When I stopped in to launch my series of “Season of Sharing” articles as both a reporter and a client at the Fort Bragg Food Bank, the work day was moving way too fast for anybody to give me an interview.
With two employees out that Friday, Executive Director Nancy Severy had drafted volunteer Nancy Milano to staff the office. Phones were jangling and people were appearing from every direction.
Milano dealt with one call and a client there to pick up the monthly box of food for seniors. She pressed a button under the counter — just like one of those secret buttons at banks.
I was suspicious.
The petite woman didn”t look to be the required 60 years of age for senior boxes, although my perception perhaps was due to her plethora of piercings.
People over 60 can get a box of food once a month. In addition, food is given out on Monday and Friday from noon to 3 p.m., and on Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m., with a special time for seniors from 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. all three days. For people with daytime jobs, the Food Bank has established a pickup from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays.
The next time Milano answered the phone, it was Mendocino Coast District Hospital, asking her questions about this Saturday”s Turkey Trot, a 5K run and fun walk at MacKerricher State Park. Volunteer Nancy called for boss Nancy, who came out of her office with board treasurer and vice president Howard Martin, with whom she had been trying to have a meeting.
“The hospital wants some flyers for them to give out about the Turkey Trot,” said Milano.
“We don”t have anybody to take them over there right now, but giving them some could help,” said Severy.
“I”ll deliver them,” Martin said, departing on his mission.
As the hectic pace of the ringing phone and revolving front door continued, the woman went in the back and got the box Milano had buzzed for. When the buzzer rings, staff and volunteers bring up a fresh box from the refrigerator.
As the woman walked by the executive director”s office carrying her goodies, Severy popped out, having spotted an extra block of government cheese. She reclaimed it and gave Milano a quick lesson.
“When people go into the back alone, they sometimes take more than they are supposed to,” Nancy told Nancy.
Volunteer Alyce Power, who has had experience running the hectic office, relieved Milano, who was happy to return to her usual volunteer work.
“Phew, I bailed,” Milano told me as she directed clients through the process of getting food.
Power showed me how to apply to be a Food Bank client. I admit I felt funny, and I couldn”t resist proclaiming I was doing this so that I could give a real George-Plimpton-style report on the Food Bank.
Since 1995, the Advocate-News and The Mendocino Beacon have sponsored “Season of Sharing,” an annual community fund-raiser for the Fort Bragg Food Bank.
This year, I decided to actually become a client, to ride the trucks that pick up food at our local markets and to introduce you, the readers, to the staff and the people who use the services of the Food Bank. We will tell you about measures we took to protect the confidentiality of clients. We will go through the line and go home to eat a Food Bank dinner and check quality and calories.
And we will introduce you to clients who want to speak out about the Food Bank, such as Patricia Casey, former owner of a fishing service in Fort Bragg, who introduced me to other former business owners in the line.
This great-grandmother”s savings were wiped out after she and her late husband had their insurance coverage canceled and couldn”t buy more due to “pre-existing conditions.”
She also made me feel a little guilty about being suspicious of the younger woman who picked up the box.
She said there were several younger people who go through the seniors line, often prompting undue suspicions like mine.
“Sometimes people see someone and make a judgment,” Casey said. “There is a young woman who is often in line with the seniors, and people have said to me, What is she doing here?” Well, she is a caregiver for people who are homebound. But people do tend to think the worst, even here.”
The woman I saw is also a caregiver.
Of the 60 or so worthy non-profit organizations serving our area, Publisher Sharon DiMauro always puts her full support behind the Food Bank”s efforts.
“Because they are addressing the most basic problems facing so many — hunger,” DiMauro said. “We support many community causes, but the Food Bank”s cause is the one we get entirely behind. We can”t address other problems if hunger isn”t addressed first.”
The Fort Bragg Food Bank distributed 873,887 lbs. (436 tons) of food in 2006. Each month the Food Bank served approximately 950 client households, representing about 1,600 household members.
“In addition we trucked another 244,541 lbs. (122 tons) to food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens and other eligible agencies throughout the county,” said Milano. “At these subsites we served another 950 client families each month, representing about 2,275 household members.”
The Community Foundation of Mendocino County administers the Season of Sharing fund-raiser free of charge as a courtesy to the newspapers, so every cent goes to the Food Bank. Checks should be addressed to the Community Foundation of Mendocino County (CFMC), and mailed to Advocate-News, P.O. Box 1188, Fort Bragg, 95437, or dropped by the newspaper office, located at 450 N. Franklin St. If you have any questions about the fund drive, call the Advocate-News at 964-5642. The fund-raiser runs through Dec. 31.
“The 2006 Season of Sharing brought us $14,378 in much needed funds,” Severy said. “We are tremendously grateful to Sharon DiMauro and the staff of the Advocate-News and The Mendocino Beacon for sponsoring this effort, and, of course, to all our community members who answered this appeal to help our neighbors in need.
“We are excited once again to be front-page news during the holiday season courtesy of the Advocate-News and The Mendocino Beacon,” said Severy.
For this Saturday”s Turkey Trot, register before 9 a.m. at the Haul Road parking lot, Highway 1, north of Fort Bragg. 964-2316.
For information about the Fort Bragg Food Bank, call 964-9404 or email foodbank@mcn.org
Food Bank hours
The Food Bank office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. It is closed on Tuesday.
Collection barrels
Collection barrels can be found at Safeway, Harvest Market, Purity, the Savings Bank, Fort Bragg Post Office and Curves.
Walk-in food donations can also be brought directly to The Food Bank warehouse at 910 N. Franklin St., Fort Bragg, during regular business hours.
Especially needed are turkey stuffing, gravy mix, apple cider, chicken broth and canned green beans, corn or peas, but any foods that make the holiday meal special are welcomed.
