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Style Magazine

Mike Sproull

Jan 31, 2009 04:00PM ● By Super Admin

It’s hard to believe that Mike Sproull, founder and Executive Director of the Food Bank of El Dorado County, would say that, “for many years, I served myself and myself only.” He decided to change that though, and turned his life around in 1996, when he started working to help others. Sproull says, “The Food Bank is a product of my [personal] change.” Sproull goes on to say, “years ago, I used to say to poor people, ‘get a job.’ [But] I've learned that a lot of people can't get jobs because of their situation, such as senior citizens, individuals with mental health issues, and single mothers caring for their children.”
The Food Bank is El Dorado County's largest collaborative charity providing food assistance to over 50 charities in communities from El Dorado Hills to South Lake Tahoe. In 2008, the Bank provided over $3.5 million worth of food to the community on a budget one-seventh of that number.  Currently, the Food Bank of El Dorado County's Food Assistance Network – made up of emergency food closets, soup kitchens, maternity homes, women's centers, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, low-income senior programs, low-income children's programs and more – provide food assistance to over 10,000 individuals every month.

The most important thing that Sproull wants community members to know about the Food Bank of El Dorado County is, “This charity is not a government-funded organization, just a grassroots representation of caring community members including businesses, individuals and service clubs,” relays Sproull. For more information on the Food Bank of El Dorado County, please call 530-621-9950 or 916-939-6774, or visit foodbankedc.org.

For more on Mike Sproull be sure to pick up this month's copy of FoothillStyle. Click on the "Get Your Copy" link on the bottom of this page for some of our newsstand locations. Or, to order a copy of this issue, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.