JCC Campers Raise Record Amount for JFCS Food Bank
Summer campers at Jewish Community Center raised a record-breaking $1,903.21 for the Jewish Family and Career Services Food Bank during the 4th annual Week of Caring and Sharing.  The campers, from toddlers to 8th graders, raised money in a myriad of ways, including car washes, a dance-a-thon, swim-a-thon, bake sale and an art auction. A group of campers even joined a traveling Mariachi band to play music for donations.

JCC Summer Camp Director Julie Hollander created Caring and Sharing Week. She says the mission of feeding the hungry resonated with campers this year more so than ever. “You could tell they made a strong connection to the mission this year,” Hollander says. “They were very committed and motivated to work hard for those in need.”

In past years, campers have typically raised about $1,000. Campers also collect canned and dry goods, donating hundreds of pounds of food each year. The pantry, which is a part of the Dare to Care program, feeds between 130 and 170 people a month. Summer is a peak time of need as many children do not have access to their school’s free or reduced lunches. The money raised will be used to purchase foods to augment other donations.

Pictured at right, Eileen Meyer Renco, with daughter Emily, accepts the check on behalf of her parents, Janet and Sonny Meyer, who established the food pantry’s fund about five years ago. “It’s absolutely incredible the kids have done so much to help the food pantry,” Renco says. “My parents are thrilled.”

 

FFA Convention Seeks Volunteers

The National FFA Convention will be in Louisville in late October, but the planning process has been going on since the end of last year’s convention. With almost 60,000 students and advisors coming to town for FFA, the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau is looking to the community for volunteer support.

Volunteer positions include airport greeters, working at the FFA MegaStore inside the expo, roaming ambassadors and ushers at various events. Volunteers receive training and a Louisville shirt to wear during the shift.  

The LCVB will use a comprehensive, online registration and ticketing software to coordinate the hundreds of available volunteer positions. To register, applicants can visit http://lou.ly/ffavol13. For questions or assistance registering, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (502) 814-2746.

The National FFA convention takes place Oct. 30–Nov. 2. Attendees will learn about careers in the agriculture industry, compete for scholarships, volunteer in the “Days of Service” program and shape the future of the organization. For more information about FFA visit www.FFA.org.

New LVAA Open Doors power2give.org Project, “Picture Love”
The Louisville Visual Art Association has a new fundraising project posted on power2give.org. “Picture Love”  is part of the community art outreach program Open Doors. LVAA is partnering with The Speed Museum to provide 15 digital cameras for participating youths living in the Park Duvall neighborhood. The goal of the project is to help youth from the Southwick Community Center capture a meaningful moment in time by building a family photo tree. All 15 participants in “Picture Love” will have their photographs featured in the 2013 Louisville Photo Biennial this October.

Participants will learn the basics of portraiture photography, and the project will allow the youths to tell their personal story through visual documentation of important loved ones in their lives. The participants will draw from personal experiences and familiar environments to create an intimate series of three photographs.

Each participant will have a role in planning, implementing and reviewing the family photo documentation process, and the final photographs will be the start of a family photo tree for each child.

The photo equipment provided will stay with the participant, which means all gifts given via power2give.org will keep on giving and inspiring that young person beyond the end of the program.

The total cost for 15 new digital cameras with USB flash drives and memory cards is $4,350.

To donate funds for the project, visit power2give.org, select the state and community, and choose “Picture Love” from the list. For more information, call LVAA at (502) 584-8166.

Atherton to Honor 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees
Atherton High School will honor former students, a principal and a teacher at their 12th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet in September. The banquet will take place downtown at the Galt House Hotel on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m.

The 2013 Hall of Fame Class includes Lois Bewley, 1952; Wood Currens, 1960; Janice Fish, Principal; Hal Heiner 1969; Melvyn Koby, 1956; Bill Lawrence, 1959; Regina Hensley Mills, 1985; Cliff Richardson, Teacher; Clarke Schleicher, 1976; Barbara Weakley-Jones, 1968; and Frank Yeager, 1953.

“Atherton has a long history in this community, and honoring these distinguished alumni and teachers not only recognizes the contributions of Atherton, but also inspires future generations,” says Atherton Alumni Association President Nicholas G. Gardner.

Since 2002, The Atherton High School Alumni Association has inducted 138 teachers, principals, coaches and former students into their Hall of Fame. Alumni include such notables as author Sue Grafton, businessman David Grissom, Metro Council member Tom Owen and Congressman John Yarmuth.

Nominations for the 2014 Hall of Fame are now being accepted. To make a nomination, purchase banquet tickets, or to learn about the 2013 inductees, visit www.athertonalumni.com. For further information, contact Nick Gardner at (502) 568-4267.

AcuDent Food Drive to Benefit Dare to Care
AcuDent, a paintless vehicle dent removal service, is celebrating UK/UofL football game week with a food drive benefiting Dare to Care Food Bank, which helps put food on the tables of local families.

The big game is Saturday, Sept. 14. Those wishing to donate are encouraged to stop by Acudent, at 2226 Bardstown Road in the Highlands, anytime during the week before the game. In addition to donating canned food items, participants will have the opportunity to hit a red and blue car with a baseball bat. Each canned good earns a swing at the opposing team’s side of the car.

To help celebrate, Lil Cheezers food truck will be at the shop one day that week selling their grilled cheese sandwiches. AcuDent is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information and updates about the event, visit Acudent’s Facebook page.

In the past year, Dare to Care and its partners have provided more than 13 million meals to more than 192,000 people in the greater Louisville area.

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