Since our beginning in 1967, Community Action Services & Food Bank (CASFB) has dedicated its resources to helping members throughout the community escape poverty. From offering resources to helping individuals rebuild their lives, our nonprofit organization has helped people meet their basic critical needs and develop long-term solutions to permanently break out of poverty.
The last 12 months have truly been incredible! From July 2022 to June 2023, CASFB more than doubled the number of individuals we served in our 6 food pantries, serving 17,800 individuals. Even more individuals were served through our food distribution network of schools, senior centers, and community partners. In all, we distributed 4,255,988 lbs. of food–about 1 million more lbs. of food than in the same period the year before. Thanks to generous donations we also received about 900,000 more lbs. of food than we did the year before.
Of necessity, CASFB has grown in response to this increased need for services, and even more opportunities for growth are on the horizon! From our first Food & More Gala and changes in leadership to our expansion in Summit & Wasatch Counties, we’re thrilled to share with you how we’ve grown and will continue to grow throughout 2023. Let’s dive in:
The First-Ever Food & More Gala
First of all, we are excited to announce our first annual Food & More Gala, which will be held on September 16th from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Provo. All proceeds from this premier event will go toward meeting the demand for food and housing assistance, which has skyrocketed over the past 18–24 months.
Join us for a fun and fulfilling night of dinner, dancing, and a silent auction. If you’d prefer a more substantial opportunity, get your company involved by sponsoring the event—we still have event sponsorships available. Learn more about the gala and purchase tickets here.
Leadership Changes
There have also been a few exciting promotions and new positions added to our team. These three incredible people have already accomplished so much at CASFB—and we can’t wait to see where they take us next! Here’s what you need to know about these three leadership positions and the people behind them.
Jessica Miller
CIO
Jessica Miller is our Chief Impact Officer. This newly-created position helps spread the word about all the great things CASFB does in the community. Jessica also connects with community leaders, organizations, and individuals who want to make an impact within the community through donations, volunteering, communication collaboration, and/or issue advocacy.
With a bachelor’s and master’s degree in public policy and a background in grant writing, she has secured funding for after-school programs, school security projects, gang and substance-abuse prevention activities, mental health supports, diversity and equity initiatives, and much more.
Wendy Matheney
CAO
Wendy Matheney is our newly-created Chief Administrative Officer–although she has been essential at Community Action Services & Food Bank since July 2021, when she started her work with us as an executive assistant to our CEO, Karen McCandless. Wendy has over 35 years of administrative experience, which makes her a key and trusted partner in the organization.
Wendy ensures team members have the support, policies, procedures, and technology they need to help provide essential services to our guests. She also coordinates the collection and organization of data, focusing on the impact of CASFB’s outreach and initiatives throughout Utah, Wasatch, and Summit counties.
Amanda Moon
CFO
Amanda Moon is our new Chief Financial Officer. She ensures financial records are up to date and accurate, prepares financial reports for state and government agencies and the board, and is involved in budgeting and cash-flow management.
Amanda has vast experience in accounting and has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA with an accounting emphasis from Utah Valley University.
Thank you for all that you have done for CASFB, Jessica, Wendy, and Amanda!
Summit & Wasatch County Programs are Growing!
The need for help has grow throughout our service area–including in Summit & Wasatch Counties. We continually look for ways to expand our programs we provide to the Wasatch Back and are thrilled to announce that we have expanded our Circles Initiative into Heber. Classes will start this Fall. Keep an eye out for updates and more information!
Providing this program, is just the latest way we’ve expanded our programs in Wasatch & Summit Counties:
Food Pantries
Over the last 12 months, we have expanded our hours at all of our food pantries in Wasatch & Summit Counties. Our locations and hours on the Wasatch Back are:
- Coalville (17 S. Main Street): Tuesdays 11am to 6pm; and Fridays from 10am to 3:30pm.
- Heber (34 W. 200 S. Suite 4): Mondays 9 am to 1pm; Tuesdays & Thursdays from 11 am to 6 pm, Wednesdays 10am – 2pm, and Fridays from 9 am to 1 pm.
- Oakley (960 W. Center Street): Mondays and Thursdays from 10 am to 5 pm.
At these pantries, we provide local residents with food and non-food items, as available. If you would like to get involved, please consider donating to any of these locations. For more information, contact foodbank@casfb.org.
Family Development Programs
On top of food assistance, we are also able to offer emergency motel vouchers, rent/deposit help, and ID assistance. If you would like to learn more about the availability and eligibility criteria for these programs, please contact emergencyassistance@casfb.org.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are the reason why we can do what we do. We are so thankful for the many volunteers that help us fulfill our mission. If you would like to get involved with CASFB, we would love to have you! There are many opportunities for family/group service projects, earning volunteer work hours, and fulfilling your community service hours.
Our upcoming gala, new leadership changes, and expansion into the Summit and Wasatch counties are all thanks to the amazing people we work with. From our internal team to volunteers, we couldn’t do it without you.
Are you looking for a way to give back to your community? Visit our website to learn more about how you can get involved, or visit this link to donate today.