One of the worst pre-conceived notions out there, and one of the most common, is that it”s somehow shameful to go to the Food Bank. I”ve been trying to get a friend of mine to go but up until Friday he was just too proud. I know he is hungry, has a huge credit card debt and works less than 20 hours a week. He grew up here and somehow couldn”t face his need.
His dog was hungry and itching, too. So he finally came, reluctant, trying to avoid me but there he was in line with many others, braving icy rain and cold.
Animals, living in the present, happy, without prejudice, give us humans the right idea.
Friday was the day that Second Chance brought its monthly supply of Frontline flea and tick treatment, coats, collars and leashes for dogs. Pet owners can also get pet food, treats and information about spaying and neutering pets. The Food Bank circulates 250 pounds of dog food per week brought by Second Chance.
Once a month, the nonprofit Second Chance Rescue gives out more than 100 free Frontline treatments. People who never otherwise come to the Food Bank line up with dogs that sometimes don”t approve of all the other dogs. Everybody likes to talk about their dogs, but not so many want to say for publication that they are there.
Last Friday there were Santa pictures taken across the street at the Lost Coast Culture Machine art gallery for those willing to cross the street in the record cold and rain.
“In spite of ill health, in spite of coming long distances, and, of course, in spite of the terrible cold and miserable rain. In spite of all that, we stayed open the full four hours, applied Frontline Plus to 157 dogs, gave out a ton of sweaters, blankets, collars, leashes, toys and treats, and sent a couple of dozen proud pet owners home with professional quality Santa photos of their beloved pets. It takes real devotion to the cause to do what you all did, not to mention real Christmas spirit,” said an email to volunteers from Second Chance Rescue founders Jeanne Gocker and Steve Sapontzis.
Rich or poor, many people love their pets more than themselves. There are some people at the Fort Bragg Food Bank who have no houses, many who have no car or who drive a car that barely runs.
But almost everybody seems to have a dog or cat.
These animals are often better cared for than the car, and better fed than the person themselves. Like my still-nameless friend, people who never comes to the Food Bank otherwise came to relieve Fido”s itch or Fifi”s hunger.
Homeless men and women very often pair with dogs.These pairs are inseparable, making for many very happy dogs, who get to spend all day “camping” with their homeless master.
“Approximately 15 to 20 percent of our clients are homeless,” said Food Bank Executive Director Nancy Severy. “Yes, we still provide camping bags designed for folks without access to refrigeration, a cook-stove or kitchen utensils. We also supply, upon request, a tiny little military P-38 can opener that many people keep in their pocket or on a string around their neck.”
The Eileen Hawthorne Fund and Second Chance Rescue are active in helping pets in need in many ways. People can get pets spayed, fed and even veterinary treatment, if they are willing to ask for help.
Historically, the Mendocino Coast Humane Society, which raises money with its State of the Ark thrift store on Highway 1 at Simpson Lane, was the key force in caring for animals. The Humane Society has an active website, including a new blog which features individual pets, and the newspaper publishes Adopt a friend featuring dogs and cats.
The Humane Society is a big supporter of the Food Bank, bringing collars, leashes and coats for humans every week. The staunchly traditional Fort Bragg charity has seen numerous newer animal care agencies arise, such as Mendocino Coast Dog Owner Group (MCDOG), which has created three local dog parks and the new Friends group, among others.
The key program for feeding the Food Bank”s four-legged clients, Second Chance has been bringing pet food to the Food Bank since the 1990s, when it was located in Hayward.
Second Chance also provides dog food to Fort Bragg”s Lighthouse Church and Willits” St. Anthony”s Church to give to dog owners at their free kitchens.
Second Chance is a project of Hayward Friends of Animals Humane Society, founded by Gocker and Sapontzis (author of “Morals, Reason, and Animals”) in 1985. The organization is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, public-benefit 501(c)(3) charity.
Vets lend a hand
The biggest crowd of dogs ever at the Food Bank was the annual free vaccinations day and microchip identifying clinic on Oct. 4, when 222 dogs were treated, up from 150 last year.
Two employees from Mendocino County Animal Care Services drove from Ukiah with the microchips, vaccines, and other materials for the event. Local veterinarian Barbara Weiss donated her time to provide rabies shots.
Local veterinary clinics rotate emergency care, with each deciding on a case-by-case basis how to deal with indigent situations.
The Eileen Hawthorne Fund is a key community resource for such situations and also gives cat food to the Food Bank. When we adopted our dog, Aspen, from the Lake County pound, it cost $1,000 to treat her heartworm. Hawthorne Fund gave us $100 to help with that unexpected financial bomb, and the dog is happy and healthy today, several years later.
Cold weather hits every species. Second Chance is again putting out a call to the community for donations of yarn and knitting needles and donations of time and skill to fashion that yarn into dog sweaters, which will be given away, absolutely free, to pooches in need this winter season. Donations of clean dog sweaters or jackets that are no longer needed by you will also be gratefully recycled to someone whose dog does need it. Please call Gocker at 964-7770 to find out where to drop off your donation or how you can help.
Season of Sharing
Since the 1996 holiday season, the Advocate-News and The Mendocino Beacon have raised roughly $301,543 for the Food Bank through the Season of Sharing fund drive. Since 1999, the nonprofit Community Foundation of Mendocino County has administered the drive as a courtesy to the newspapers, which means that every penny donated goes directly to the Food Bank.
“There are many dozens of nonprofit organizations in our area, all very worthy of support, but the Food Bank addresses the most basic problem facing hundreds of individuals and families hunger,” said Publisher Sharon DiMauro. “The goal is to give the Food Bank money it can use year-round, not just during the holidays. It doesn”t matter a bit whether a person contributes through our fundraiser or directly to the Food Bank, the main thing is to contribute and if you”re able, to give year-round.”
How to donate to Season of Sharing
– By check: Make check payable to The Community Foundation of Mendocino County (CFMC) and mail or deliver to the Advocate-News, 450 N. Franklin St., Fort Bragg 95437.
– By credit card: Pay via CFMC”s website, www.communityfound.org. Click “Donate Online,” then “Poverty Related Funds” and select “Season of Sharing Fund (Fort Bragg Food Bank).
Questions? Please call us at 964-5642.
This week”s donors
The names of donors who contribute through the newspapers or CFMC”s website are printed each week, unless they ask to remain anonymous.
At the end of the drive, which runs through Dec. 31, the names of everyone who donates to the 2013 Season of Sharing will be reprinted.
In addition to appearing in the Advocate and The Beacon, the weekly installments are posted on both newspapers” websites.
As of press time Wednesday, donations from Charlie and Beth Reed, F. Ben and Nancy Housel, David and Laura Welter, Craig Blencowe, Janice and Stephen Walker, Susan Larkin and James Ehlers, Roslyn and Bruce Moore and Sharon Hansen brought the Season of Sharing fund drive total to $2,650.
