Ways to share in the season of giving abound in Homer

Influx of events, donation options and places to receive assistance keep organizers busy

By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune

Keeping with past traditions of giving to those less fortunate, the Homer community has big plans in the works for the coming Thanksgiving holiday. And though Homer has no soup kitchen, at least one warm cafe will open its doors for the needy as it has for four years now.

The Caribou Family Restaurant will serve turkey dinner and all the trimmings for free from noon until closing.
“We’re going to serve breakfast until noon,” said owner Sally Johnson, “Then, in the afternoon, there will be no menu, but we’ll have Thanksgiving; turkey dinner and all the trimmings.”
Johnson said last year, they fed almost 400 people.
“Anyone who wants to come is welcome,” Johnson said. “We’re open and serving dinner and happy to have you.”
Patrons can also bring in cans or non-perishables for the Homer Food Pantry. Last year, this generated quite a few pounds of food they were then able to donate.
“We say it’s our one day to give back to the community, since the community gives to us all year long,” Johnson explained. “No one gets paid that day – people come in and help serve the food. They eat on paper plates and it’s fun. Sometimes they eat dinner and come back a while later for a piece of pie.”

Latitude 59 is also taking a day out of its normal business routine to give back to the community. On “Turkey Tuesday,” Nov. 24, the coffee and sandwich shop switches over to a menu of turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie for $10. The event acts as a fundraiser, where all the proceeds go to Share the Spirit.
“Every year, it gets bigger and crazier,” said owner Wendall Cummings. “Last year we raised about $1,200; that’s over 100 plates. We’re hoping for a nice response here this year. We just want to pay back the community.”
The public can also call ahead of time for to-go orders.
Latitude’s help comes not a moment too soon. According to Share the Spirit organizer Shari Daugherty, so far, only about $700 of the needed $15,000 has been raised. Much of that amount is raised by the annual Share the Spirit Spaghetti Feed on Dec. 8, but this far into the season, the small amount raised so far has her concerned.
Meanwhile, the first day people can apply – or give the name of a family struggling this season – is Nov. 23. That’s when applications will be available at social service agencies and at Wells Fargo Bank.
Fran McCampbell is now lining up volunteers now to help carry out the spaghetti feed, including cooks, delivery people, dishwashers, and people to help dish up the food. People are needed now for phone orders, so call 299-0220 or Total Office Products at 235-8465 if you can start helping.
One bright spot for Share the Spirit is the “Pick. Click. Give” program offered through the Permanent Fund Dividend. By Friday, Daugherty was uncertain how much was raised this year, but it too will be much appreciated in the total funding for Share the Spirit this season. The money last year bought food baskets and gifts for 182 families. That was about 30 families more than they had supplied for the previous year, leading Daugherty and other to wonder if they should be prepared for an additional influx this year.

Share the Spirit Christmas Tree ornaments will also be up this season at First National Bank, Wells Fargo and other places, containing requests for specific gifts from families. All you have to do is visit a tree and follow the instructions on the ornament, which is provided by the local Girl Scouts Troop.

The Adopt-A-Family Program by Share the Spirit is looking for families, groups or individuals willing to provide a complete holiday basket for a needy household. Call 235-7466 if you can help.

The Share the Spirit basket give-out day is Dec. 21. Anyone wanting to donate turkeys, hams or chickens, should have them to the group by Dec. 19.

Coast Guard members from the Haunted Hickory’s Halloween food drive dropped off this year’s bounty of canned goods and non-perishables – the load filled three truck beds. That was 2,391 pounds donated from the 3,017 visitors who toured the Hickory’s frightening decks on Oct. 30, said Guardsman Scott McAloon.
This program really makes a difference filling the cupboards at the Homer Food Pantry, said Douglas Kane. Food emergencies don’t just happen on Monday, but all through the week. The pantry could use any frozen turkeys people might want to donate so they could make those available. “We order our turkeys through the Kenai Food Bank,” Kane said. “But they don’t know how many they will get.”
Turkeys collected at the food bank also go to Share the Spirit for the holiday baskets the group puts together.

Kachemak Bay Lions’ Thanksgiving Basket Program plans on supplying about 150 baskets to families for Thanksgiving. They have put out a desperate call for turkey donations. These are assembled at Homer Senior Citizen’s Friendship Center, 9 a.m. Nov. 21. Donations of turkeys and other food items will be accepted that morning. Baskets will be ready for pick-up during the afternoon of Nov. 21.
To donate money, mail checks to Kachemak Bay Lions, P.O. Box 1824, Homer, AK 99603. For more information, call Fran VanSandt, 235-8761.

The Salvation Army has also started sign-ups for Thanksgiving gift boxes, but reports being “down a little on the food donations,” said Salvation Army Capt. Mark Thielenhaus. The agency purchases food directly from the food bank in Kenai, and sometimes trades goods with the Homer Food Pantry. They also share names with the Lions Club to coordinate with them on gift boxes. The Salvation Army could use more canned goods, with barrels at the thrift store available for patrons to fill.
“We need mainly canned goods,” Thielenhaus said. “Vegetables, or anything with protein such as cans of chili, soups, spaghetti and sauce, and noodles, peanut butter are good. We like to have our own emergency food boxes for people.”
The Salvation Army receives small grants of about $10,000 per year from outside resources that it uses to purchase food and give out to those in need. The rest is all raised locally through the thrift store and from church members, as well as the Salvation Army Christmas Kettles accompanied by bell ringers that accept cash donations.
Presently, Thielenhaus is taking the names of people who will serve as bell ringers this season. Normally, members of the Alaska Bible Institute fill in, as well as the Boy Scouts, and members of the Lutheran Church. However, since Thielenhaus only asks them to fill two-hour shifts, he would like to hear from anyone interested in helping out. For more information. call 235-2609.

School food drives: Many schools also are conducting food drives, such as West Homer. Families can help out by sending a few cans or perishable items to school with your children. This also teaches the next generation about the season of giving.

The Homer Tribune has a food box going in order to collect for the Homer Food Pantry. Come on by during the holidays to say hello, and give what you can.

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Posted by Newsroom on Nov 18th, 2009 and filed under Arts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.