Rebuilding Together helps those in need
Group makes food boxes to help out those in need
In a timely reminder to the brave first responders 19 years ago in New York City, Rebuilding Together Solano County wasn’t going to let horrible air quality stop them from helping out the community and those in need.
For the eighth consecutive year, the organization planned to help out the community with an event at Cal Maritime on Friday morning. However, because the air quality was unhealthy due to the numerous fires in Northern California, the event was canceled early in the morning.
The desire to help out, however, was still there from Rebuilding Together. The group promptly kept working, only at the Vallejo Community Presbyterian Church off Georgia Street instead of the Cal Maritime quad. While at the church, a number of veterans helped put together non-perishable food boxes for other veterans. The boxes included canned goods, applesauce, oatmeal, rice, pasta, toothpaste and a tooth brush as well as hand sanitizer donated by Savage & Cooke. They will be given out to veterans at a rescheduled event at Cal Maritime on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
“This definitely makes me feel good to help out today,” Rebuilding Together Solano County Executive Director Elizabeth Hoffman said. “Like many I was shocked when I saw what happened on 9/11. I wasn’t around for Pearl Harbor, but I’ve been told it compares to Pearl Harbor. It touches my heart when I see people come out today and take this day that’s known for tragedy and try to turn it into a day of community service and giving back.”
Hoffman said the group was preparing material at the church early Friday morning when they learned the event at Cal Maritime was canceled because it was outside.
“I have to give it to all the people here. All the veterans just said, ‘No, no, we’re already here, let’s still do it,'” Hoffman said. “We can’t do it outside, but we can still make something work inside. We’re already up, let’s make the most of the day.”
Veteran Michael Gregory, who served in the Navy and has been helping out Rebuilding Together for about a decade, was also glad to help out and noted the similarity between the day in 2001 and Friday.
“With all the smoke we’re dealing with, it sort of makes you think back to 9/11,” Gregory said. “We’re getting small taste of what the first responders had to deal with that day. And not just first responders really, but anyone who was living in New York on that day. So this makes me feel good to help out and do something for the less fortunate.”
Rebuilding Together has been helping out all year, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, although they’ve had to change their ways a little. No longer are they going into homes as much as they used to check on the elderly and fix things like smoke alarms, but they are still doing their best to make a difference. They host a weekly drive, visiting visiting 900 households a month, giving out 8,000 pounds of food a week.
Arles DeMayo, an Air Force veteran who helped out on Friday, said he wasn’t aware of the group until a few years ago.
“They came to the Vallejo Veterans building about two years ago, and ever since then I’ve been glad to help them out and help out the community,” DeMayo said. “It makes me very proud to help out on a day like this.”
Others helping creating food boxes on Friday were Javier Ojuela, Joselitio Lagman, George Yamada and Clint Porter. While creating the boxes, the members would put in a personnel note wishing the person well.
Hoffman was also glad to thank Rebuilding Together’s sponsors — Wells Fargo, Phillips 66, Cal Maritime, Home Depot and Vallejo Costco.
For more information on how to be a volunteer or help out, visit https://rebuildingtogethersolanocounty.org.