Due to the decrease in funding in the recent months, the MCNC is in a current deficit and is seeking large quantities of items for the food pantry. Just to fill the shelves through the summer months, the cost is nearly $10,000. With the loss of over $30,000 in funding, your contributions are in urgent need! 

Pictured below is a photo of items donated by the Plymouth Public Library and 3M just ONE WEEK AGO! Items were overflowing at that time and, seven days later, are now depleted. Serving over 1200 families in our county, there is an urgent need for more items to be replenished. Will you and your large group lead a food drive to help? 

MCNC is seeking companies, service organizations, youth groups, students and ministries to lead up efforts for a food drive. You may contact Sarah Hendrix for details on the types of food items they are needing at the time of your drive. She also has some great ideas on how to motivate your team for a successful drive. Call Sarah today to discuss the details of your large group's food drive at 936-3388.   

For the past few years, MCNC has depended on a major ($9000) grant from FEMA in order to purchase the majority of the food for the food pantry. This year, FEMA is not renewing this funding and we are left with a huge gap to fill. Any of the following items that you can donate are much appreciated along with any case donations...we can purchase food from the food bank at only 18-27 cents on the pound for most items! Thank you!

Priority Food Pantry Needs

Jelly
Rice
Mac and Cheese
Canned Tuna
Canned Chicken
Spaghetti Noodles
Spaghetti Sauce
Instant Potatoes
Pancake Mix
Syrup
Peanut Butter
Cereal
Hamburger Helper
Tuna Helper
Ground Beef
Corn Muffin Mix
Bar Soap
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Diapers
Formula
Baby Food
Toilet Paper
Laundry Detergent
Dish Soap
Priority Clothing Pantry Needs
Children’s Socks
Baby Clothes (all sizes)
Toddler Clothing (all Sizes)
Girls Clothes 6-14
Boys Clothes 6-14
Plus Size Clothing
Maternity Clothing
Men’s Clothing
*Don’t forget, you can bring in your new/used Halloween Costumes at any time for use in our Recycled Halloween Program.

A common question we get at the Neighborhood Center is
“What can a client buy with food stamps?”

It is a common misconception that clients can purchase everything they need with food stamps. However, this isn’t true. Food stamps can be used to purchase food items only. Food stamps cannot be used to purchase any of the following

Toilet Paper
Deodorant
Soap/Body Wash
Laundry Detergent
Dish Soap
Feminine Hygiene
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Shampoo
Conditioner
Cleaning Supplies
Paper Towels

It is often very easy for us to view poverty and its symptoms as being caused by one thing: lack of finances. However, this view is too limited and simply isn’t true. If you have worked in the social service field long you will hear very opposing stories...one of a family who came into some money and was able to use that to help them permanently exit poverty and one who came into some money, blew it all, and remains in poverty. So...what makes the first family different from the second?

Resources…and not just financial resources. There are many resources that a person needs to be able to achieve and sustain a movement from poverty to the “middle class”. During our study of Bridges Out of Poverty, the following eleven resources were mentioned:

Financial

Emotional

Mental

Spiritual

Physical (Health)

Support Systems

Relationships

Knowledge of Hidden Rules

Integrity

Motivation

Over the next year, we will be highlighting each of these resources in our newsletters and through our electronic impact letters as well as on our Facebook and I Heart Plymouth page...stay tuned!

Last year, MCNC served 4,308 individuals….70% of those people were from Plymouth.

We are proud to have served so many of our neighbors here in Plymouth, but there are so many more people that can be helped throughout Marshall County.

One of our goals in 2011 is to reach out to our friends outside of Plymouth. We want people in Culver, Bourbon, Bremen, Argos, Lapaz and all those other small towns to know that we are here, we care about them and their community, and we will help in any way we can.

We are currently making plans to attend local festivals and fairs throughout the summer and fall. We want to spend time reaching out to your communities and we are excited at the chance to do so through these celebrations.

As with anything that MCNC does, we cannot do this alone. As we build more and better relationships with our clients in these outlying towns we know that we will inevitably encounter newer and bigger difficulties in making sure that everyone has equal access to the services they need. We anticipate one of these needs to be transportation and are looking for partner organizations or businesses willing to help transport people from your town to MCNC once a week.  

You can help us by letting those in need know we are here. Also, if you know of anyone who may be interested in learning more about MCNC and how they can support us, please help us connect with them. As always, you make us “The Heart of the Neighborhood”.

- Sarah Hendrix, Executive Director
At the heart of our organization is the desire to truly impact someone’s life. This month, I want to share a letter we received from one of our ongoing Case Management clients. She came to us about a year ago and soon after joined the Case Management program. She has consistently worked toward meeting her long term goals and is a volunteer at MCNC. We are proud to serve her and her family.

“ In the past year, I have seen changes in my family as well as myself. MCNC has helped with food, clothing, and the holidays. MCNC has encouraged me to stop focusing on the negative and switch to the positive. I have been given hope that led me to be more stable and independent. She (Sara Hill) has taken the time to run errands for me to obtain a job. I didn’t (haven’t) gotten hired, however, Sara says, ‘they don’t know what they’re missing’. MCNC believes in  you when you do not. You feel at ease and confident in your life choices. I thank God, He has sent MCNC and Sara Hill our way to help me and all the others in our times of need. It is truly a blessing and a privilege…”   - “Mary”*

 - Sara Hill, Case Manager

* Name changed for confidentiality

MCNC is expanding its services once again to include fun and educational experiences to our clients focused on building life skills...and we need your group to help us do it. If your community group, church group or family would like to join us and share in this experience, you can make a difference in some of the following opportunities:

Health/Nutrition:
One of MCNC’s goals is to help people become self-sufficient by increasing good financial stewardship. Processed food is very expensive and unhealthy. So, beginning this summer, we will be offering samples during the 3rd week of the month to encourage clients to try new, healthier recipes.

Your group's responsibility:
· Find a tasty, inexpensive recipe that uses common household foods. For example, canned fruit or veggies.
 · Prepare enough samples (about 1-3 oz) to feed approximately 500 clients.
 · Distribute the samples during one of our monthly education sessions.

Call for volunteers
Everyone has a skill or a secret talent, and we would love to help you make the most of yours.

MCNC is in vital need of volunteers to help us staff our growing organization!
The following are areas of opportunity.

Front Desk
This is the most important volunteer position at MCNC. You will be the first face that our clients see when they walk through our doors. This position gives you the opportunity to truly make an impact on someone’s life with something as small as a smile. Duties include greeting clients and donors, data entry, filing, and client referrals.
Times needed to fill:
Tues: noon to 4 p.m.
Wed: 4 to 7 p.m.
Fri: noon to 4 p.m.
*We are also in need of substitutes in this area who can be trained and called on in case someone is ill.

MCNC Food Pantry
Our food pantry is one of our two core programs, you cannot go wrong volunteering in the food pantry. Duties include stocking shelves, escorting clients through their ‘shop’, and clean-up/breakdown.
Times needed to fill:
Mondays: noon to 3:30 p.m.
Wednesdays: 4 to 7 p.m.
Fridays: 9 to 11 a.m.
Other: Persons willing to be trained and called in case of illness or for unexpected large donations or commodity deliveries.

Ongoing Cleaning and Maintenance Services
At MCNC, we always want to put our best foot forward and present our buildings and facilities with excellence. These services are extremely important in helping us do just that. If you want to help but can’t commit to a specific time each week, this is the opportunity for you!
Times: flexible
 
The MCNC's Clothing Boutique
This important program gives out an average of 2,000 items of clothing each month! While we have a strong team in this area, we are in need of persons willing to commit to training for two hours once a month who can help out when the current volunteers fall ill...or just need a break!  

What an exciting and fun night was had by all on February 5th, 2011 during the 3rd Annual Dancing with the Stars.

The evening started with some delicious appetizers including stuffed dates and quesadillas while we all waited in anticipation for an evening of entertainment.

A sultry crime-themed couple opened the floor with a performance to the theme music from The Pink Panther. Dancers inspired the audience from spicy Latin footwork and warm classy waltzes. Some dancers broke out with a fever and danced the disco.

Throughout the night, we were reminded that while the entertainment was awesome, the food great, and the company fantastic, we were really gathered to help those who are less fortunate than we are and how together we could help MCNC in its fight against poverty.

In 2010, MCNC lived up to its promises made at last year’s Dancing With the Stars. We introduced full fledged client tracking, we increased our programs and services, and we hired our first ever full time Case Manager, Sara Hill.

Sara gave two examples of individuals that came to MCNC in need of help and through the Case Management program have begun to thrive. In particular, one woman who received Case Management support is now partnering with MCNC and working within her community to ensure that children are properly clothed for the winter.

Principal of Lincoln Jr. High, Dan Funston, shared about the tremendous difference that the Five Star program is making in the lives of the students he sees every day.

In all, 350 people attended the event and $68,000 was raised to help MCNC in its fight to eradicate poverty in Marshall County.

So, thank you neighbors...

To everyone who helped, to everyone who danced, to everyone who gave, to everyone who cared and to everyone who will not rest until our community is whole….thank you.

A great big thank you to Plymouth Public Library and 3M for contributing all of the goods to help fill our food pantry in honor of Hunger Awareness Month last March.