Food For Thought

Here’s a delicious way to support Food For Thought: You can buy our cookbook!

The Food For Thought Cookbook features more than 500(!) recipes from friends of the food bank. There are recipes for appetizers and party food, breakfast treats, salads, soups and stews, main courses, side dishes, breads and muffins, desserts, cookies and bars.

The book is spiral-bound to lay open on your counter, and the cover is laminated so it can be wiped clean easily.

The divisions between sections feature reproductions of original art by noted local artists.

The recipes range from quick and down-home to complicated and sophisticated. Some are family favorites and some are the favorites of wine country chefs. Some recipes bridge both categories, such as chef John Ash’s recipe for his grandmother’s pot roast.

The book is also loaded with nutritional information and includes an index.

It makes a great gift!

The cookbook is $20, and shipping in the continental United States is $4. (Email us at info@fftfoodbank.org if you’d like to arrange for shipping to other areas.) You can also order the book online and pick it up in our office if you plan to be in the area.

To buy your copy, simply use the “Donate Now” button to the left of this page. Our server is secure and you can use your credit card with confidence. Please enter your complete name and address, as well as your email address. Enter $24 for each book, and in the “comments” box, please put “Cookbook Purchase”. Allow two weeks for delivery.

These are some of the things we’d like to have right now:

• A computer, Pentium 4 or better
• Wooden lateral files, 2 drawer
• Microwaves (new)
• Blenders (new)
• Scanner (professional quality)
• Color copier with or without a scanner
• A folding massage table

If you have any of these things and would like to donate them, please call our office at (707) 887-1647.

For 20 years, Food For Thought has existed because of the energy of dedicated people and the financial support of generous, concerned people.

Approximately 80 percent of our budget is donated, by individuals and foundations, with some funding coming from governmental sources.

We have a small staff and maintain admirably low administrative costs. When you donate to us, you can have confidence that your money will used for the purpose intended - helping to feed people with disabling HIV/AIDS.

We are a non-profit 501c(3) corporation. Our Federal Tax ID is 68-0181095.

Here are some ways you can help support Food For Thought financially:

• You can give money, either by mailing a check, or using our secure online donation system.
• You can give assets, such as property or stocks.
• You can plan now to remember us in your estate.
• You can make in-kind donations of goods such as office supplies, furniture, new or excellent quality household goods, merchandise for auctions, food and wine for events and fundraising projects, and many other things. (Just call and ask, or you can see our current wish list here.)
• You can give quality antique or collectible items to our store, FFT Antiques & Collectibles in Sebastopol.
• You can make FFT Antiques a shopping priority when you’re looking for gifts and items for your home.
• You can attend the events that support Food For Thought.
• And of course, you can give us food.

Part-time, flexible hours, some work can be done from home.
Salary: hourly depending on experience.

About the the Food Drive Program
Food For Thought has an ongoing program of food drives held outside the doors of supermarkets throughout Sonoma County on 26 Saturdays of the year. This program is in its 15th year and raises a considerable amount of donated groceries and cash which are essential in meeting our obligations to over 400 men, women and children each month. In 2007 Over 55 food drives were conducted with $71,000 worth of groceries and cash donations collected. More than 100 volunteers helped with food drives last year.

A typical food drive volunteer crew involves three two-person teams working in 3 hour shifts from morning to late afternoon. The transportation of supplies and donations involve three other positions: setting up the supplies at the beginning and a van or pickup driver to pick up donations at the store mid-day and end of the day.

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Job Description
The coordinator’s primary responsibilities are arranging dates and maintaining good relations with the supermarket managers, assuring that each drive is fully staffed from a group of willing volunteers, and arranging for the transportation of supplies to the markets and of the donations back to the food bank. The position will also be responsible for expanding the program activities.

Because so much of the responsibilities and duties are oriented to working with volunteers, the coordinator must have good oral communication skills and have the ability to supervise volunteers. You need to be a “people person.”

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Required Skills

• Valid California driver’s license, access to registered vehicle, and proof of insurance.
• Ability to work well with minimal supervision and to work cooperatively with other staff.
• Ability to lift 50 lbs.
• Good organizational skills.

Desired Skills

• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish).

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For more information, contact our Volunteer Coordinator, 707.887.1607 ext. 103, or email at info@fftfoodbank.org.

Food For Thought is an equal opportunity employer. People living with HIV are encouraged to apply.

Together!

Your service group, school team, book club, or group of friends can join together and volunteer as a group.

Sometimes these groups are organized as a corporate effort in team building, and sometimes it’s a group of young people who want to gain experience in service based work.

Here’s what one group had to say:

“We had an amazing experience that will stick with us for the rest of our lives. This project opened our minds to new things that we had never experienced. We have matured through our project and learned many lessons. Food for Thought is an amazing organization and we are so glad we were able to get involved with it.”

Last year a group of seniors from a local high school adopted Food For Thought as their service project. They delivered groceries each Wednesday afternoon to people living with AIDS in Santa Rosa. By being the regular drivers they were able to get to know these men, women, and children (several of whom were primarily Spanish-speaking). This personal interaction provided valuable insight into the lives of a variety of people living with AIDS.

In the spring, they gathered more friends and staff a food drive outside the Windsor Safeway, collecting nearly $2,000 in donated groceries and cash.

Food For Thought named Barbara our 2008 Volunteer of the Year.

Since 2002, Barbara has exemplified so many of the traits that make for a great volunteer: She is enthusiastic, she rolls up her sleeves to tackle most anything we ask, she always makes us smile, and she keeps us on our toes. But more importantly, she has demonstrated a commitment to help the clients in a variety of ways and to promote the agency as well.

She is an integral part of the Wednesday morning food bank clerk crew. She then spends the afternoons writing thank you notes to donors. Barbara promotes the food bank in the outside world as well. She is responsible for generous shelving donations from Agilent, encouraging her friends to volunteer, and finding donations that come in so very handy at times. She has been on the Calabash Planning Committee and regularly volunteers for special events. When one of our clients requested that someone from the food bank become the executor of his estate, Barbara agreed to take on this unique, and ultimately challenging, task. Barbara has a lot of heart.

Interview by Connie Beall, in the guise of Lois Lane.

Lois Lane: Who, what (or why) brought you to FFT to volunteer?
Barbara Doyle: My friend, Jeff Doutt, passed from AIDS. I went to the quilt memorial when his piece was included. It made me aware of the need for caring, devoted services in Sonoma County. I began supporting the food bank and Face to Face financially. Eventually, they both sent mailings and asked about volunteering, I checked the appropriate box—but only Stewart replied! The rest is all magical history.

LL: What is your favorite part of volunteering?
BD: ABSOLUTELY the interaction with the clients! Whether in person at the store front or over the phone taking food orders, our clients are the most genuine, real folks. No pretenses. I love it when clients who don’t know each other strike up a conversation at the counter. They support each other without even knowing it. I also love that everyone treats each person with such dignity and their confidentiality is held to the highest standards.

LL: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? Is that close to anything you have done?
BD: I always wanted to help people. Unfortunately, that is not what I did as a vocation. I have always been a marketing-jerk. Now that I’m retired, I find extreme value in volunteering.

LL: What’s the most unusual job (paid or volunteer) that you have held?
BD: I was among the first of the meter maids in San Francisco, working with the Police Department—their token hippie. I worked Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Street, State College, South of Market and Southern Station. It was a very fun time, during the 70’s, but I found myself losing my compassion. It’s easy to become hardened on the streets.

I also worked as a Development Assistant person at FFT for a year. It’s quite different seeing what goes on behind the scenes and how much effort it takes to keep the business portion moving up and to the right.

LL: What are some of your favorite comfort foods?
BD: Macaroni and Cheese! Never met a carb I didn’t like…

LL: What are you looking forward to doing this year?
BD: Continuing to volunteer. I love the Wednesday crew, we hold nothing sacred.

LL: What would you say to a new volunteer at FFT about the organization?
BD: OH BOY! Fun, irreverent, tawdry, fulfilling, beneficial. I always leave the ‘job’ feeling better than I did when I came in. One of the delightful things about volunteering is that you can work as much or as little as you want to. There is always a need for your skill - whether it’s answering the phone, doing food drives, delivering groceries, picking up donations, or helping with events.

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We like to think Food For Thought knows how to put the “fun” in fundraising.

We hold a variety of events throughout the year that help to raise funds for the food bank and our projects. These are fun volunteer opportunities and fun to attend!

We have an annual Western Sonoma County Spring Home and Garden Tour, our Calabash Festival in the fall, and Dining Out for Life in December.

There are smaller parties and events to benefit FFT’s Project Africa.

And from bears to bicycles, and blues to bingo, many groups and organizations make us the beneficiary of their events including The Russian River Jazz Festival, the Russian River Blues Festival, Lazy Bear Weekend in Guerneville, and The Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Halloween Bingo.

Calabash is our biggest event of the year. Volunteers, staff, clients, and community members all look forward to our annual “Celebration of Gourds, Art, and the Garden ” and we hold the event in our own organic gardens, right here at Food For Thought!

Over 100 artists have been invited to participate this year, including many well-known Sonoma County and Bay Area gourd artists, some of whom will be displaying their gourd art work for the very first time, bringing their own artistic sensibilities and magic to the gourd form.

For more information on the festival, on submitting gourd art, and a list of last year’s artists, check out the festival’s website.

Our April 25, 2008, Take A Walk on the Wide Side dinner-dance for Project Africa turned out to be a blow-out benefit, raising nearly $20,000 for food programs in Namibia. The event took place at Safari West wild animal preserve in Santa Rosa, and the combination of hot weather and cacophony of animal sounds transported our guests to Africa for the evening. Within view of giraffes, party-goers enjoyed the African-inspired meal and rowdy dancing that followed.

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Doug Gosling provided the dance music, spinning inspired world-beat selections. An African dance and music demonstration, followed by a dance lesson, was provided by Gideon Mulungisi Bendile, a Safari West employee, and his daughter. Lots of thanks to Project Africa Committee Member Paula Netherda for organizing the evening, and to Nancy and Peter Lang, owners of Safari West, for their hospitality.

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The following people also helped to sponsor the event:

• Libby Agran & Guy Fitzwater
• Dee Arias
• Rocky Camp & Kim Caruso
• Ron Karp & Ann Dolin
• Mr. and Mrs. Roy Kaufman
• Christoper Lirely & Michael Samuel
• Mark & Paula Netherda

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We’d also like to thank:

• Doug & Michelle DeFors of Michelle Marie’s Patisserie
• Foster’s Wine Estates
• Joe Gozzi
• Kenwood Vineyards
• Taylor Maid Coffee
• and Mark Vogler

Food For Thought, The Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank

P.O. Box 1608, Forestville, CA 95436
Office: (707) 887-1647 Fax: (707) 887-1440
Email: Info@FFTFoodBank.org

We are open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

How to find the building:

We’re located at 6550 Railroad Ave., between First and Forestville Sts., just a block south of Hwy. 116 (Gravenstein Hwy. North as it becomes Guerneville Hwy.) as it passes through downtown Forestville.

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You can read about paid employment opportunities with Food For Thought here.

Located in Forestville, California, Food For Thought is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to meeting the needs of all persons living with AIDS/symptomatic HIV disease in Sonoma County, regardless of financial, sexual, racial, religious, political, or any other attitudinal preferences and proclivities.

The organization was founded in 1988. Since that time, we have provided free weekly grocery bags of canned and boxed food, fresh produce, household incidentals, nutritional supplements, vitamins, and whatever other goodies are on hand, along with frozen meals for people severely affected by AIDS. Nutritional advice and occasional hugs are also available at no charge.

We currently provide food to about 550 people, including men, women, and dependent children of parents with HIV/AIDS.

We provide services in English and Spanish. While many clients enjoy their weekly visit to select their food at our welcoming facility, delivery service is available for clients who are homebound due to ill health or lack of transportation.

In our 20 years of service to the community, Food For Thought has developed a reputation as a wonderful place to work and volunteer time. Governed with a sense of stewardship and run with a small staff and admirably low administrative expenses, Food For Thought is also an ideal place to donate goods and services, as well as make financial contributions. You can donate to us in confidence knowing your funds will be put to good use in the community.

In July of 2007, Food For Thought became the proud owner of an antique store just south of Sebastopol on Gravenstein Hwy South (directions and map below). Formerly called “Collective Spaces,” the store has recently been rechristened “FFT Antiques”.

In a true example of a gift that keeps on giving, our antique store was an estate gift from Food Bank supporter J. Randall Thompson, who bequeathed it to us in his will.

Unique among the tag and thrift stores operated by some nonprofit agencies, FFT Antiques is committed to selling quality antique and vintage items.

The 3,200 square foot store includes items from 10 different vendors, including Food For Thought.

The perfect place to shop for your home and gifts, FFT Antiques also offers a great outlet for your donations and estate liquidations.

Whether you donate to FFT Antiques, or make a purchase here, you’ll feel good knowing that the proceeds help to support Food For Thought, the Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank.

To make a donation, or for more information, contact:

Allen Chivens,

Store Manager

FFT Antiques

2701 Gravenstein Hwy. South

Sebastopol, CA 95472

(707) 823-3101

AllenC@FFTFoodBank.org

The store is open daily, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The store can be found at the corner of Old Gravenstein Hwy. and Gravenstein Hwy. South, about 2.5 miles south of the center of town.
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Located in the great little wine country town of Forestville, California, Food For Thought is a wonderful place to work that supports a healthy, organic lifestyle. For 20 years we’ve been providing extraordinary service to people with HIV/AIDS. We offer competitive salaries and benefits to full-time employees. However, we have a small staff and positions open up infrequently. Currently, we have the following opening:

Food Drive Coordinator (this is an outreach position)

Stewart Thomas Scofield
March 26, 1948 - April 19, 2008

Stewart Scofield was Food For Thought’s volunteer coordinator, and the most enduring member of the FFT family. He joined the organization in 1991, first as a volunteer, then as the first employee, and continued in those duties until his unexpected death at his Bodega Bay home on Saturday, April 19, 2008. A celebration of his life was held Sunday, May 25, 2008 in Cotati. If you’d like to see the program for the service, and print it out, you can do so (as a .pdf document) here.

His friends and family asked that memorial donations be directed to Food For Thought, The Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank.

Stewart was born in Gary, Indiana on March 26, 1948 and raised in Hobart, Indiana. He received a BA in Psychology from Grinnell College, Iowa in 1970. After graduation Stewart remained in Iowa, working for his alma mater, Grinnell. During this period he was instrumental in organizing Grinnell’s Gay/Lesbian/Queer community and became a co-founder of RFD magazine, a pioneering publication for the rural gay community which continues to be published today.

In the mid-70s Stewart moved to California. He first tried the southland and Santa Barbara before finding his true home in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. He received his Masters degree in Library Science from UC Berkeley in 1979.

He lived in San Francisco for much of the 80s and his deep affection for The City never diminished, even after he moved north. From 1980 to 1992 he and his first partner, Don Maharg, owned and operated City Terrace Landscapes and Gardens, a landscaping business specializing in delightful small backyards in San Francisco. During 1983-84 Stewart also managed the Grubstake II, as he put it “a small but crazy 24-hour gay restaurant”.

After he, Donnie, and their dogs, Madeleine and Nugget, relocated to Bodega Bay, and after Donnie died, Stewart began working with Food For Thought, The Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank (FFT), first as a volunteer in 1990, and then on the payroll of the fledgling service organization, beginning in 1991. Stewart was initially hired to be a part-time food drive coordinator, a position which, over a few years, morphed into full-time volunteer coordinator; the position he held until his death. FFT serves 550 clients and Stewart was responsible for recruiting, training, scheduling and acknowledging over 500 volunteers for all aspects of FFT’s activities, including staffing at the Forestville facility, food deliveries to clients, bi-weekly supermarket food drives and four major fund-raising events each year. Stewart was also the editor and primary producer of FFT’s semi-monthly newsletter, The Dish.

Stewart was a dynamic and highly effective volunteer coordinator who was not only able to convince individual people to give of their time and energy, but to inspire those volunteers to recruit their friends and family as well. In 1995 Stewart was named Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator in Sonoma County. In addition, he shepherded a record number of FFT volunteers to Silver Bowl awards for Volunteer of the Year, all of these awarded by the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County.

From 1991 until 2006 Stewart organized the carrying of a giant Rainbow Flag in the San Francisco and Sonoma County Pride Parades. The huge flag was a defining symbol of the parades as well as being a dependable fundraiser for FFT.

In the early 90’s Stewart was instrumental in organizing the annual AIDS Candlelight Memorial Marches, a project particularly dear to his heart. It was at the 1994 Candlelight March that Stewart, a long-time survivor of HIV, was presented with the Jeremy Bell Award for Community Service by a Person with HIV. Stewart then became involved with the nomination and selection of subsequent Jeremy Bell Award recipients.

Besides his job at FFT, Stewart volunteered time and energy to many other service organizations, among them, the HIV Speakers Bureau, Face to Face/ Sonoma County AIDS Network, PAWS and the Healing AIDS Newsletter. One of the projects he was most proud of was his role as host committee member/volunteer coordinator for the Santa Rosa display of The NAMES Quilt Project in 1994.

In July, 2003 the Russian River Chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence honored Stewart’s dedication to community service by officially anointing him “Saint Stewart”.

Throughout 2003-04 Stewart worked on the Sonoma County AIDS Leadership Academy helping to organize a year-long training which graduated a class of future community activists in September, 2004. While working on that project, Stewart and Everett Charters (with cameraman Paul Schwartz) produced the film Where Would We Be Without You: A Video History of AIDS Activism in Sonoma County, which includes a video interview with Stewart. As a follow up to this endeavor, Stewart continued to videotape interviews with scores of early activists and participants as an ongoing oral history project.

In 1991 Stewart became involved with The Billy Club, a Ukiah-based nonprofit organization created initially as a way to distribute HIV prevention and service information to a scattered rural gay population. It has since evolved into a major support group for Northern California gay and bi-sexual men. He joined the board of directors soon after The Billy Foundation was created and eventually became its second president.

During his record five years in office, Stewart became, for many, the face of The Billy Club and the embodiment of its principals. Many remember his provocative talent show performances at gatherings (especially his “acid-washed” jeans) as well as his annual telling of the story of the group’s founding, for which he developed the persona of the beloved “Uncle Stewart.”

Stewart was a powerful, persuasive writer whose longtime column, “Off The Wall,” for Sonoma County’s late LGBT newspaper, We The People, was a highlight of each issue. With his trademark wit and surefire ability to cut through to the core of an issue, his columns were often controversial and seldom ignored. Stewart also composed utterly uninhibited poetry and prose, of which he was a spirited performer. During his last years he was engaged in extensive research and writing for his magnum opus, Urinalia: a Social Look at Men and Pissing. Stewart’s research for this book took him across the country and to Europe. In a recent interview with the online magazine Urban Molecule, Stewart described his project as “a book that looks at men and urination from the points of view of history, rites and rituals, psychology, mythology, social customs and biology.” More information on this project, and a survey, can be found on his web site. The editor of Urban Molecule wrote another lovely tribute to Stewart which you can read here.

In his final few years Stewart had been an active and enthusiastic volunteer in the Sonoma County CASA program, helping to mentor troubled young people and shepherd them through the legal system.
To everything Stewart did he brought passion, skill and dedication, but just as important he brought a sublime wit and mischievous sense of fun, all guided by his profound integrity.

Stewart was predeceased by his mother, Janice Briska Scofield, his father, Milton Robert Scofield , his sister, Nancy and his first partner, Donnie Maharg.

He is survived by his brother Peter Scofield of Vero Beach, Florida, his nieces, Erica Royce McDaniel of Loveland, Colorado and Mariza Royce Anderson of Spokane, Washington, his cousin, Sue West of Oakland CA, his second partner, Patrick Ennis and many, many friends.

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Here are some great articles about Project Africa that have appeared in the news recently. We thought you’d like to read and hear about the project:
The Press Democrat ran Chris Smith’s compelling story on Mark and Paula Netherda’s work in Namibia, and their connection with Food For Thought’s Project Africa. You can read the story, “In Africa, On the Front Lines in AIDS Battle,” here.

Bruce Robinson’s North Bay Report on KRCB Public Radio recently featured an interview about the project with Food For Thought’s Executive Director Ron Karp. You can hear the interview here, through KRCB’s on-line “On Demand Jukebox”.

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The AIDS pandemic has left millions of children orphaned and vulnerable in Africa. Many of them, like the young girl at the right, are the sole caregivers for other children. Hope Initiatives is a small organization running soup kitchens in Namibia, helping to feed these children.

Twenty-five years ago, at the beginning of the epidemic in this country, a large number of individuals turned their backs on people with AIDS. Many others, however, gave their time, talent and money to create a new model of caring. Food For Thought, the Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank, was developed using this model.

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At Food For Thought, we believe that we are once again at a crossroads in the struggle against this virus. Will we turn our backs on people with HIV/AIDS in the developing world? Or, will we once again work together to provide support where possible.

After thoughtful consideration, the FFT Board of Directors created the Project Africa Committee in 2005.

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The mission of this committee is to support food programs in Africa for people affected by HIV/AIDS. The FFT board has stipulated that no funds raised for our Sonoma County clients can be diverted to work in Africa, so funds for African programs are raised separately. We distribute those funds through a partnership with Hope Initiatives. You can read about our various fundraising efforts here.

Our committee meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month (except December) at 5:30 pm at the food bank. We would love to have you join us in this lifesaving work.

Click on the links in the left hand column to learn more about our specific projects in Africa.

You can use our Donate Now! button on the left to make a donation. Enter “Project Africa” in the comment box to make sure your donation goes to our programs in Africa.

Food For Thought services are available free of charge to anyone diagnosed with symptomatic or disabling HIV or AIDS who is a resident of Sonoma County. The intake process is simple: just come to the food bank, fill out an application, and show us a valid Sonoma County ID and letter of diagnosis from your doctor. We’ll spend a few minutes telling you about our services and procedures, and you can go home with groceries the same day!

If you are not able to travel to our facility in Forestville, call Rachel Gardner, our Client Services Coordinator, at 707-877-1647, and we will make other arrangements for you.

All clients are welcome to receive weekly groceries, vitamins and dietary supplements, and nutritional counseling, and to participate in our nutrition education and garden programs. Clients who are homebound due to illness or lack of transportation can have groceries delivered to their door. Clients who are unable to prepare food for themselves may receive frozen meals by applying through their case manager or doctor.

The food bank was founded by people who understood that a volunteer-based organization can transform lives in extraordinary ways by sharing common compassion, which works to break down cultural barriers.

Our volunteer program is based on the overarching ideal that everyone in our community is affected by the HIV epidemic regardless of personal HIV status. Here, volunteers are friends, neighbors, and even strangers), providing support to those who live with HIV/AIDS. Many of our volunteers are clients as well as volunteers, while others had never met anyone with HIV until they began to help out at Food For Thought.

The food bank has been blessed by many folks who exemplify the spirit of selfless giving. Over the years the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County has honored many of our food bank volunteers with Silver Bowl Awards at their annual recognition luncheon. We are proud of them and their contributions to enriching the lives of our clients.

Silver Bowl Award Winners:

• 1993 Kathy O’Neill / Outstanding Adult Volunteer
• 1995 Stewart Scofield / Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator
• 1996 Jessica Chisler / Outstanding Youth Volunteer
• 1997 David Steger / Outstanding Adult Volunteer
• 1998 John Shoaf / Outstanding Adult Volunteer, Outstanding Volunteer Program
• 1999 Kathy Dennison / Outstanding Adult Volunteer
• 2000 Peter Van Dyke / Outstanding Youth Volunteer
• 2001 John Smith / Outstanding Adult Volunteer
• 2002 Aleksei Lund / Outstanding Youth Volunteer
• 2003 Outstanding Volunteer Program
• 2004 Randall Thompson / Outstanding Adult Volunteer, Outstanding Volunteer Program

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Each year the food bank chooses a person whose contributions of time and heart rise above the ordinary.
These are our Volunteers of the Year:

• 2008 Barbara Doyle (You can read an interview with Barbara here.)
• 2007 Nancy Tello
• 2006 Diana Lobush and Jim Penpraze
• 2005 Jim Komarek
• 2004 Randall Thompson
• 2003 Angelo Fazzi
• 2002 Gene Bonino and Bruce Higton
• 2001 John Smith
• 2000 Fred King
• 1999 Kathy Dennison
• 1998 Shirley Liberman
• 1997 David Steger
• 1996 Eva Estermann
• 1995 Erin Moilanen
• 1994 Alan Zimmerman
• 1993 Kathy O’Neill
• 1992 Andy Jaszewski
• 1991 Robert Becker
• 1990 Kathy Dennison

Jim Komarek exemplifies the client who is determined to “give back” to the food bank by volunteering to help others. Jim was diagnosed with AIDS and suffered greatly from the devastating effects of the disease. But he hung in and when protease inhibitors changed the HIV treatment scene, he was one of the fortunate ones to benefit.

After regaining much of his health, he became a volunteer helping other clients get their groceries. He also joined the Board of Directors as the client representative and became an active member of the Calabash Planning Committee.

Food Bank Clerk

Clerks staff the food bank itself in downtown Forestville. Duties include greeting clients, taking their orders, filling grocery bags both for walk-in clients and for those who are homebound and receive deliveries. Clerks also stock shelves, receive deliveries, divide sacks of bulk items to one pound bags, wash windows, sweep floors and generally pitch in for the task at hand.

Time: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 3-4 hour shifts.
Age: 12 years old minimum.
Required: compassionate heart, ability to lift and carry full grocery bags.

Home Delivery Driver

Deliver groceries to clients who are homebound due to illness or lack of transportation. Pick up groceries in Forestville in your own car. We provide maps and directions. Usually four to eight stops on a route. Volunteers report an average of 1.5 to 2 hours of time.

Time: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. Deliveries can be picked up anytime between 1 and 5 p.m.
Age: Over 18 years old.
Required: proof of valid driver’s license and current auto insurance, ability to lift and carry full grocery bags.

Gardener

Under the direction of two Master Gardeners, work with them and other volunteers planting, maintaining and harvesting in our organic vegetable, herb and flower gardens and orchard. The garden volunteers generally enjoy a lunch break together, often with fresh greens from the garden. A fine opportunity to learn more about organic gardening as well as touching the earth and connecting with nature.

Time: Saturdays beginning at 10 a.m., at least a two hour commitment
Age: Over 16 years old.
Required: physical ability to do light to heavy gardening.

Food Bank Ambassador

Great opportunity for those who work during the week but want to help once a month for a few hours!

On 26 Saturdays each year, volunteers conduct food drives outside the doors of local supermarkets. Food bank Ambassadors offer flyers to shoppers as they enter the door, asking them to buy some extra items while they shop and then receive the donations in special bins as the shoppers exit.

Where: Santa Rosa, Cotati, Petaluma, Sonoma, Sebastopol, Guerneville, Forestville
Time: Saturdays, 3 hour shift
Age: 16 years old and up, younger children OK with parents
Required: Friendly demeanor in public, ability to stand outdoors for two to three hours.

Donation pickups

Use your pickup truck or van to collect donations at various places in Sonoma County.

Time: Often on Saturday afternoons and other times as needed.
Required: Valid driver’s license and proof of auto insurance, ability to lift cases of canned goods and/or 50 lbs sacks.

Clerical / receptionist / data entry

Answer phones, write thank you notes, perform essential data entry work, miscellaneous filing. Different positions are available according to aptitudes and time availability.

Time: generally Tuesday – Friday afternoons, but other times can be arranged
Required: Attention to detail is important.

Special events

Volunteers for a wide range of jobs are needed for all our special fundraising events: ticket takers, registration folk, guides and hosts, food and beverage assistants, drivers, phone solicitors, envelope stuffers, logistical set up, parking attendants, people with strong backs and people with gentle hands, paraders, and the (always important) clean-up crew. See the calendar (hyperlink) for the upcoming events.

We have several ways of raising money for Project Africa that are separate from the normal fundraising projects of the food bank.

We’ve held two great dinners, A Namibian Night to Remember (2007) and Take a Walk on the Wild Side (2008). These events raised $15,000 and nearly $20,000, respectively. Silent auctions and quilt raffles at the events helped to raise the totals.

Other projects have ranged from per-mile pledges for a FFT volunteer who walked across England in 2007, and is walking across Scotland this year, and a local artist who has donated proceeds from a three-month show of his work in Sebastopol. We’ve raffled off quilts, and some kind people have organized wonderful house parties. A local physician, in planning her retirement dinner, graciously requested that donations be made to Project Africa in lieu of gifts.

We also sell African items, to benefit the project, in our store, FFT Antiques & Collectibles in Sebastopol.

However, a large percentage of the money we raise comes from generous individuals who donate directly to Project Africa. If you’d like to do this, please click on the Donate Now! link to your left and write “Project Africa” in the comments box. We’ll make sure your money helps to feed children in Africa.

Project Africa has its own fundraising committee: Jim Barnes, Anna Baylor, Asia Downing, Nicole Elitch, Rachel Gardner, Doug Gosling, Peaches Henning, Ron Karp, Katherine Kendall, Paula Seitz-Netherda, Nancy Wright, and Sarah Wright.

Food For Thought’s Project Africa supports ongoing work by Hope Initiatives in Namibia (map below). We chose this project, in part, because of already existing local efforts to provide assistance to this country. Doctors from Sonoma County have helped to set up an anti-retroviral program (read about their work here), and others have worked to support the programs of Patricia Sola and John Mafukidze, the founders of the Hope Initiatives This project now includes two soup kitchens and a bridging school.

In 2007 FFT formed a partnership with ANSA, the Association of Nutrition Services Agencies, which has acquired a grant to assist in providing support and counsel to HIV/AIDS programs in Africa. ANSA’s coordination efforts have allowed us to utilize not only our skills and resources but also those of Food and Friends in Washington, D.C. and MANNA in Philadelphia to support the Hope Initiatives project.

In July 2007, FFT Client Services Manager Rachel Gardner traveled to Namibia for two weeks with an ANSA team. Their work focused on capacity building and developing support services. Rachel feels that this collaborative effort is creating tremendous opportunities to improve the lives of people living with AIDS in these areas.

In 2006 we provided a one-time grant of $1,000.00 for DIG, a gardening project run by Steve Bollinger; this projects works with people in Senegal to create a garden at the AIDS hospital in Dakar. This garden is now producing hundreds of pounds of fresh vegetables every month, which are used in the preparation of food for patients in the hospital. Learn more about DIG at www.developmentingardening.org.

In the same year we sent $10,000.00 to Village Hopecore International, a micro funding program started by Dr. K Mugambe. Our grant is being used to fund loans for 12 individuals with HIV/AIDS to facilitate them in again becoming contributing members of the Chocoria village in Kenya. You can learn more about this program at www.villagehopecore.org.

CLIENT SERVICES

(Para información en español por favor llame a Erik Orav al 707-887-1647)

Food For Thought offers comprehensive nutritional services to nearly 500 individuals living with disabling HIV/AIDS in Sonoma County. Our services are confidential and are provided to clients at no cost in a welcoming and beautiful environment. Food Bank programs include weekly groceries and fresh produce; vitamins and nutritional supplements; delivery to the homebound; frozen meals for the very ill; nutritional counseling; organic gardening project; cooking and nutrition classes; recipes and nutritional updates, and occasional social gatherings.

For more information, or to apply for services, contact Rachel Gardner, Client Services Manager, at 707-887-1647, clientservices@fftfoodbank.org, P.O. Box 1608, Forestville, CA 95436, or stop by the food bank at 6550 Railroad Avenue in lovely downtown Forestville.

You can do it all!

Food For Thought is the perfect place to be an enthusiastic, active, volunteer. We have a small paid staff and rely on volunteers to help fulfill our mission.

Here, volunteers roll up their sleeves to carry out the work of feeding people living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS.

Last year 527 people contributed over 18,000 hours of service.

Volunteers performed the vital work of taking orders, bagging groceries, stocking shelves, soliciting donations, working at food drives, staffing fundraising events, delivering to homebound clients, working in our amazing organic garden, picking up donations, lending a hand at our antique store, and helping out in our offices. Volunteers make and steer policy on the Board of Directors.

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Our volunteers range in age from 7th graders to very senior citizens. Some help with just a special event or two each year while others donate four to eight hours every week. Some like to volunteer as a group. You can read about one group’s experience here.

These are some of the people we’ve honored for their outstanding service to our organization.

No matter how much (or how little) time you have to offer, we will do our best to find a place for you to be of heart-felt service.

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Here are descriptions of some of our volunteer positions.

All potential volunteers are invited to attend a one hour, no obligation, New Volunteer Orientation meeting on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7pm.

For specific questions, contact our Volunteer Coordinator, volunteer@fftfoodbank.org by email or phone at 707.887.1647.

Food For Thought has provided comprehensive nutrition to people in Sonoma County living with, or affected by, HIV and AIDS since our beginning in 1988.

The organization has grown in the belief that every client, donor, and volunteer deserves to be treated with grace, honor, and respect; we continue this mission today. Read more about our organization here.

“You cannot give away food without there being an emotional, and even spiritual, component to your act. This is the real reason we do what we do.” - Stewart Scofield

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THE UPCOMING VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION IS SOON !

The next step in becoming a volunteer at the Food Bank is to attend the no obligation, one hour, Orientation Meeting. There you will learn of our grass roots origins, the identity of the first food fairy and how you can be of service. They are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except December) at 7pm at the food bank (map link).

Please take the time to fill in an application form before the meeting, or print it and bring it with you.

If you have more questions, please contact the Volunteer Coordinators Stewart Scofield or Allen Chivens at volunteer@fftfoodbank.org or by phone 707.887.1647.

In 2007, we gave 550 people in Sonoma County weekly groceries.

dollar amount of all that food…

Where does it all come from?

26 weekends a year, we hold food drives outside of local markets. Our method is simple: We tell people what items we need (you can see our most-frequently requested items here) and ask if they’ll buy some of them for us. Then they drop their purchases in our collection bins on the way out.

The food we collect helps to stock the food bank

About the the Food Drive Program
Food For Thought has an ongoing program of food drives held outside the doors of supermarkets throughout Sonoma County on 26 Saturdays of the year. This program is in its 15th year and raises a considerable amount of donated groceries and cash which are essential in meeting our obligations to over 400 men, women and children each month. In 2007 Over 55 food drives were conducted with $71,000 worth of groceries and cash donations collected. More than 100 volunteers helped with food drives last year.