[New post] “That no one in our community go hungry”Plowshares is having a November trifecta
Scott Travis posted: "The Thanksgiving season is always significant for Plowshares, but according to executive director Michelle Shaw, this year is extra-special. "We recently commemorated Plowshare's 40th anniversary, which we celebrated with a community gathering and" The Ukiah Daily Journal
The Thanksgiving season is always significant for Plowshares, but according to executive director Michelle Shaw, this year is extra-special.
L to R: Plowshares volunteers Patti Williams, Bonnie Wildberger, Julie Sawyer, Armando Cervantes, Kathy Cervantes and Lloyd Gerboth are preparing 158 to-go meals for homebound and/or disabled seniors, adults and Veterans. This is the 40th anniversary of the community dining room and center founded by Sister Jane Kelly.(photo by Carole Brodsky)
"We recently commemorated Plowshare's 40th anniversary, which we celebrated with a community gathering and a message from Sister Jane Kelly, the main founder of Plowshares," says Shaw. Co-founders Martin Bradley, Debra Meek and Susan Crane recorded a messaged from Sister Jane at her San Francisco residence, where she has been living under the care of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
"It was so nice to see our founders all together after 40 years, telling Sister Jane that we'd reach the 40thanniversary," she continues.
It takes a city- not a village- to provide approximately 77,000 hot meals annually. This month Plowshares is reaching out to the community to assist with donations, which comprise 85% of the agency budget.(photo by Carole Brodsky)
The November excitement continues for Shaw, as it is the month that Plowshares mails out an annual "Winter Appeal" fundraising letter- their once-per-year request for donations. The non-profit organization is the first and only agency of its kind in Mendocino County- serving nutritious, no-questions-asked meals 365 days per year. Last year, 20,973 meals were served in the dining room, and another 55,800 were delivered to homebound folks via the Meals on Wheels Program.
"The Winter Appeal lets the community know how we're doing," says Shaw. Plowshares exists almost exclusively because of local support, with 85 percent of meals paid for by community donations. This year's goal is $90,000. "All funds raised during our Winter Appeal stay right here, supporting our mission that no one in the community go hungry."
Plowshares receives grant funding from the T. R. Erickson Foundation, the George and Ruth Bradford Foundation and the Community Foundation of Mendocino County, but the bulk of their income is provided by individual donors. Because Plowshares has always chosen to adopt a "no questions asked" policy with regard to service provision, they are ineligible for most state and federal grants. "That was how Sister Jane designed the program, and for 40 years, no one has felt any need to change it."
Along with writing, designing printing and distributing the Winter Appeal, Shaw and her staff are planning for a Thanksgiving holiday meal that will serve about 400 people.
For those interested in contributing food for the holiday feast, this year's wish list includes turkeys, potatoes, stuffing mix, French style green beans, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions, rolls, cranberry sauce, chicken broth, celery, butter, milk, apple juice, Cool Whip and of course, pies. Staff and volunteers are accepting donations prior to Thanksgiving Day. Donations may be dropped off Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Items specifically for Thanksgiving must be dropped off no later than Wednesday, Nov. 22.
The next part of the Plowshares mission is "To operate a community-supported facility where services, advocacy and education help eliminate the causes of hunger and poverty." To that end, Plowshares provides an array of supportive services, including the provision of a mailing address for guests, phone access and personal services such as haircuts and access to personal supplies like toothbrushes, soap and socks. Veterinary services and pet foods are also supplied to low-income guests. Plowshares also provides a work site for those with community service hours to complete.
Plowshares interfaces with many agencies including North Coast Opportunities, the Ukiah Food Bank, the Interfaith Network of Churches, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and the Interfaith Hunger Express group, who provide weekend meals. "We've been assisting with the provision of meals 365 days per year since the pandemic began," says Shaw.
Plowshares also works hand in hand with the alphabet soup of adjunct agencies serving at-risk populations, seniors, Native Americans, the homeless, those with substance use disorders and those needing end of life or palliative care services, including Consolidated Tribal Health, the Building Bridges Shelter, the ABC Day Program, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Street Outreach, Mendocino County Public Health Adult and Aging Services, Hospice of Ukiah, MCAVHN and many more.
The final sentence in the Plowshares mission is, "To maintain a supportive and consistent environment where all are treated with respect, justice and dignity." Perhaps nothing demonstrates this more than the provision of hot meals to about 200 homebound seniors, disabled folks and homebound, disabled Veterans. "We started Meals on Wheels in the '90's and the program has really taken off," says Shaw. "We now provide these meals 365 days per year."
None of this would be accomplished without the aid and consistent help of volunteers, who form the backbone of the organization.
"We have around 100 regular volunteers, which I believe makes us the largest volunteer-based organization in Mendocino County."
Grocery stores and businesses continue to be a wellspring of support for the volunteer kitchen crews. Raley's, Lucky's, Safeway, Food Maxx, Ukiah Natural Foods, Costco and Walmart are regular contributors of food items. Other support is provided by Redwood Credit Union and Westamerica Bank. "Friedman Brothers always donates a whole bunch of Thanksgiving turkeys, which we will pick up very soon."
Part of Shaw's ongoing work is to continue to push back against the notion that guests who come to Plowshares don't "deserve" support.
"This is a 'no questions asked' program. Anyone who is hungry is welcome. We don't serve only homeless folks. We serve disabled people and people who are struggling to make ends meet. We want to keep people off the streets. We'd rather see folks pay their rent and come eat with us."
One day, Shaw received a phone call from a number of irate citizens complaining that homeless people were being dropped off in Ukiah from a bus.
"When I looked into it, I discovered it was a casino tour bus stopping for a rest break. People are not coming from all over the country to eat at Plowshares," she grins.
A couple years ago, an elderly gentleman in his '80's showed up at the dining room.
"He asked if he could have a meal with us in exchange for doing some dishes. It turned out his wife had passed away recently, and he didn't know how to cook, so he was hoping he could volunteer and receive a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal. I told him to sit right down and come back another day to volunteer if he was interested."
"I'm tickled pink to see how the community comes together to help people during the holidays. We're still going strong after all these years, and our plan is to keep it that way. Our goal is simple. We're feeding people," Shaw concludes.
To support the work of Plowshares, mail a check to PO Box 475, Ukiah, CA 95482, make an online donation at www.plowsharesfeed.org, or phone (707) 462-8582.
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