Stepping up to the plate after tragedy
Stockton Emergency Food Bank names interim executive director following slaying of former head
The Stockton/San Joaquin Emergency Food Bank announced Ray Call as their interim executive director on Thursday, following the tragic death of executive director Michael Donaghy.
Donaghy’s body was found on Jan. 5 by Stockton police officers near a rental property he owned when he never returned from speaking with a tenant about rent the night before, and showed signs of trauma consistent with homicide, the Stockton Record reported.
A 17-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of killing Donaghy, according to Officer Joseph Silva of the Stockton Police Department.
“Since the arrest involved a juvenile, we’re very limited in terms of what information we can disclose right now. I do know that the suspect is starting the court process, but that’s about all I can say,” Silva said.
Following a few difficult weeks of decisions for the food bank, Call stepped in as interim executive director, and hopes to use his business experience to help it distribute food to hungry families, he said.
Call works as a consultant for nonprofit organizations, and has held leadership positions with the Child Abuse Prevention Council, YMCA and the City of Stockton annual United Way Campaign. He will handle the food bank’s day-to-day operations such as securing funding until a permanent director is found.
“I’m already working on two big grants for our Farm-to-Fresh and Mobile Farmers Market programs. I’m also basically running the hiring process. We’re hoping to get somebody in this seat by June 1,” Call said.
The food bank is looking for candidates with business experience, Call said, particularly in the areas of fundraising and networking. That experience, he explained, helped Donaghy make the food bank successful, which Call hopes to continue until he finds his replacement.
“Mike was really good with efficiencies, finance and networking. He was really good at bringing people in and connecting to donors. They’re (the food bank) in a very stable financial situation, both because of Mike and because of good decision-making by the board of directors. Mike made them more visible, too. He really helped them with their visibility. Everything is going really well, and I expect it to stay that way until we get another person on board,” Call said.
The food bank’s pantry is open from 9 a.m. until noon, Monday through Friday, and serves between 9,000 and 10,000 pounds of food to approximately 250 families each day, according to Angela King, the partner relations coordinator. Guests scan their cards at the intake room before filling a box with pasta, beans, rice, dairy products, meat, eggs, bread and fresh produce.
“How we do it here is like a buffet. We used to pre-box the food, but some people don’t like certain things and they would throw them on the road. Not only were people not eating, but we were wasting food. Now, people can choose what they want from a few different piles out on tables,” King said.
The Stockton/San Joaquin Emergency Food Bank is located at 7 W. Scotts Ave., Stockton. For more information, call 209-464-7369.