LAKE COUNTY >> “Stuff A Bus” will be the name of the game Oct. 25 when two Lake Transit buses will await nonperishable food item donations outside Grocery Outlet locations in Clearlake and Lakeport. The food drive, organized by North Coast Opportunities (NCO), the Hunger Task Force and Lake Transit, and a volunteer fair to be held at Marymount California University (MCU) in Lucerne are Lake County”s contribution to the national Make A Difference Day spearheaded by USA Weekend Magazine that seeks to improve the lives of others through community service.
In its 15th year, the Stuff A Bus drive has collected nearly 53,000 pounds of food to date. The donations are then donated to food distribution centers and soup kitchens across the county.
“Food is always our number one issue in Lake County,” NCO Community Action Coordinator Tammy Alakszay said. “In the past, when we”ve done community surveys, food usually comes up as the number one need.”
The only restriction on donations is that they are nonperishable. Alakszay asks food donations to be “kept on the healthy side” with dried beans, rice, peanut butter and low-sodium products being some of the most needed items.
Near the bus stop in front of Lakeport”s Grocery Outlet, the bus will be parked from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The vehicle at Clearlake”s Grocery Outlet will be open for donations between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and then commute to MCU to gather donations at the volunteer fair to be held from 2 to 4 p.m.
A separate component of Lake County”s Make a Difference Day, the volunteer fair will be a one-stop shop for volunteers looking for opportunities to provide their time to service organizations throughout the community. The goal is to have 25 organizations with booths at the university and with space still available, Alakszay is currently accepting registration forms for interested non-profits. Organizations that need the man- and women-power to get their work done are encouraged to register.
For its part, Lake Transit will be donating the use of the two buses for the day as well as providing free-of-charge rides to customers who donate nonperishable food items on Oct. 25. Riders who donate one food item can receive a local ride free-of-charge, two food items can ride a regional route and three items will get riders an out-of-county trip. Storage crates on the buses will keep the food secure. Posters advertising the food drive will be posted on Lake Transit”s buses this week, according to Lake Transit Project Manager Wanda Gray.
Throughout the month, Alakszay is also in the process of distributing food drive bins to businesses throughout the county. Currently Lower Lake, Upper Lake and Middletown high schools, the Lakeview Market in Lucerne, the Yuba College culinary program, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Riviera Foods in Kelseyville and Grocery Outlet in Clearlake have bins placed to accept donations.
“I have many more bins and I can bring one by if stores would like one placed at their location,” Alakszay said.
Following the food drive and fair, volunteers will head to an NCO warehouse in Lakeport to divvy up the goods into piles and approximately 20 food service organizations will come out to pick up their share.
For information on the food drive, to register for the volunteer fair or to receive a food bin to collect donations, contact Alakszay by calling 994-4647 ext 123 or emailing talakszay@ncoinc.org.
