Opinion

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Written by: Ginny Ingersoll

Published: 28 January 2012

For over 50 years, St. John’s Episcopal Church has collected food and clothing for our community’s most needy.

Today, we give heartfelt thanks to Clare Stenge and the Lakeport Women’s Civic Club for their recent food donation to St. John’s Food Pantry.

Their contribution helps St. John’s focus on families and the welfare of local children.

Our food pantry stocks nutritional high-protein food that is low in fat and sugar. We offer easy recipes to help families cook their own meals. Rice, tomato sauce, salsa and canned garbanzo, kidney and black beans are needed, along with oatmeal and applesauce. Onions, garlic, apples, and carrots are also requested.

Food donations are welcome at St. John’s during times coinciding with the church’s Basement Boutique Thrift Store open hours, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 1190 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.

To deliver food at other times, please contact me at 707-245-3147 or Barbara Knight at 707-263-7802.

Again, the food donation from Lakeport Women’s Civic Club is much appreciated.

Ginny Ingersoll is manager of the St. John’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry in Lakeport, Calif.

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Written by: Nelson Strasser

Published: 27 January 2012

I will grant the conservative argument that when you begin change, you never know how things will end up. So, change has an inherent risk: things might get worse.

And, I will grant the argument that the dominant ideology is always the ideology of the power structure: That is to say, that there are many poor people and middle class people in this country who see the world through the same prism as billionaires do. So, it will be hard to convince them that change is needed.

And, I will grant that there are sections of the middle class who do not even know there is a recession: I was in Los Angeles recently, and I was in areas where it rained money. Many people had large houses, new cars, and spent $50 to see a movie (with popcorn and sodas).

For them, “ it’s all good” (except of course for the fact that they and their children are breathing air with 400 toxins that exceed the federal guidelines). These folks have a stake in the status quo. They will be resistant to change.

And, I will grant that the history of third party movements in the United States would suggest that third parties are not a viable way to effect fundamental change.

So, I admit that electoral politics appear to be a reasonable way to effect change.

Change may come with Obama, but if the last four years are any indication, it will be a glacial pace. The folks in Lodi will have beach front property before anything meaningful happens to slow global warming.

Don’t be fooled by his rhetoric. He is not with us. Notice in his speech he did not even mention Occupy Wall Street.

I believe that the notion that we have to move way to the right and support Obama is a self-fulfilling prophecy: Because the country is conservative, we must be very measured in our demands in order to win elections, i.e., be conservative.

Instead of placating the forces of resistance, let’s be leaders and show the way. The beginning is easy: We have the concept of “occupy,” now all we have to do is occupy the Democratic Party. All that is required is a change of consciousness.

Nelson Strasser lives in Kelseyville, Calif.

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Written by: Lorrie Gray

Published: 26 January 2012

On behalf of the Lake County Hunger Task Force, I would like to acknowledge and thank all of the individuals and businesses who made our 2011 Bountiful Boxes fundraiser such a rousing success.

It is with extreme gratitude that we thank Michelle Scully, who conceived of this project in 2010, and has been the instrumental reason we were able to carry out this project.

She contacted all of the donors, coordinated gathering the supplies, arranged for the location of the packing party, and served as chief cheerleader throughout. Without her efforts, none of this would have taken place.

The businesses and individuals who donated the boxes, pears, walnuts, wine and olive oil really stepped up with their generosity. All of the products donated were top quality.

We would like to sincerely thank Scully Packing, International Paper, Colleen Rentsch, Greg Hanson, Bullion Creek Vineyards, Lake County Wineries Association, Lake County Walnuts, Rosa d’Oro, Wildhurst Vineyards, Steele Winery, Chacewater Wine Co. and Olive Mill, Shed Horn Cellars, Guenoc Vineyards, Lake County Winegrape Commission, Sig Sigma Winery, Shannon Ridge Winery and Ceago Vineyards.

Thanks to Gloria Flaherty and the Lake Family Resource Center for loaning us their garage to use for our distribution. It was a warm refuge for the afternoon.

A thousand thank yous to the numerous volunteers that helped pack and distribute the boxes!

Kudos to Esther Stone, Gail Robello, Mary Beth Woodward, Sally Evans, Lou Denny, Ellen Sommers, Scott Sommers, Michelle Scully, Tammy Alakszay, and Toni Scully for enduring the cold temperatures in the packing shed to assemble 136 boxes.

The following day saw many of the same crew, with the addition of Colleen Rentsch to help us distribute them. Thank you all. The many hands made the work that much more fun.

A separate shout out to Scully Packing for the loan of their packing shed as our assembly location.

Thanks to Phillip, Toni, Patrick, Andy and Michelle for making the task easy to manage.

A huge thank you must go to the purchasers and donors who gave additional funds to the project.

The money they gave was turned into $25 grocery cards that were given to 17 Lake County residents in need of some help.

Finally, thank you to all of those who purchased the Bountiful Boxes. We hope you enjoyed the local, fine quality products that were inside. We hope to repeat the success this coming Christmas.

 

Lorrie Gray is a volunteer with the Lake County Hunger Task Force. She lives in Kelseyville, Calif.