2017

ANNUAL REPORT

THE MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOUNDATION

www.themadf.org  ::  info@themadf.org

OUR MISSION:
Making A Difference Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization with the mission to make
a difference in the lives of others, one person at a time, by helping them acquire the most basic
needs: food, housing, encouragement, and opportunity. We have grown from providing
scholarships and funding for third world humanitarian mission to direct services to clients in the
Puget Sound region of Washington with several dynamic programs including: Eloise’s Cooking Pot
(ECP) Food Bank, home delivery food service, ECP Garden, Blair’s Sanctuary Garden, Nurturer
Program, Children’s Snack/literacy program, Transitions Backpack Program for the homeless, Joy
Box ministries, and the Home for Veteran program. Regardless of service, the focus of MADF is
on meeting the needs of individuals and families in a direct and meaningful way
A LETTER FROM THE
PRESIDENT/CEO &
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Thank you for your interest in the Making A As the founder and President/CEO of the
Difference Foundation. We hope it highlighted Making A Difference Foundation, I am pleased
the many ways in which MADF benefits the to present this annual report to our funders,
needs of this area. Our successes would not donors, volunteers, and community. 2017 was
have been possible without the contributions a successful year; much of that success
of our generous community. Our thanks and happened only because we continued to
appreciation goes out to out many donors, receive your generous contributions of time,
employees, volunteers, and patrons. Your money, and quality donations that allow us to
continuing support enables MADF to serve our do what we do.
neighbors who are struggling and in financial
crisis. It is an honor to serve this wonderful Thank you to all who have given to and
organization and our community. supported our organization. You have not only
helped us, but you have helped many people in
need achieve better stability.

2017 marked the 14th year of operation for the

MADF Board of Directors MADF. Since its founding, we have grown to
offer many needed programs that help people
in our local community. And our goals of
providing even more food and housing services
only continue to grow. Watch us in 2018 as we
strive to expand all our programs so we may
serve even more of our neighbors working to
better their lives.

Ahndrea L Blue

Making A Difference Foundation Annual Report 01

HOMES FOR
VETERANS
The mission of Homes for Veterans is to make a difference, one life at a time, by
providing safe, secure and stable housing for high- need veterans with families. We
provide a home and a program that supports a new start in life.

The MADF believes in helping disabled veterans in breaking the cycle of homelessness. We strive to meet the needs
of families with good housing locations in supportive community. Our houses are selected in areas with good
resources and schools in Washington and Texas. This program works hard to meet individual needs by providing
resources, case management, and referrals for accommodations and support in the home for our veterans with
disabilities. Financial literacy and home-ownership education is also provided.

We support our families with a variety of services that could include budget management, access to community
resources and social services. Clients have a opportunity to participate in workshops and classes designed to give
them the tools needed to achieve financial stability.

Homes for Veterans ended 2017 with a total of 47 single-family homes across the Puget Sound area and Killeen, Texas. 108 homeless disabled
veterans and their families received subsidized housing, case management support, and financial literacy training. __ of these families graduated the
program into more permanent housing,__ of them becoming homeowners.

2017 RESULTS CLIENT QUOTES

108 VETERANS
"This agency's first concern is it's veterans. Each
family's services are tailored to their specific needs. The
CEO has an amazing heart."
In 2017, we provided
housing for 108
veterans

SPOUSES "Ahndrea and her staff are amazing! What they do for

105 & CHILDREN

our veterans and families is nothing but the best! I
can't say enough but a heart felt thank you!"
We had the honor of
providing housing for
105 spouses and
children of veterans
"Ms. Blue and her staff are awesome. They provided us
housing and financial classes. It's changed our lives."
TOTAL CLIENTS
428 SERVED
Since the program's
inception, we've served "As a veteran who has served our county, I am amazed at
a total of 428 veterans the work this organization does to support veterans."
and families of veterans

Making A Difference Foundation 2017 Annual Report 02

ELOISE'S
COOKING POT
Providing healthy food to those experiencing hunger is the core of The Making A
Difference Foundation.

Whether through the drop-in food bank, home-delivered food boxes, or numerous other food programs, we work
to ensure those in need have enough food to eat through Eloise's Cooking Pot Food Bank. Blair's Sanctuary Garden
and the Eloise Cooking Pot Community Garden both give a sustainable food source of organic food for the food
bank. We also help the homeless with the Transitions Backpack Program and a snack program for children in
tutorial programs.

Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank provides quality food to the communities of East and South Tacoma, Washington. Ahndrea, our founder, was concerned
about the children in these communities who were not eating on a regular basis due to their families experiencing economic hardship.

2017 RESULTS CLIENT QUOTES

116K CLIENTS
"Eloise's Cooking Pot Food Bank has helped my family so
much... They don't judge me or make me feel like I am
less of a person because I have to use the food bank. I am
Eloise's Cooking Pot has
proudly served over thankful that they are here."
116,838 clients
5.24% INCREASE FROM 2016

29K HOUSEHOLDS "Great experience overall, the people were friendly,

respectful, and treated everyone there with equality.
We've had the pleasure Volunteering there was an enjoyable experience, they had
of serving over 29,294 fresh produce ready for all of the people and it was very
households organized. There was never a dull moment and I would
volunteer there again."

2M POUNDS
We have distributed "I absolutely love Eloise's cooking pot food bank! The
more than 2 million lbs. service is amazing and the people are literally the best
of food to our clients humans ever for dedicating their time to help out in the
34.88% INCREASE FROM 2016 community and as a volunteer the clients that come are
absolutely delightful and everything is super fresh and

2.4M MEALS great!"

Over the course of the

year, Eloise's Cooking
Pot served over 2.4 "Eloise's Cooking Pot Food Bank is the best food bank
million meals
ever. They treat you right and the food is always good."
6.23% INCREASE FROM 2016

Making A Difference Foundation 2017 Annual Report 03

Not just a "Food Bank" -
Eloise's other programs include...

PET FOOD BANK

Eloise's is committed to providing food for our clients' entire families - that includes pets! In addition to our food options, we keep
Eloise's Cooking Pot stocked with a supply of dog and cat food!

BABY FOOD & FORMULA OPTIONS

We understand that many of our clients have small children and infants that require baby foods and formulas. Fortunately, we're
happy to be able to stock Eloise's with a selection of baby food and formula options.

HOME DELIVERY
Our home delivery program is designed to serve the most at-risk constituency in its target community, and all individuals served
by ECP’s delivery program are unable to travel to the food bank because of either financial or physical hardship or disability.
Eloise's is currently the #1 food delivery service in Pierce County.

ELOISE'S COMMUNITY HERB GARDEN

Our community garden was developed in collaboration with Tahoma Urban Agriculture Guild to provide a stable, internal source
of fresh food and herbs for our clients. The garden is managed by volunteers who prepare the land for cultivation, plant seeds,
weed the fields, and harvest the food throughout the growing season. Once the food is harvested, it is immediately available for
our clients.

TRANSITIONS BACKPACK PROGRAM

Our backpack program addresses the needs of the most vulnerable population, the homeless youth and adults living on the
streets, by providing them with backpacks loaded with on-the-go food, beverages, a can opener, and hygiene items. On average,
each backpack pack has 25 lbs. of food and non-food product with 9 meals per pack. Annually, we give away an average of 600
backpacks to those in need.

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS
When children and youth come to Eloise's, we want them to consider it the best grocery store they have ever been to. Not only
will the family receive nutritious culturally sensitive food during a difficult time, but the children and youth select 3-6 new books
each quarter as a part of our Literacy Program. These books are their own to keep.  Eloise's additionally partners with after-
school programs and provides healthy snacks to students in the Pierce County as part of our After-School Snack Program. By
feeding children’s bodies, it also fuels their minds and helps children to learn better and retain more information.

Making A Difference Foundation 2017 Annual Report 04

OTHER
PROGRAMS
BLAIR'S SANCTUARY GARDEN
Blair's Sanctuary Garden is a place for women veterans to grow in serenity, acceptance, peace, and empowerment –
without judgment – while raising organic and healthy food for people in need. It is both therapeutic and collaborative in
nature where women veterans not only learn about sustainable crop management and growing food organically using
true “farm to table” methods, but the provide fresh fruits and vegetables to the community of Tacoma’s east side through
MADF’s Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank.

SCHOLARSHIPS
The MADF believes that education is the greatest equalizer. We make a difference in education by providing
scholarships to individuals who are furthering their education. We also partner with schools, non-profits, churches, and
other programs by making financial contributions to their educational programs. The Making A Difference Foundation has
awarded over 15 scholarships since the introduction of this project.

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Random Acts of Kindness benefit all those involved and the Making a Difference Foundation wants to spread this
wonderful message throughout our community. Most people give back around the holidays, but what about the rest of the
year? We want to inspire as many people as possible to do more and spread the love with a Random Act of Kindness.
Through our Random Acts of Kindness project, we seek to give people the tools and inspiration needed to bring more
kindness into the world, providing actionable ideas and documenting some of our own acts of kindness.

JOY BOX MINISTRY

The Joy Box Ministry provides encouraging spiritual gifts to uplift the soul of individuals who are going through
challenging times in their life. Each person receives an anonymous box with five personal letters written to them and five
wrapped gifts. Each day, the individual is instructed to read one letter and open one gift. The Making A Difference
Foundation has sent out over 6,600 Joy Boxes around the world to those in need.

MISSIONARY PROJECTS
The Making a Difference Foundation has done a number of missionary projects in disadvantaged places including Port
Au Prince, Haiti; Tacna, Peru; and South Africa. These missions were considerably productive, creating massive positive
effects such as feeding hundreds of people and bringing hundreds of children educational tools and support. Last year we
focused on working with Hope for Haiti. We were able to provide food, school supplies, clothes, educational equipment,
additionally supporting local orphanages.

Making A Difference Foundation 2017 Annual Report 05

THANK YOU TO
OUR DONORS

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

The Making A Difference Foundation relies entirely upon the contributions (financial and time) of our donors. Your
donations bring hope to many people all around the community, and we wholeheartedly believe that no amount is
too small. Your generous gifts help the lives of individuals and families by giving them a warm meal, diapers for
their children, or fulfilling other crucial needs. A greater donation will provide food, household products for several
months, and help our foundation continue to function and serve the community.

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS:

501 COMMONS G BY GUESS PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS

AHMBUR BLUE GIVE WITH LIBERTY EMPLOYEE DONATION RESTAURANT DEPOT
AHNDREA BLUE GRAINGER SUPPLY RICK JOHNSON
ALEX JENKEN GROCERY OUTLET 56TH ROGER PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN
ALL TREE REMOVAL JAMES CALLEN ROGERS COMMUNITY PARK
APEX COLD STORAGE JBLM SAFEWAY 72ND ST, TACOMA
ARBON EQUIPMENT JOHN CURTIS, III SAFEWAY HILLTOP, TACOMA
ASTOR BANKS JULIA RILEY SAFEWAY PROCTOR, TACOMA
BARBARA LANIERS KEVIN KEITH SHEREDA HOLMES
BED BATH & BEYOND # 609 KRISPY KREME STARBUCKS
BED BATH & BEYOND #175 LESSORS TRUCKING COMPANY STATE OF WASHINGTON
BED BATH & BEYOND #371 LITTLE CAESAR'S PIZZA TAGRO
BIMBO BAKERIES LIVING GRACE CHURCH TANYA PEMBERTON
BLAIR'S SANCTUARY MARY FISHER TARGET
BNSF RAILROAD FOUNDATION MOTHER EARTH FARM THERESA NORRIS
BUY BUY BABY TUKWILLA MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN CASINO TJX FOUNDATION, INC
CAROLYNNE ADAMSON NORMAN ARCHIBALD CASINO TOP POT DOUGHNUTS
CELLULAR CONNECTION LLC NORTH WEST HARVEST TOWN OF STELIACOOM
CHARVA BROWN NOURISH TRICIAN SMILEY
DAVID & JOANNE AMES OLYMPIC HOT TUB TRIDENT SEAFOOD
DISNEY STORE PAMM MORGAN TUESDAY MORNING
DOMINEVE FRAZIER PANERA BREAD TULALIP TRIBES
ECP GARDEN PARKER SMITH TYLOHELO INC
EDGAR GRAY, JR PARTY CITY TUKWILLA UGG AUSTRALIA
EFN/TEFAP PASTOR KEN BANK VETERANS SUPPORT FOUNDATION
ELDER GRAY PATRICIA WHITE WASHINGTON ROCK QUARRY
EMERGENCY FOOD NETWORKS PETSMART WASHINGTON STATE DEPT. OF NATURAL
ESSENTIAL BAKING PIERCE COUNTY HARVEST RESOURCES
FOOD LIFELINES POLY BAG, LLC WATKINS WELLNESS
FOUNDATION FOR FINANCIAL PLANNING PUGET SOUND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WHOLE FOODS
FRANZ PUYALLUP FOOD BANK WINCO FEDERAL WAY
WINCO TACOMA
WORLD VISION #2

Making A Difference Foundation Annual Report 06

FINANCIAL SUMMARY
& CLOSING NOTES

SUMMARY OF FINANCES FOR 2017  INCOME

 PROGRAM REVENUE $3,740,354.86 
This basic income statement provides a summary of our
financial activity for the year.  INTEREST 321.85 
 TOTAL INCOME $3,740,676.71 
The Making A Difference Foundation’s fiscal year ends
each year on December 31st.   EXPENSES
 PROGRAM EXPENSES $3,728,455.34 
 
 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES 115,313.05 
 TOTAL EXPENSES $3,843,768.39 

 NET INCOME, END OF YEAR  * ($103,250.35)

* INCLUDES DEPRECIATION OF $103,250.35

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

The Making A Difference Foundation cannot survive without community support. Please consider:

Donating food, household goods, baby items, pet food & supplies, and money so we may help more
people in need.

Share your time and talents as a volunteer.

Remember our clients when you speak with local & state policymakers.

Making A Difference Foundation Annual Report 07