On behalf of the Lake County Hunger Task Force, I must correct the impression left by Bev Owen regarding the food distribution that has taken place every Tuesday during August and September. We are only a small part of that program.
With the unexpected closure of the Lake County Community Action Agency this past spring, several organizations and individuals realized we would have a large problem getting needed food to folks during the summer.
LCCAA had operated the largest food pantry in Clearlake and another in Lakeport. With local children out of school for the summer and no summer school, the need for food was pressing.
The last statistics gathered show that countywide 69.4 percent of all Lake County schoolchildren are eligible for reduced rate or free meals at school. This is based on the income of their families. All of us felt we must do something in the interim.
The lead agency on our distribution became the Department of Social Services, under the progressive leadership of Carol Hutchingson. One of her deputies, Janice Hubbell became the person in charge of the food program. They obtained a grant for emergency food and used those funds to buy the staples we handed out. The Lake County Hunger Task Force supplemented the staples with fresh fruit and vegetables. Those items came from our community gardens, as well as donations from Sky Hoyt, Morgan Valley Produce, Heidi Shields, Scully Packing, Clear Lake Gleaners, Diane Henderson, Ralph Rittenhouse, The Network for a Healthy California and Rick Barber.
Local volunteers, as well as DSS staff gathered each week to pack the bags and help with distribution. Our commitment was for the two months until North Coast Opportunities is scheduled to open the new community action agency and take over. That organization has been awarded the funds to replace the old agency.
I, along with Bev Owen, would like to thank the Department of Social Services for helping to fill the gap. Local volunteers who stepped up to help include Lou Denny, Barry Miller, Mary Beth Woodward, Esther Stone, Phyllis Kelsey, Gail Robello, Sherri Boelter, Scott Sommers, Lloyd Shuman, Patricia Shuman, and Rick Barber.
Lorrie Gray
Lake County Hunger Task Force
