Thanksgiving Dinner at Palermo Ristorante

President Scott Rhoades and Director of Communication Ana Bertolucci from the Rotary Club of Laguna Sunrise coordinated the November dinner at Palermo. Ana was instrumental in working with other volunteers from other organizations to gather names of needy individuals to attend the dinner. Renee, our caseworker, arranged for many of our clients to attend this dinner. About 150 people were served salad and bread, turkey with stuffing, green beans, and mashed potatoes followed up with pumpkin pie for dessert.

Renee is working closely with the Rotary Club of Laguna Sunrise on behalf of our clients. The following are the results of their work to help our neighbors in need:

The Rotary adopted a family (two women and four children) who were living in their car after being evicted from a rental home (their landlord had defaulted on the property). One of the women, had a licensed childcare business in this home; the other woman was living there to escape a domestic violence situation. Renee, PATH caseworker, related our clients' situation to her Rotarian contacts.

The Rotary paid the second month rent for an apartment (first month rent was free), moved these ladies and purchased household items for them. They used some of their business contacts to schedule job interviews for our clients. The Rotary will continue to support these women until they become self sufficient.

The Rotary has assisted another PATH client with organizing and packing - to prepare to move out of her long-time home.

Thank you for all that you do to help those in our community who are in great need.

Sun Grove Church Rummage Sale

Executive Director Marie Jachino, Board Member Cathy O'Neil,
and Sun Grove Church Representative Phil Macheck

Sun Grove Community Church has held a rummage sale for the past three years to benefit EG Food Bank Services. Phil Machek, spokesperson for the church, said, "Members of Sun Grove Church are grateful for all the participation from the local community who helped make the event a great success this year."

The grand total raised over the past three years is $13,125. We at EG Food Bank are thankful to everyone involved in the process of raising this incredible amount of money. Your continued faithfulness is deeply appreciated.

PATH Coordinator Frank Lucia, Board Member Cathy O'Neil,
Executive Director Marie Jachino, Phil Machek and Debbie Schoeneshoefer

Wait! Wait! They weren't done! Sun Grove Church made an additional donation to our PATH program. Our PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) program provides help to our homeless neighbors and assists our clients' effort to work their way back into safe shelter.

"As a church, we believe in the mission of the Food Bank to provide essential resources to overcome the many faces of hunger and human need," Machek continued.

Again, "Thank You!" for joining our efforts to provide essential services to our most vulnerable neighbors.

EG Rotary's Rockin' Beef and Reef Bash

The Elk Grove Rotary Club is having their Fifth Annual Rockin' Beef & Reef Bash on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at the Lent Ranch. The Steak and Oyster Feed will beginning at 5:30 p.m. There will be a silent auction, live auction, raffle and some great rock and roll music.

Proceeds will benefit local and international causes, including our PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) program.

Messages from the Road

The following is part of an email received from our EGFBS RAGBRAI Team riding across Iowa to raise funds for our homeless population in Elk Grove.

John Platt, John van Doren, Arnie Vierra, Penny Pinard, Wendy Wyles and Frank Lucia landed in Omaha, Nebraska on Friday afternoon and arrived at their hotel in Counsel Bluff, Iowa around 3:30pm. An hour later, Dave Hieronimus and Norm Fadness arrived at the hotel after a two-day 27 hour truck ride with all our bikes and gear. Norm will be acting as our "equipment manager"throughout the 7 day 454 mile bike ride across Iowa starting on Sunday.

Saturday morning, seven of us took a leisurely 20 mile bike ride to stretch our legs and attempt to acclimate to the weather. Temperatures mid day have averaged around 90 degrees with humidity around 60%. Signs of flooding are all around us. The Missouri River is very high and running hard. There is anticipation of more flooding in the near future.

In the early afternoon, the eight of us piled in the pick-up truck (three of us had to ride in the back of the truck) and ventured down the freeway to Glenwood, 17 miles away. This will be the start of our bike tour. After buying some clothing/supplies and eating a light lunch we spent a short time in the quaint town of Glenwood and began our journey back to the hotel. It started to rain heavily for about 10 minutes which made for an interesting ride for Arnie, John Van Doran and Frank, who rode in the back of the truck, uncovered.

John Platt and I want to thank all those who have sent in donations or pledges for the homeless in Elk Grove. All pledges and donations will go directly to the homeless. It is our hope this bike ride will draw more attention to the needs of the less fortunate in Elk Grove.

We have found the people of Iowa to be very friendly and look forward to the first day of our bike ride tomorrow. It is expected to include 10,000 riders.

Our team would like you to know that if you would like to contribute and help our homeless population in Elk Grove, please send your check to:

Elk Grove Food Bank Services
ATTN: PATH
P. O. Box 1447
Elk Grove, CA 95759

Thank you.

Baby You're a Firework!

Our ambitious volunteers are selling fireworks! You can purchase your personal pyrotechnics at our booth in the Waterman Grove Shopping Center at the southeast corner of Elk Grove Boulevard and Waterman Road.

We will be here June 28, 2011 to July 4th, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

If you are going to purchase fireworks for your Fourth of July celebration, please consider making your purchase at the EGFBS Fireworks Booth. All of the proceeds will go toward our Support Works program that inspires and motivates clients to reach their individual goals.

Our program is designed to assist people who want to work through their problems. The four components of Support Works are:

1. Job Readiness Training - provides instruction and support to enter the very competitive job market. Some of the topics covered: skills assessments, personality testing, resume writing, mock interviews, mentors and job listings.
2. Parenting Class - learn how to improve the quality of life in your household. Through class discussion and homework, you can learn how to create an encouraging atmosphere in your home, create logical consequences for children and promote cooperation and responsibility within the family.
3. People Assisting The Homeless (PATH) - provides emergency assistance to people in immediate extreme need, assists persons out of homelessness, provides connection to community resources, and provides counseling for people to work their way back to independence.
4. Support Group - work on personal issues through problem-solving, connecting to community resources and peer support.

Guest speaker, Tom Orrick of Creekside Counseling,
speaking to Support Works clients.

Andy Moves In

For those who have been following the life of this young man, from the article in the Elk Grove Citizen, to the time spent with caring PATH volunteers and staff who assisted Andy and helped improve his circumstances. Andy has found a new home!

Andy has been homeless for three years. He did not want to rely on assistance. He wanted to work, get a good job and improve his life. With the help of the PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) program and a concerned community; Andy received help with his hearing problem, and help with repairing his vehicle. Determined to become gainfully employed, he worked on his resume, refined his interviewing skills and landed a great job. With further assistance from PATH, Andy has learned to save and budget his earnings, so that he can afford to rent a room and end his homelessness.


Andy is another shining example of what can be done with determination and hard work. We at EGFBS are so pleased about Andy's new start, that we had a small house warming "shower" to make sure he had the essentials for this new era of his life.

Homeless in Elk Grove

Does anyone see me?

Do I look homeless, God, I hope not. There is just so much humiliation I can take. But, for my children, I must.

I know we smell, its been days since we’ve changed our clothes, the storage is locked, late again. Can I do this? Can I last much longer, for the children, I must.

Does anyone see me?

I’m so cold. The security guard at Winco doesn’t care that we just bought some food, he wants us out. His comment of ‘you fit the profile’ hurt me to my core, even though I tried to laugh it off with, “you mean short and cute?” It’s raining and I’m so cold. Doesn’t anybody care?

Does anybody see me?

I can’t spend my check, I need it for the house that is coming soon. It just needs to be inspected, we’re almost there, hang on, for the children. But we’re so cold and the pits of our stomachs cry out for food. For the children, I break down and we eat, and I pay for one more night in a motel. It’s Christmas.

I call for help and everyone just gives me more numbers. Telling me to call the agency that just gave me their number. I think it makes them feel better. Is there anybody out there that cares?

It has been three months of feeling scared, hungry and alone. Hopelessness is creeping in. None of our friends want to answer my calls - they don’t want to say ‘no’. No, you can’t sleep on our floor one more night.

The searing pain in my back cripples me. The backpack seems to weigh more with each step. Memories of the night before, huddled with my little ones on a concrete floor in a park bathroom live on in the pain. Does anyone care?

Does anyone see me?

Hang on for the children, try and make life ’normal’, a game.

Their teachers don’t understand why homework is not turned in. They are punished because their backpacks are locked in storage. Don’t humiliate the children, their teachers can’t know. We’ll get through this, right?

As the rain beats down on us and the wind blows, I’m relieved. The kids can’t see my tears or hear my gasps for air.

Does anyone see me?

Does anyone care?

We do, if you need us, please call:

PATH (People Assisting the Homeless)

916-525-5285