Thanks to society and its silly stigmas, I face resistance getting people to give their names for my articles on the Fort Bragg Food Bank. But I do have a trick that so far has worked every time:
“Can I take a photo of your dog for my Season of Sharing Series?”
“Yes!”
Then, I ask the dog’s name. That’s also eagerly given. Lastly, what is your name? May I use you and the dog in the paper? I always have gotten a ‘yes’, with a few laughs and a deserved poke or two.
Pets have a way of removing our distrusts and fears. People are so proud of their dogs they can’t wait to share. Some hungry people feed their dog before themselves. Myself and those at the Food Bank have encountered this several times over the years with homeless guys.
Second Chance, the key program for feeding the Fort Bragg Food Bank’s four-legged clients has been bringing pet food to the Food Bank since the 1990s, when it was located in Hayward.
For the past eight years, Second Chance has gone much further than just giving the dog food. Every month they have huge give-away days in which there are coats for dogs, leashes, collars, dog treats, flea and tick treatments and more. Every year in October, they also give away vaccines at the Food Bank with the help of local veterinarians.
The monthly pet day is now on the first Friday of every month. Next month it will be on the second Friday as Jan. 1 is the first Friday.
Second Chance was founded by Jeanne Gocker and Steve Sapontzis (author of “Morals, Reason, and Animals”) in 1985. The organization is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, public-benefit, 501 (c)(3) charity.
When I walked into the Food Bank last week with my camera, I saw Barry Wood and his dog Coal. When Coal saw my camera, he really seemed to strike a pose. This is one of those dogs with a face that shows both worry and deep thought. Wood had some stories about Coal’s exploits. Coal had gotten flea and tick treatments while dad was talking with Thierry Luzzy of Second Chance, the man who actually puts the stuff on dogs that are sometimes a little nervous. Luzzy has an expert hand.
As Wood walked away, a volunteer revealed Wood and Coal had given a nice contribution to Second Chance following the visit. Wood nodded and waved when I asked about it. Coal was busy sniffing …. well you know.
Animals, living in the present, happy, without prejudice give us humans the right idea about a lot of things.
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. Almost everybody seems to have a dog or cat. One man used to bring his cat in on a leash. Two different women had birds. But dogs are the first choice for sure. These animals are often better cared for than the car, and better fed than the person themselves. Homeless men and women very often pair with dogs, making a common sight on Fort Bragg streets.
These pairs are inseparable, making for many very happy dogs, who get to spend all day “camping” with their homeless master. Some dogs are literally lifesaving for their owners, keeping them warm, even presenting a friendly face when the boss isn’t so friendly. I remember a dog that the Fort Bragg police would always give a ride home to when the belligerent “dad” had to go over the hill to jail in Ukiah. There were two homeless people with their dogs during the hour or so I was at the Food Bank last week and a dozen or more other people. As many as 250 dogs and an unknown number of accompanying people have come to the Second Chance events at the Food Bank.
The homeless are actually only a small part of the Food Bank clientele, but are somehow more visible than seniors and families.
“Approximately 15-20 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 a 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.”
There is an old saying “every dog has his day.” This makes sense for people, something like Andy’s Warhol’s promise of a future day when everyone would get to be a celebrity for 15 minutes. But for dogs, every day is their day.
Erik Bakarich held his dog Baby Girls in an arm cradle as he worked at getting her a collar and at socialization. Baby Girls was a little skittish about Gocker but had dedicated help to soothe her along. Another dog that might have been just a tad spoiled was Mimi, a very beautiful pure white husky-mix rescue who was being made over by a young duo that brought her, Sergio Chan and Iesha Malagon. The nearly grown pup was having its first scary visit to the cacophony of the Food Bank dogs and people on a first Friday.
The Eileen Hawthorne Fund and Second Chance Rescue and the Mendocino Coast Humane Society help pets in need in many ways.
Sapontzis said Second Chance will keep providing food and services for the dogs of the Food Bank clients for years to come.
“As long as there is the money and we are able, we will keep on doing this,” said Sapontzis .
There is a change in how Season of Sharing is being administered this year. The Fort Bragg Advocate-News, The Mendocino Beacon and the Fort Bragg Food Bank would like to thank the Community Foundation of Mendocino County for its help in receiving and processing donations — and passing along 100 percent of the funds to the Food Bank — for the past decade and a half. Starting this year, donations can be made directly to the Food Bank. Please make checks out to the Fort Bragg Food Bank and put “Season of Sharing” on the memo line. Mail to Fort Bragg Food Bank, Post Office Box 70, Fort Bragg, CA 95437. Each week, the names of donors from the previous week will be printed in the newspapers unless the donor wishes to remain anonymous.
This week’s donors to the Season of Sharing are: Michael & Claudia Finerty, Thomas Corey, Ann Mora, Janice Boyd, Alison Cebula, Mendocino Coast Children’s Fund
and one anonymous donor. Total Donations from Dec. 6 through Dec. 12 were $3,325. Total donations to date are $5,335.
