Lake County Hunger Task Force disbands
LAKE COUNTY >> After 19 years of operation, the Lake County Hunger Task Force is disbanding.
The Organization’s leaders stated that the primary reason is lack of volunteers. The task force was formed in 2001, after recommendations made following a hunger study conducted in Lake and Mendocino counties. The first meeting was held at the courthouse in Lakeport. There were 45 people in attendance.
That evolved into monthly meetings held at various venues. Committees were formed. A mission statement and goal were decided. Attendance slipped to about 20 people, as talking was the only activity. In 2001 the garden committee was created and planted the first community garden at the former homeless shelter in Clearlake. This was accomplished on Make-a-difference Day.
Membership slipped and only the garden committee survived. Task force leadership said the organization was led capably for many years by Pete Johnson, then leader for Habitat for Humanity in Lake County who dedicated many years to the organization.
Another project was a food drive, with the food given to pantries around the lake. From that year on until 2019, the task force participated in the nationwide Make-a- Difference Day, which was accomplished with the help of volunteers from Americorps, Kelseyville High School Interact students, K- Corps, and others from various organizations. The food drive morphed into the Stuff-a-bus event at the urging and cooperation of Lake County Transit. Thanks are extended to Lake Transit, Clearlake Grocery Outlet, Lakeport Grocery Outlet, and all who contributed items. From 2000 until 2019, the organization collected and distributed 73,588 pounds of non-perishable food.
In 2002 the task force held a food summit that gathered all groups that had pantries and food programs. Another was held about four years later. The group hoped to coordinate information and schedules for the county, which proved to be only partially successful, according to the task force.
From 2002 until 2019, the task force conducted canning lessons once a year. It was able to help 236 families and individuals learn the skills necessary to home-can, and provided them with a canner, jars, books, and a jar lifter to take home. These lessons were all hands- on, giving them experience and confidence to do this on their own. The task force leaders said they are eternally grateful to the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church for the loan of its wonderful commercial kitchen.
Until the task force was awarded a grant from the Lake County Wine Alliance in 2003, for $9,600, it relied on donations alone. The task force applied for, and received an additional $2,500 in 2009, for which it will always give kudos. The Wine Alliance also donated $2,500 in 2019 to the Lake County Holiday Fund.
In 2006, and again in 2012 hunger surveys were conducted, which were compiled into booklets and disseminated throughout the county. The social work students from Pacific Union College conducted most of the surveys and additional ones were done at food pantries and extended into the un-housed population. The task force extends gratitude to Fiona Bullock, who led the students in the surveys and provided the compilation and conclusions.
Without close alliance with North Coast Opportunities, including ware
house space, the task force would not have been able to conduct many activities. The leader in Lake County, Tammy Alakszay, was a member of the task force since 2002. She originally came onboard as an employee of the Lake County Office of Education, working with the Americorps volunteers. The task force participated in Hunger Action Day in Sacramento, tabled at the farmers market, talked with groups around the county, helped with school gardens, maintained and disseminated a food resource list, and helped feed people via other groups. The most successful endeavor was the gardens.
Landow ners donated land and water for gardens. The longest surviving garden was at Yoxagoi Farms, with Maile Field and Lars Crail supporting efforts. Bernie Butcher allowed use the Old Feed Mill property in Upper Lake, which is still operating, and will be maintained by the Upper Lake High School FFA and 4-H students, led by Er
ica Boomer. From 2010 until 2020, gardens produced 68,584 pounds of produce.
Task Force leaders added that without the mentorship and guidance of Sky Hoyt the organization could not have accomplished all it did. Hoyt taught what grew best in Lake County and helped to achieve a highrate of production. He invented the waist-high table-top growing system incorporated in the gardens. The group gleaned produce at his farm. He donated excess to food pantries.
The loan of a greenhouse came from the Lake County Office of Education, where all of the plants started from seed. The money to buy all of the plant starts needed would have been impossible to sustain, so the greenhouse was integral to garden projects. One garden alone had 98 tomato plants.
The task force gleaned pears, walnuts and red f lame seedless grapes through the generosity of Maile Field, Dan Goff, Nellie Dorn and Diane Henderson.
Beginning in 2010 there was the holiday box program, run by Lou Denny of the Lake County Community Action Agency. The role was taken over by North Coast Opportunities, Community Action. The boxes of food were provided by funds donated from citizens to a fund started by the Lake County Record-bee.
Scully Packing Company provided all of the approximately 25,000 boxes used over the years. Dennis Darling of Foods, Etc, Carlos Fagundes of Bruno’s Shop Smart, Rotary Club of Lakeport, Beth Berinti of the Lake Family Resource Center and Lou Denny of the Hunger Task Force gave their all. The program continues today. Due to COVID-19, this year recipients received gift cards to shop for themselves, 400 in Lakeport and Clearlake. Darling matched the funds to be used at Foods, Etc, and Fagundes, whose corporate offices donated an additional $5,000 to be spent at Bruno’s Shop Smart. The program will continue under the financial auspices of the Lake Family Resource Center. Donations to the Lake County Holiday Fund may be made at any time of year at Umpqua Bank or Westamerica banks.
The successful Bountiful Boxes began in 2010, originated by Michelle Scully, and carried out by members, with help from other volunteers. The generosity of Scully Packing Company made it possible to put together gift boxes full of Lake County products. The donation of premium Comice pears was the basis for the boxes, and all included a bottle of local wine or olive oil, walnuts, and a few years, apples. Donators included Scully Packing Company, Six Sigma, Steele, Shannon, Chacewater, Lake County Walnut, Mike Marshall, Colleen Rentsch and Nellie Dorn.
For four years the task force ran a backpack program for children of Nice, Lucerne and Upper Lake, as this was an underserved population. Every Friday youth were sent home with a backpack full of food they did not have to cook, but could eat immediately. Many were latch key kids. There was no one home to cook. It gave them healthy, nutritious food to eat over the weekend, when they were not getting lunch at school. This was run through the HUB in Upper Lake.
As a final act, per bylaws, all remaining funds were distributed to 14 other non-profit organizations, to be used for food only.
According to the task force, it is with heavy hearts saying goodbye. There are fewer people with the time or inclination to volunteer. People need to eat daily, not just during holiday seasons and other groups that are having the same problem, from churches to fraternal organizations to food pantries. Volunteers are aging out.