News Archive
Second Mobile Food Pantry Truck dedicated by RIPE Ray
Rotary International President Elect Ray Klinginsmith commissions newest MFP
SPRINGFIELD - For the second time in less than three years, Rotary International is helping Ozarks Food Harvest take hunger relief directly to those in need.
The Rotary Clubs of Springfield provided The Food Bank with its first Mobile Food Pantry in 2007. Now, Rotary members of the clubs in Springfield, in conjunction with Ridewell Suspensions company, are giving Ozarks Food Harvest a second Mobile Food Pantry trailer.
The unveiling of the newest addition to The Food Bank's fleet took take place on Thursday, June 4th inside the Oasis Convention Center. The entire truck was parked inside during the All-city meeting of Springfield Rotary clubs and was dedicated by the R.I. President Elect Ray Klinginsmith.
The Mobile Food Pantry actually went right to work. The Food Bank made its second trip to Lebanon for a Mobile Food Pantry distribution. The first Lebanon distribution was in March and five more are still planned. The Lebanon Rotary Club is funding one of the five distributions and will provide volunteers to each of the distributions.
During this distribution, a Rotary International film crew was present to document The Food Bank's use of its original Mobile Food Pantry. Rotary International also produced a film showcasing the Mobile Food Pantry shortly after its first distribution which was seen worldwide. Click here to view the film.
This film crew was also in attendance at the dedication of the second Mobile Food Pantry.
Ozarks Food Harvest works with more than 350 hunger relief organizations, reaching more than 53,000 people each month in 29 southwest Missouri counties. Recently, Ozarks Food Harvest has doubled its distribution to upwards of seven million pounds of food annually, the highest distribution in The Food Bank's 25-year history. This is possible because of its network of charities and direct relief programs such as Kids Cafe©, the Weekend Backpack Program™, Club F.U.N.™ and the Mobile Food Pantry™.
For more contact Matt Petcoff with Ozarks Food Harvest at (417) 865-3411
Extreme Makeover -- Rotarian Edition
Springfield Rotarian featured in Rotary.org Article
By Maureen Vaught
Rotary International News -- 14 August 2009
Sam Clifton isn't letting his 15 minutes of fame go to his head. In fact, if he had his way, no one would know his company led the build on the TV reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which provides new homes for families in need.
"I asked the producers if I could do this without being known. I didn't want the media attention. But then I thought about how great it would be to get other people in front of the camera, especially guys in the construction business who've been going through a rough time," says Clifton, a member of the Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast, Missouri, USA.
The rest is showbiz history. More than 600 skilled laborers -- some unemployed and many from competing firms -- volunteered to help build a 3,300-square-foot home in just six days starting 14 July. As co-owner of Millstone Custom Homes with his wife, Michelle, Clifton estimates that a project this size, which included building a barn, chicken coop, and greenhouse, would normally take a crew of 50 about six months.
The five-bedroom house in Ash Grove replaces the 800-square-foot home where Chris and Niki Hampton and their six children had been living. As with every episode of the award-winning program, the family was selected from a group of families in need.
Clifton not only managed the job around the clock, often sleeping in a trailer on-site to be available for late-night questions, but also found volunteers and donors for every phase, to do everything from providing food to landscaping. He says he learned early on the importance of having the right people beside you.
Among the key players were two members of Clifton's Rotary club, Judy Bilyeu and Michael Wehrenberg. The corporate marketing director of Metro Builders Supply, Bilyeu helped with fundraising and recruiting volunteers. She also worked with the show's designers to select $30,000 worth of lighting and appliances from her company's inventory to donate to the project.
Wehrenberg, who is president of Wehrenberg Design Company, developed the project's Web site.
"Through the site, he also was responsible for volunteer recruitment, donor recognition, and scheduling updates, as well as supplying a visual timeline through photos," Michelle says.
It takes a village to raise a house
In addition to the construction crew, the Cliftons estimate that between 1,500 and 1,700 people volunteered over the six days. The community donated 95 percent of the materials for the build, and raised enough money to help pay off the family's existing mortgage.
Clifton admits he'd never organized a community service project before. But he'd do it again.
"It's a fun thing to do and definitely rewarding," says Clifton, who was asked by the show's producers if he'd help with another build.
A Rotarian since 2008, he says he'd also like to help with a service project through Rotary. "It's imperative you have the right heart. You can't be an ‘I' person. If you go into this looking to get something out of it, then it's not going to work."
The episode is scheduled to air during the show's seventh season on the ABC Television Network.
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