park is a playground being built in Perry Hall, MD that has special meaning to long-time Mariner Finance employee Anthony – better known as Bud around the office – Szczybor and his family. They were inspired to build this park after losing Bud’s grandson, 15-month old Ryan, to leukemia 18 years ago. Angel Park, which is currently in the final stages of construction and is set to open by the end of August, will be a place for handicapped children and their families to laugh, play, and have fun. The park is entirely built and supported by the community, with over 4,000 volunteers spending 10 days building the park. Mariner Finance and Jeffie’s Choice are pleased to have the opportunity to donate to the Szczybor’s cause and help Angel Park become a reality.

Mariner Finance HQ: Maryland Food Bank Volunteer Event

Thanks to their partnership with Jeffie’s Choice, Mariner Finance HQ employees recently spent the afternoon on Monday, June 13th volunteering their time at the Maryland Food Bank. Located right near Baltimore, the Maryland Food Bank donates roughly 44 million meals each year throughout 21 counties in Maryland. Our volunteers spent their time packing food into boxes for the My Groceries to Go! program, which provides low-income seniors with the food they need to stay healthy and nutritious. These monthly supply boxes include fruits and veggies as well as pasta, cereal, soup, milk, juice, and canned goods. Volunteers formed an assembly line to pack the boxes, ensuring that each box received the proper amounts of food and were ready to ship off to various pick-up locations. All of our volunteers had a great time! Mariner Finance is grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Maryland Food Bank to help serve our community.

Wishing you could get involved, too? Here at Jeffie’s Choice, we work to pair volunteers with accredited organizations such as the Maryland Food Bank. We know it can be overwhelming to want to help or volunteer but not know where to start. If you’re passionate about ending hunger and want to know where you can make a difference, simply email info@jeffieschoice.org and we will put you in contact with a credible food bank or other association that needs an extra set of hands. 

Mariner Finance: Volunteer Week

Mariner Finance employees Brooke Smith, HR Generalist, and Justin Kellam, VP of Central Credit, showed children the importance of eating healthy by planting herbs and plants. Mariner Finance employee Celie Neville, Reverse Mortgage Consultant, is helping a student with his homework. 

Through Mariner Finance's corporate partnership with Jeffie's Choice, they were able to participate in Volunteer Week! HQ team members visited the St. Francis Neighborhood Center, which is located in Baltimore City, and provides services for the Reservoir Hill neighborhood. The center sponsors a variety of programs that aid the residents from the surrounding community. An after school program, wellness clinics, adult education, narcotics anonymous, and a grocery bag program are just some of the many programs the center offers. Over the course of two days, Mariner Finance headquarters volunteered with one of these programs. The “Power Program” which is an after school program from 3-6pm where attention is focused on mentoring, education, and the arts for children 5-14 years old. Volunteers from Mariner Finance helped with homework and created activities and lessons for approximately 50 children each day. These activities included teaching personal finance and the importance of saving as well as healthy eating by planting herbs and flowers in a community garden. The Mariner Finance team was grateful for the opportunity to serve such an amazing organization in the Baltimore community. 

Pioneer Credit Company and Mariner Finance: Harvest Hope Food Bank

Left to Right: Mary Louise Resch, Government Relations and Grants Manager at the Harvest Hope Food Bank and Jake Harper, Assistant Manager of the Pioneer Credit Company West Colombia, SC branch.

On April 28th, a representative from Pioneer Credit presented the Harvest Hope Food Bank a check for $1,500. Beginning in 1981 as an emergency food box program, Harvest Hope Food Bank is now a regional distribution program that collects, stores and distributes food and related items to more than 450 non-profit agencies engaged in feeding needy, elderly and ill families and children throughout central South Carolina. They sponsor a senior food program, a mobile food pantry, and a nutrition education program! Last year they donated 28 million pounds of food across 20 counties in South Carolina. That’s approximately feeding 38,000 people a week! Harvest Hope also serves as South Carolina’s primary disaster hunger relief emergency feeding organization and provides food in case of a natural or manmade disaster.

Pioneer Credit Company and Mariner Finance: East Texas Food Bank

Left to right: Jim Zachary, Branch Manager of the Pioneer Credit Company Tyler, TX branch, and Kali Rocco, Community Engagement and Special Event Coordinator at the East Texas Food Bank.

On Wednesday April 6th, a representative from Pioneer Credit Company presented the East Texas Food Bank a check for $1,500. Since October 1988, the East Texas Food Bank has provided food through 200 non-profit partner agencies throughout 26 counties in East Texas. The foodbank sponsors programs such as a backpack program, a summer food program for children, a senior box program, a mobile pantry, and even a nutrition education program. Jeffie’s Choice, with the partnership of Pioneer Credit Company and Mariner Finance, donated approximately 12,000 meals to those East Texas residents in need.

After receiving a tour of the facility Jim Zachary, Branch Manager of Pioneer Credit Company Tyler, TX branch, stated that the donation was very worthwhile and would further enhance the foodbanks ability to fight hunger in East Texas. The East Texas Food Bank is a member of the Feeding America network and serves roughly 252,900 clients. In 2015, they provided over 18,200,000 meals to the East Texas community. 

The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, LA

Left to right: Stephen Richard, Branch Manager of the Pioneer Credit Company Baton Rouge, LA branch, Mike Manning the President and CEO of the Baton Rouge Foodbank, and Rita McMillian, Customer Service Representative in the Pioneer Credit Company Baton Rouge, LA branch.

On Tuesday, March 1st, representatives from Jeffie’s Choice, Inc., through Mariner Finance, presented The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank a check for $1,500. In 2015, the food bank donated around 8.7 million meals to the surrounding community, where 17 percent of its population is at, or below, the poverty line. The food bank boasts successful senior and children programs as well as a mobile food pantry. Upon receiving a tour of the facility Stephen Richard, Branch Manager of the Pioneer Credit Baton Rouge branch stated that, “it is amazing to see what they do there”. Every dollar donated provides around 5 meals to the Baton Rouge community. Who would have thought that by employees wearing jeans across the company, together we donated roughly 7,500 meals to those in need!

Jeffie’s Choice: Dare to Care food bank

Jessica Stumler (right), Branch Manager in Hurstbourne, KY, dropped off the donation check on December 21, 2015

On December 21, 2015, a representative from Jeffie’s Choice, Inc., through Mariner Finance, presented a $1,500 to the food bank Dare to Care located in Louisville, KY. After the death of a local 9 year old boy from malnutrition, Dare to Care was started with the goal of eradicating hunger in the Kentucky-Indiana community. The food bank sponsors a number of programs targeted for children and older adults, as well as a mobile pantry which brings fresh foods to neighborhoods in isolated pockets of need. The Cooking Matters Program, hosted by Dare to Care, encourages families to eat healthier through meal preparation classes. Since its founding in 1969, the food bank has provided over 16 million meals to the surrounding community through partnerships with over 300 agencies in and around Kentucky.

Pioneer Credit Company: The Golden Harvest Food Bank of Augusta

Frances Darnell, Manager of the Augusta, GA Pioneer Credit Company Branch and Melissa Brown, Development Officer for Golden Harvest Food Bank of Augusta

Through Jeffie’s choice, Pioneer Credit Company employee Frances Darnell had the opportunity to present the Golden Harvest Food Bank of Augusta, Georgia with a $1,500 check on February 16, 2016. The food bank has many unique programs such as a backpack program for children, a senior food box program, a mobile food pantry, and a self-run soup kitchen. The Golden Harvest food bank is a member of the Feeding America network and has provided food for over 11 million people since its inception 33 years ago. 

Mariner Finance and Pioneer Credit Company: Second Harvest Food Bank of North Tennessee

From left to right: Donny Gentry, Branch Manager of Pioneer Credit Kingsport Branch, Rhonda P. Chafin, Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of North East Tennessee, Scott Denton, Branch Manager of Mariner Finance Bristol Branch.

On November 24th, representatives from Mariner Finance and Pioneer Credit Company presented a $1,500 check to the Second Harvest Food Bank of North East Tennessee through their corporate partnership with Jeffie’s Choice. The foodbank cares for 82,400 unique clients annually, of which 22,359 are children. The foodbank sponsors a Kids Café and a Food for Kids Backpack program that are specifically designed to help those children in need. Every dollar donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of North East Tennessee is equivalent to 3.57 meals for the program. The donation Mariner Finance and Pioneer Credit Company made translates into 5,355 meals for the local community!

2015 Food Drive Results

Jeffie’s Choice hosted their 1st annual food drive! Through corporate partnerships with Mariner Finance, Pioneer Credit Company, and The Strategic Factory (corporate sponsor), everyone worked together reach the collection goal of 7,000 nonperishable food items across their footprint during the month of November.

We are ecstatic to announce, across the branch network alone, 11,924 items were collected! Pioneer Credit Company’s Home Office in Tennessee had 885 items and Mariner Finance HQ in Maryland had 1,404 items. Together they will be donating 14,213 items and thanks to The Strategic Factory a monetary donation as well!

Donations were allocated out through their local communities by using Meals on Wheels and Feeding America’s food bank locators. Together the companies were able to reach 19 states and directly make an impact in the areas they work and reside. 

Thank you to all that participated. If you have any further questions please contact info@jeffieschoice.org. 

Mariner Finance: West Ohio Food Bank

Rodney Coffey, AVP of the NW Ohio-Indianapolis Region, Linda Hamilton, CEO of the West Ohio Food Bank, and Regina Borja-Floyd, Lima, OH’s Branch Manager

On September 4th Mariner Finance hosted a Jeans Day to support the Ohio community! On October 26th, employees presented a $1,500 check through our corporate partnership with Jeffie’s Choice. This food bank is unique as they help provide over 170 entities with food to stock pantries, provide goods to soup kitchens and shelters! They have programs in place for senior citizens and children to be sure they have access to nutritious meals. This includes delivering the goods to those who cannot make it out to pick up them up.

1st Annual Food Drive

Looking for a way to give back this holiday season? Jeffie’s Choice is hosting their 1st annual food drive for the entire month of November!

How can you get involved?
Collect as many non-perishable food items as you possible. This includes canned foods such as vegetables, soup or tuna, peanut butter packets, and more! (Note: Food banks do not accept expired goods or products without ingredients listed on the label. See other exclusions here). Next, find your local food bank through Feeding America’s Local Food Bank locator, and drop off your donation at your convenience.

Encourage your friends and family to get involved! If you have any further questions please contact info@jeffieschoice.org.