For many an indulgent year, Christmas was a thrilling family holiday for opening gifts, stuffing ourselves and watching sports. The last three years of immersing myself with the clients and volunteers at the Fort Bragg Food Bank has changed my thinking.
The example of giving people who have almost no worldly possessions, helped spur me to spend Christmas serving dinner to seniors along with the rest of the Fort Bragg Lions Club. This year, my mom, sister, brother-in-law and nephew Jack joined me and a record 61 other Lions Club volunteers, who served 210 meals in Lions Hall on Christmas Day.
The help was needed; something which greatly enhances the spirit of giving.
And, like at the Food Bank, the number of senior dinner guests the Lions served set an all time record. So did the community”s generosity.
At the Fort Bragg Food Bank, a record 611 turkey or ham Christmas meals were given to clients, up from last year”s record of 571.
Both the Lions and Food Bank had leftovers, which were shared with residents of the Hospitality House in Fort Bragg. The circle of sharing among churches, businesses and non-profits is amazing to behold. Blessings move in circles, especially at Christmas.
Michele Philliber, from Mendocino Coast Hospital”s Home Health department, coordinated a fleet of three dozen drivers for the Lions who delivered 137 meals to seniors at home.
Christmas Spirit truly expands within one”s own heart when the amount of need increases.
We literally cut it with a knife on Christmas, both at the Food Bank, where I was playing reporter, to the Lions dinner, where I got to be giver too. Giving is only half the story.
“In order to be a truly good giver, you have to learn to receive first,” said Ron Lewis a volunteer, as he handed out food at the Food Bank. “The act of receiving gives you the grace and humility that a giver needs. It puts it all into perspective.”
This was exactly what I had been seeing. I was delighted to get the spontaneous quotes from Lewis, which I had been trying to pry out of friend Miles Everett, who as usual wanted to talk about the Democratic Party.
“I do my volunteering in the political arena, but I can”t say enough good about receiving from the Fort Bragg Food Bank,” said Everett. “It”s a lifesaver for me.”
John Teller, a veteran, knows a lot about volunteering. He has been volunteering for five years at the Food Bank and also serves the local library. A couple years ago his financial situation changed and he became a steady Food Bank client.
“When you need it, you need it and there”s nothing to worry about here. We are all part of the same thing,” Teller said.
A recent study in Psychology Today provided evidence that giving to others can actually prolong your life.
“Helping others reduces distress in givers, improves both mental and physical health. It gives people a sense of belonging and of mattering. It increases happiness and decreases depression,” the magazine wrote.
The group at Lions Hall didn”t need science to know the satisfaction of giving and receiving. Many clients enjoyed being served, only to serve their neighbors later.
With the effort led by Cindy Lemas Gillespie and Tim Gillespie, everybody did what he or she could.
The Leo Club (Lions” youth group) decorated the hall for the season and stuffed the goodie bags on Christmas Eve. Some Leos helped serve meals and clean the hall on Christmas Day.
Jose Freitas, 85, came dressed in his Sunday church finest and played Christmas melodies on his violin, accompanying Anna Marie, who blesses the Senior Center and the annual Lions dinner with her piano playing. Frank Casian played the guitar for the impromptu Christmas music.
The Food Bank writing experience has enlightened me on a lot of things, such as that parable by Jesus where the rich man gives a shower of gold coins and the widow gives her last penny.
When I heard that story as a kid in church, I felt bad for her and wondered why the Lord would want her to give such a gift. Although I”m neither poor widow nor rich guy, a little of the faith of those who give when they have nothing has rubbed off on me.
As we end the scariest decade in my lifetime, I feel to survive the rest of this century these powers of faith, community and uplifting others are the best forces that can overcome the powers of greed and negativism.
Food Bank hours
The Food Bank, 910 N. Franklin, Fort Bragg, is open every weekday but Tuesday. Special senior hours are from 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Food Bank is open from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, a time designed for working people. For information, call 964-9404.
Season of Sharing
The purpose of the Advocate-News and The Mendocino Beacon”s annual Season of Sharing fund drive is to raise money the Food Bank can use year-round to feed children and adults in the community who might otherwise go hungry.
This year”s target is an ambitious $36,000, which would bring the total raised since our first fund drive in 1995 to just over $200,000. As of press time Wednesday, the total was $21,640.29, $14,359.71 short of our goal.
The fund drive began Nov. 12 and ends today, Dec. 31. If you haven”t made a donation, please consider doing so; the Food Bank leverages and stretches every dollar received in its quest to feed those in need.
Every penny received goes to the Food Bank because the Community Foundation of Mendocino County administers the Season of Sharing free of charge as a courtesy to the newspapers.
Checks should be addressed to the Community Foundation of Mendocino County (CFMC), and mailed to the newspaper at P.O. Box 1188, Fort Bragg, 95437, or dropped by our office, located at 450 N. Franklin St., Fort Bragg.
If you have any questions about the fund drive, call us at 964-5642.
Our sincerest thanks to this week”s donors: Computaccount, Patricia Sinkay and Alice Ivec, Forest and Patricia Tilley, Bruce and Roslyn Moore, Bob and Chris Sowers and two anonymous contributors.
We gratefully acknowledge each week”s donors by printing their names in the newspapers, unless they ask to remain anonymous.
