Jeffie's Choice: Second Harvest Foodbank

Jeffie’s Choice, Inc., through Mariner Finance, collected funds through Jeans Day donations for our Tennessee community.  We were able to donate $1,500.00 to the Second Harvest Foodbank on Thursday, September 7, 2018.

Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission is to lead the community in the fight to end hunger. It is the East Tennessee region’s largest hunger-relief charity, operating programs in 18 counties. The food bank secures and distributes more than 18 million pounds of food and grocery products annually through a network of over 550 partnering nonprofit organizations such as food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and schools.

Pictured from left to right: Michael Torano - Director of Development at Second Harvest, Wes Killion - Branch Manager of Mariner Knoxville West location

Jeffie's Choice: Philabundance

Jeffie’s Choice, Inc., through Mariner Finance, collected funds through Jeans Day donations for our Pennsylvania community.  We were able to donate $1,500.00 to the Philabundance Foodbank on Thursday, July 19, 2018.

In 1984 Philabundance was founded by an idealist named Pamela Rainey Lawler who saw perfectly good food going to waste, and, at the same time, saw people going hungry.

What started out as a small food rescue organization operating out of a Subaru, 30+ years later, is an innovative, impactful and collaborative organization distributing more than 24 million pounds of food a year to those in need.

Pictured from left to right: Claudia Grant - Writer and Researcher, Evan - Senior Manager Development Services, John Burke -BM NE Philadelphia, Alyse - Graphic Designer & Cheyenne - Associate, Sustainability

Jeffie's Choice: Mid Year Food Drive Donations to Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina

Pictured Left to Right: Mariner Finance employees Dawn Pastorius, Liz Smith, Terry Graham, Chassidy Cunningham, LaNina Armstrong, and Jeff Zuch delivered donations collected at their branches in May for the Mid-Year Food Drive.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018, Chassidy Cunningham and her team of branch managers had the awesome opportunity to hand deliver the Jeffie’s Choice food donations from our Mid-Year Food Drive to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. As a district, we donated 105 pounds of food which provided 88 meals to families in need in our area.

Today, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has provided food for people at risk of hunger in 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina for more than 35 years. The Food Bank is a network of more than 800 partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and programs for children and adults through distribution centers. In fiscal year 2014-2015, the Food Bank distributed more than 57.2 million pounds of food and non-food essentials through these agencies. Unfortunately, food insecurity remains a problem with more than 630,000 people struggling to access nutritious and adequate amounts of food.

Jeffie’s Choice: Volunteer Week

Pictured left to right: Josh Johnson – President & CEO (Founding Member of Jeffie’s Choice); Amy Chase – Maryland Food Bank; Elizabeth Rhome – AVP Audit (Founding Member of Jeffie’s Choice); Bill Bartholomay – 2018 Jeffie’s Choice Executive Sponsor

Jeffie’s Choice, Inc., through Mariner Finance, participated in Volunteer Week this year at the Maryland Food Bank.  49 employees donated their time at the food bank preparing and packaging food.  Headquarters also collected and delivered 172 food items as part of the mid-year food drive.

682,280 individuals in Maryland report food insecurity which translates to about 1 in 9. With today’s stagnant wages and increasing cost of living, individuals are working full time and still struggling to put food on the table. 33% of food insecure individuals in the area earn too much to qualify for federal or state relief, which means there are thousands of food insecure Marylanders who rely solely on the food bank and other hunger relief agencies to meet this basic need.

In conjunction with Warburg Pincus, Mariner Finance donated $2,500.00 to the Maryland Food Bank.  That equals 7,500 additional meals for those in need! You can read more about our Volunteer week on the Mariner Finance Blog. 

Jeffies Choice Volunteer Week 2018

Mariner Finance: Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank

On April 24, 2018, Mariner Finance Assistant Manager Nicole Parker (left) and Branch Manager Cameron Coulson (right) of the Fredericksburg, VA branch delivered a $1,500 donation to Dayna Klein (middle) at the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. The Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank helps to provide nutritious food to over 34,000 people through the network of more than 70 partner agencies and 90 program partners in the community. Established in 1982, the idea was to re-distribute food through retail and wholesale food outlets. During that first winter, the facility distributed 13,000 pounds of food to those in need. In 2016, the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank collected and distributed over 3.8 million pounds of food and other grocery products. The donation, made possible by Mariner Finance and Jeffie’s Choice, provided over 3,000 meals to those in need in the Fredericksburg, SC area.

Mariner Finance: God's Pantry Food Bank

Mariner Finance representatives Gary Smith and Joe Keys are thanked by God’s Pantry Food Bank CEO Michael J. Halligan for their generous gift to feed hungry neighbors in Central and Eastern Kentucky.

Gary Smith and Joe Keys of Mariner Finance visited God’s Pantry Food Bank in Lexington, KY to deliver a $1,500 donation on April 20, 2018.  In 1955, community activist Mim Hunt began distributing food out of her basement to those in need, and throughout the years her small effort grew into the large-scale hunger relief organization that God’s Pantry Food Bank is today. God’s Pantry Food Bank is a member of the 200+ food banks that make up Feeding America. They are also a member of the Kentucky Association of Food Banks working with other Kentucky Food Banks to maximize effectiveness throughout the state of Kentucky. With every $1 provided, God’s Pantry Food Bank can gather and distribute enough food to create 8 meals. Mariner’s gift through Jeffie’s Choice is already at work providing 12,000 meals to hungry children, seniors and families in 50 Central and Eastern counties.

Mariner Finance: Community Action Services and Food Bank

Pictured left to right: Karen, Community Action Services and Food Bank; David Hartshorn, Mariner Finance Branch Manager in Orem, UT; Dave, Community Action Services and Food Bank

Friday, April 13, 2018, Mariner Finance collected funds through Jeans Day donations for our Utah community.  We were able to donate $1,500.00 to the Community Action Services and Food Bank. This donation provided 4,500 – 6,000 meals for those in need!

Community Action Services and Food Bank is the second largest food bank in Utah. Last year, nearly 5 million pounds of food were collected and distributed by the food bank to partner agencies throughout Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties. Community Action Services and Food Bank offers other services such as financial education, home buyer education, a culinary kitchen for small business owners just starting out and much more!

Mariner Finance: Food Bank of North Alabama

Angie Doran, Branch Manager of Mariner Finance in Huntsville, Alabama, delivered a $1,500 donation to Laura Fincher at The Food Bank of North Alabama on January 18th, 2018.  

The Food Bank of North Alabama started with a small group of committed volunteers in 1984 by borrowing a desk from the Huntsville Madison County Senior Center and making calls to local farmers. The food bank provides 8.5 million pounds of food a year to a network of over 240 food pantries, shelters, and children’s programs to 11 counties in North Alabama. With donations like this, the food bank is able to feed over 80,000 people at risk of hunger each year.

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.