In the news

My BFF, Gaspar, suggested I start putting things like this in the blog so the kids know about things their parents did 'once upon a time.' It gives me the giggles a bit, but maybe he's right. Here are some things of late....
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Sutter donations, volunteers help River City Food Bank
Sacramento Business Journal - by Anne Gonzales Correspondent

Karen Wells, left, from the surgery center at Sutter Medical Center, and an unidentified Sutter employee participated in a food drive for River City Food Bank in 2008.
It could be called a match made in midtown.
A food bank in midtown Sacramento was facing a sea of hungry faces, many of them newly jobless or newly homeless. The food bank struggled to feed the longer lines of people in need.
Meanwhile, a few blocks away, Sutter Medical Center was looking for a way to volunteer in the neighborhood.
“We sort of discovered each other in 2007,” said Eileen Thomas, executive director of River City Food Bank. “We’re in the same neighborhood. We needed help with our nutrition and health programs, and Sutter wanted to do something in their community.”
Since then, Sutter Medical Center has given $175,000 in grants to the food bank, while Sutter Health’s Sacramento Sierra Region has donated $22,000 to buy food for the food bank. Sutter Medical also has donated hundreds of hours of volunteer service and participated in food drives and fundraisers to keep the food bank’s pantries stocked.
Holly Harper, community benefit manager for Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region, said River City Food Bank received a $50,000 grant from Sutter in 2008. Sutter partnered with 3fold Communications to develop a marketing plan for the food bank, including a revamp of its fundraising efforts, board of directors and branding.
The new marketing plan has increased donations by 18 percent, Harper said.
As part of the grant, the food bank, formerly called River City Community Services, was renamed. It rolled out a new logo, website and social media strategy. The food bank also was able to launch an online fundraising campaign in July 2009, called The Growing Circle, to raise more than $10,000 and 10,000 pounds of fresh produce.
The Growing Circle takes in fresh fruit and vegetables to supplement its stock of canned and nonperishable food.
This year, the food bank is shooting to raise $15,000 with its online campaign.
Harper said the grant also allowed the food bank to hold its first Harvest for Hunger event to honor supporters and give them branded visibility as partners, and to fund a food stamp outreach coordinator position. The job is the first of its kind in the region. The coordinator pre-screens applicants for food stamps and helps clients apply for the food stamp program.
This year, River City Food Bank was able to expand its employee base from two part-time staff members to two full-time employees and one part-time. And its Empty Bowl fundraising event was the most successful in its history, with net proceeds of $85,947, a 61 percent increase from the previous year. The two-day event in March drew 1,100 attendees for meals and sales of pottery made by local artists.
In both 2008 and 2009, Sutter also gave the food bank a $50,000 grant to increase services and the amount of food available for clients. And the medical center gave $25,000 this year to start a program for medical screening and referrals of food bank clients. The program links clients, many of them uninsured or underinsured, with medical services in the area, which cuts down on visits to emergency rooms.
The extra help from Sutter came at the right time for River City Food Bank.
“In 2007, the economy was just going crazy, and we were seeing lots of new faces and experiencing huge growth in the demand for our services,” Thomas said. That year, the food bank saw a 40 percent jump in the number of people seeking services compared to 2006.
“In 2006, we were serving around 1,800 to 2,000 per month,” Thomas said. “Today, we serve anywhere from 3,000 to 3,500 people a month.”
She said the funding opened doors to getting more fresh produce into the food bank and educating clients about healthy food and the health risks associated with poor diets.
“Our partnership with Sutter means the difference between providing top-notch services and just squeaking by,” Thomas said. “We’ve been able to connect with donors, to find new donors, new sources of food. It’s made the nutritional piece of our program a very strong component.”

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Gathering Inn depends on volunteers
By Michelle Carl Press Tribune Editor
It takes an army to run The Gathering Inn. Someone drives the homeless clients to their shelter for the night. Someone washes the blankets they sleep on. Someone cooks the food they eat. Someone donates the travel-size shampoo bottles they use to wash their hair.
It’s a network of volunteers – 2,000 strong – that make it happen.
“If I am in need of something, someone always shows up,” said Suzi deFosset, executive director of The Gathering Inn.
The program provides shelter, case management and dignity to the homeless in Placer County. At its Roseville center, clients have access to counseling, clothing and a shower before they are transported to one of 32 churches that offer a meal and a place to spend the night.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Gathering Inn. A total of 60 churches help the program by providing goods, shelter and meal preparation.
On Aug. 22, The Gathering Inn held a volunteer appreciation barbecue to celebrate those who give their time, money and services to the program.
“We really want (volunteers) to know how much we appreciate them,” deFosset said. “We could not do what we do without the churches.”
Special recognition was given to Lisa Lloyd, who for the last six years has coordinated the 60 churches that participate in hosting or serving meals.
Lloyd said she enjoys volunteering because it meets the immediate needs of the homeless and it’s a chance to utilize her administrative skills.
“To be recognized was encouraging, but at the same time, I really felt that everyone in that room that had any involvement in the Gathering Inn deserved to be equally recognized,” she said. “I could not do my part of scheduling without many, many other church people doing their part.”
Another volunteer, Art Altman, was recognized for doing the grocery shopping for the Gathering Inn’s Interim Care Program house, where clients recuperate after being discharged from the hospital. Deb Koss, a volunteer grant writer, was also honored for helping bring in funding since the program’s inception.
The Gathering Inn also honored three corporations for their support — Quest, Sutter Roseville Medical Center and SureWest.
“They continue to stand next to us,” deFosset said.
While people are the backbone of The Gathering Inn, it also takes money - $550,000 annually, to be exact.
During the volunteer appreciation barbecue, The Gathering Inn kicked off a new grant-matching program with Sutter Roseville Foundation to help make sure all the financial needs of the operation are met. It’s being called Match It: Ignite a Community.
“We’re excited by the response we’ve had so far and hope to keep that fire lit,” DeFosset said Monday.
Sutter Roseville Medical Foundation will match contributions up to $35,000, giving The Gathering Inn a chance to raise $70,000 — with the community’s help.
“We partner with The Gathering Inn and have for quite some time,” said Holly Harper of Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital and Sutter Roseville Medical Center Community Benefits. “In order to increase that capacity and provide better services, we’re offering $35,000 in matching funds. We believe in the services they’re providing and are happy to help expand their capacity to help Placer County’s homeless community.”
A special guest speaker during the volunteer appreciation event was Shawn Anderson, a motivational guru who rode his bike from San Francisco to Boston last year as part of his “Extra Mile America” tour. Along the way, he interviewed more than 200 inspirational people who shared their stories. The Placer High School grad is hoping to keep the momentum going this year with another tour — this time in a car.
“I’ve realized … . my greatest joy in life is watching people succeed,” he said. “But with so many negative thoughts out there, you can’t do that.”
Anderson hopes his positive message and sharing the stories of those he meets will inspire people to “go the extra mile” in their lives to make a change.
Anderson visited with Gathering Inn volunteers on Aug. 22. He stopped by the First United Methodist Church of Roseville, that night’s host church, while volunteers were prepping the meal for clients.
Volunteers from Lincoln United Methodist were cooking “pasta goulash.” Even if a church can’t host a shelter for the night, they can help with meal prep.
Volunteer Gary Cochran stirs a pot of ground beef. He and his wife, Joanne Cochran, are active in their church, Lincoln United Methodist. Plus, Gary loves to cook, so it was a perfect way to give back.
“I think it’s a great program. I’ve got a soft spot for them,” said Gary Cochran, 72. “Anything I can do for them to make their life better during hard times (is good).”
Although celebrating volunteers is important, it’s not why they continue their work to aid the homeless.
“As Shawn Anderson spoke about serving (being one of three aspects of “Going the Extra Mile”), I couldn’t help thinking that service is what The Gathering Inn is all about,” Lloyd said. “Although recognition gives that “warm-fuzzy” feeling, the reason I serve is to meet the needs of the homeless, not to get recognition.”
Michelle Carl can be reached at michellec@goldcountrymedia.com.