It's Food Drive Week!

radio

"On the Air" in MI
Original poster
Pub Member / Supporter
Oct 13, 2007
3,725
1,003
West Central Michigan
Please, as you do your preparations for your Thanksgiving, consider an extra "item or two" when shopping, then visit us at any of our Broadcast locations beginning Friday morning at 9 for "County-Wide Food Drive 2011!". Questions? Post 'em here! And, see our schedule on the Food Drive page from i1430.com! Monetary donations accepted at all Ionia County Branches of Independent bank, just ask to give to the "Food Drive" Account! See you "on the road!" Seven agencies say, "Thank you" in advance. OH, and see the GREAT article from the Sentinel-Standard, with our thanks to Penny Beeman, Food Drive Co-Chair! (attached.)
 

Attachments

  • FOOD DRIVE IN WEEKENDER.pdf
    1.2 MB · Views: 175
  • needs.pdf
    154.4 KB · Views: 303
Last edited:
We picked up our RV for food drive on Monday! 34 feet of luxury! Two slideouts, and lots of room for visitors, interviewing, and more!
Scott, (NE8E here) wired our LED sign, and programmed it. (I hate doing that job)....and added LED lights in the front window (for use only
when parked.) Then....the "test drive" to get gas! Thanks to donors to the food drive who earmarked their donations for gasoline, $135 plus what
was in the tank nearly filled it! We're grateful for the use of the RV from Caswell RV sales in Ionia, MI and it has LOTS of basement storage for
our food collections! Today we visit Saranac Elementary School and Belding Middle School to collect from their "mini drives" and yes, that all wil
be weighed-in to start the running total of collections!
 

Attachments

  • Food V Jim doorway full2.jpg
    Food V Jim doorway full2.jpg
    658.5 KB · Views: 176
  • SIGN WION.jpg
    SIGN WION.jpg
    247.2 KB · Views: 181
Nice Ride! Thanks for the before pictures... I hate to see what it looks like after Phil drives it. :D (Just kidding... I hope!)

Remember if you stop by any of the food drive locations make sure to take pics of Jim and the Gang and to post them here to the WION forum! I want the WORLD to see the power of one great community radio station!
 
Our first "mini drive" pickup filled the back of the station Jeep, all because a young man went to his Elementary School Principal in Saranac, MI and said, "I want to run a food drive to help WION!" Trenton had some help carrying things to the Jeep, and we're grateful for these donations to food drive! This was a great accomplishment, given only a few days to do this, and the fact that this 8 year old actually did a "presentation" to the Principal about making this happen!

Trenton, thank you so very much! We're honored to have you helping out!
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0051.jpg
    IMAG0051.jpg
    546.2 KB · Views: 161
  • IMAG0050.jpg
    IMAG0050.jpg
    694.7 KB · Views: 177
  • IMAG0049.jpg
    IMAG0049.jpg
    828.5 KB · Views: 170
  • IMAG0045.jpg
    IMAG0045.jpg
    784.9 KB · Views: 180
Belding MIddle School Contributes to WION's "Food Drive 2011"

And, the fun continues! The Belding, MI middle school let a whole "herd" of students help us load the RV this afternoon! The basement storage areas are full, the hall back to the bedroom is filled, and all-told, they collected 2,047 items and just under 1700 POUNDS of food and personal care items for WION's food drive. It's great to see youngsters learn giving, (and helping with labor.) We'll be unloading this load tonight, and setting up our sorting and distribution area later today at the Ionia County Intermediate School District offices, as they have lent us the use of their conference rooms! Last year, it took every room, and was a good thing they have removable walls! Can't wait to get out in the RV again on Wednesday to visit Ionia Middle school, then the "public" kickoff on Friday after the round table show.
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0057.jpg
    IMAG0057.jpg
    930.3 KB · Views: 161
  • IMAG0055.jpg
    IMAG0055.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 177
Amazing results so far and great pictures to!

Congrats to all the students for doing such a great job and for helping others in need! :)
 
Scott, I think the difference between small town radio in private ownership and the "bigger city" versions with corporate ownership is, we're more able to connect with the needs of those in our area, and respond in our own way without having to bump every single decision to somebody "up higher." If something makes good sense, we can simply DO it. And, it shows in how easy it is to get a response from the public when they BELIEVE in a cause like this unique food drive. Most every business asked to display a poster for this food drive said, "of course!" and believe me, many of them are not clients, they're just part of my area's "business community," thus the success each year!

I used to wonder why I landed in West Central Michigan. It's during times like food drive that I realize my job CAN make a difference, though radio is not a necessity for the sustaining of life! I'm truly blessed to have a great staff, wonderful volunteers, and people willing to "dig in" and make these kind of things happen!

We feel this "mobile" approach without begging at stores to collect makes this truly a unique food drive, and somehow, "Thank you" to those who help in any way at all never seems enough!
 
Jim,

Why do you think your station was chosen as the first station for us to dedicate forum space to? It's not cookie cutter corporate radio, it is real honest to goodness community radio. When businesses spend their money with WION the money is staying in the community, then when you add in these great things the station does for the community it helps build a better community for all.

Great job! :)
 
IONIA COUNTY C.E.R.T. TEAM HELPS UNLOAD TUESDAY!

On short notice, members of Ionia County CERT team helped unload over 1600 pounds of food collected from the school visits on Tuesday. Even in the rain,
it all got unloaded easily from under, inside, and in every nook and cranny our RV had.

Thank you, Ionia County CERT!
 

Attachments

  • 100_8307.JPG
    100_8307.JPG
    681.3 KB · Views: 150
  • 100_8304.JPG
    100_8304.JPG
    538.9 KB · Views: 164
  • 100_8303.JPG
    100_8303.JPG
    673.6 KB · Views: 137
  • 100_8302.JPG
    100_8302.JPG
    689.5 KB · Views: 177
  • 100_8301.JPG
    100_8301.JPG
    666.9 KB · Views: 148
  • 100_8300.JPG
    100_8300.JPG
    643.3 KB · Views: 161
  • 100_8299.JPG
    100_8299.JPG
    656 KB · Views: 149
No pictures of the NoodleRoni incident? :D

If that is all that fell (with the can) then you are doing a good job driving Jim. Can't wait to hear how much Phil spills.

Perhaps next Friday Phil can be officially renamed to Spill on the round table show. :D
 
900 MORE pounds at Ionia Middle School today!

We took the RV to Ionia Middles School this (Wed) Afternoon, and collected another 900 pounds today!
We're having FUN, and so did the kids, teachers, and we're ready for an official "kickoff" Friday morning
after the round table show!
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0071.jpg
    IMAG0071.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 156
  • IMAG0066.jpg
    IMAG0066.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 157
  • IMAG0064.jpg
    IMAG0064.jpg
    927.4 KB · Views: 162
  • IMAG0061.jpg
    IMAG0061.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 159
Back at "Sorting Central" the Food Adds up....(Thank you I.S.D.)

Thanksgiving eve, the total from the "mini drives" thus far had all arrived at the Ionia County Intermediate School District's conference rooms in bags, boxes, and anything else! Our Food Drive Co-Chair Penny Beeman headed up a major project in organizing TYPES of food to areas of the room to make distribution to our 7 agencies on Monday even easier. It took quite a few volunteers from the Muir Christian Food Pantry and others, and you can see the results. By the way, Ionia and Belding Middle Schools and Saranac Elementary started us out with around 2600 pounds before we even "hit the streets' with the RV for public collection and visits to our municipality hosts including area fire, police, and ambulance stations on the weekend! Thank you, Ionia county for a great start!
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0089.jpg
    IMAG0089.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 161
  • IMAG0085.jpg
    IMAG0085.jpg
    654.5 KB · Views: 148
  • IMAG0084.jpg
    IMAG0084.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 139
  • IMAG0082.jpg
    IMAG0082.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 164
  • IMAG0081.jpg
    IMAG0081.jpg
    979.4 KB · Views: 151
  • IMAG0078.jpg
    IMAG0078.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 163
  • IMAG0073.jpg
    IMAG0073.jpg
    687.1 KB · Views: 163
  • IMAG0076.jpg
    IMAG0076.jpg
    645.1 KB · Views: 155
Way to go Jim!

I do hope you take some time off for yourself and have a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner at the Lamplight Grill!

Happy Thanksgiving!
 
***

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)