Newsletter from June 3, 2008

Right on the button, 15 minutes late (we advertise at 12:15 start – boy could the President make money!) Prez Khing Khong got us going with a splattering of applause for "The Greatest Club in Berkeley" and a rousing rendition of GBA led by none other than Bob Rice.  I didn't have the heart to look at Mary Sue Wallace, a guest of Linda, to see her grimace as we sang.  Jessica, though, I could see and she grimaced.  But that convinced her that we should not sing Happy BD a bit later on, and she was willing to pay for that! 

 

Then we had a short (on words) but long (on time) Invocation by JR and the Prez got right down to work, awarding the "Fine" Box (and it is a fine one) to "the other" Bob, and (after extracting a few insurance payments) identifying Duane as the Secret Greeter.  Duane had no one to finger for not shaking since he had actually gone around shaking hands, but somehow was not awarded a fine.  And Frank tried to get in late, but free, but it didn't work.

 

Besides Jessica (see above) we had a birthday to celebrate with Bob Skrak (today) and a 7 year perfect attendance for Evie and a 9 year for Roberta.  There was also some noise about Bob being just back from a long drive to LA to receive a couple of more ice skating awards – one was even for the now closed Berkeley Iceland,  There is rumor

 

that Bob has offered to volunteer his time to run that rink if it is ever opened again in his lifetime!!

 

Linda announced a great success with her Memorial Day Weekend "Quilt – In", but Bill was not quite so happy because he was afraid all that Circle K traffic in the attic was going to shake down the house.  Linda then proceeded to load several of us down with materials to be washed and dried and returned "neatly" folded for quilt cutting and making.  She had 25 folks show up over that weekend (not for the full 3 days!!) and reports 195 volunteer hours for her pet project,.

 

Debra announced a work party at the MLK, Jr. Middle School Edible Garden from 8:30-12  this Saturday (you can arrive a "bit" late, but not at 10!) 

 

Alex was the sole rep of Circle K today.  He reported a heavy volunteering load last week, but a pretty quiet schedule ahead.  If you have any ideas, let him know.  The troops will begin to filter back in again next week.

 

Grumpy tied to get Linda fined for letting her guest, Mary Sue Wallace (former Kiwanian at Grand Lake) show up wearing a Kiwanis badge which she (Mary Sue) had purloined when the club folder.  It didn't

 

work, though.  Linda explained that Mary Sue was undertaking a large role in the Kiwanis quilt program, and Khing Khong folded with a whimper.  Grumpy just growled.

 

Happy/Sad promoted a lot of comments.  Poor Frank is still sad that his "loppers" have not returned from Gualala.  Wonder how he will blaze trails without those loppers?  Evie though the Richmond annual dinner/theater night was great.  Of course the Hotel Mac dinner was great, but she was also impressed by the Masquers' presentation.  Something about "Sex in the City" – or did I get my titles mixed and that show (movie) was on Duane's favorite list.  Bill Fay Happy to be traveling to his extended family, last week to Boston and next week to S.Cal for a high school graduation,  Bob Rice was happy, but I can't read my notes; Gimpy was happy for the scholarship awards last week and the meal;

And Debra was happy that we all are checking the web site

(www.berkeleyKiwanis.org)

for all the latest news.  Aren't we??

 

Sandy, who was the ticket seller and meeting "in chargee"  had invited a rep from the Alameda County Food Bank (ACFB) to tell us what goes on.  Come to find out that Tod Vedock is actually a volunteer at the Food Bank.  He "made it" with the communications company he founded and then sold, so he now volunteers at all kinds of places to "fill his time".

 

The ACFB is actually located off Hegenberger Road near the Oakland AP and consists of a few offices and a humongous warehouse.  He emphasized that the ACFB is not a kitchen but is, in fact, a bank dealing in food rather than money.  They get all kinds of donations from businesses, farmers,

 

markets, and citizens, then supply charity kitchens and pantries with food products which they in turn develop into nutritional meals or packages for folks to take home and prepare themselves.  Yep, nutritional.  They do not deal in "soda" and similar junk foods. 

 

Tod noted that the folks helped by food from the ACFB are not just the homeless who are provided meals from the charity kitchens, but many (about one third) are just folks who can't make the monthly income spread to cover rent, utilities, clothes, transportation (I paid $4.539 a gallon today), etc. and so would go hungry between paychecks if it weren't for the free food distributions.  The ACFB distributes an average One Million pounds of food a week to 40,000 persons, one-half of them children.  Because of its close association with farmers and food dealers the Bank is able to parlay a One Dollar donation into $7 worth of food. 

 

Do they need help??  Of curse!  ACFB is a

charity and is not supported by the County or any other government agency (except by occasional grants).

1. Volunteer (3 Hr Shifts M-F)  Groups

can be accommodated with prior planning.

2.  Donate food.

3.  Donate Cash.

 

There was talk afterwards and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that we and UCB Circle K are setting up volunteer sessions.

 

I was going to look up next week's program on the web site, and I will.  But instead of telling you, I suggest you go to the site yourself so as to become familiar with it.  In the future we may just post this (it is posted now) and not bother with e-mail.  Wouldn't that be "modern"!!!

CU next week.                                            jp

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