Seven local Lake County senior centers and community food banks were on hand at the Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center to receive a generous donation of locally raised meat purchased by Calpine Corporation at this year’s Junior Livestock Auction at the Lake County Fair in September. As a proud supporter of 4H and FFA programs, Calpine purchased more than 6,000 pounds of locally grown meat at the auction from hard-working children and young adults. Each year, Capline donates the meat it purchases to Lake County Meals on Wheels programs, senior centers, food banks, and fundraising events in need.
North Coast Opportunities, Inc. (NCO) was one of the recipients, with a generous donation of local meat going to the Clearlake Food Pantry. "Our clients so appreciate receiving fresh local meat," says Food Pantry Director Tammy Alakszay. "Supporting our local students is an added bonus!" The Food Pantry provides fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat to hundreds of families each month, and the Calpine donation significantly impacts what they are able to provide.
“The donation of meat for use in our dining room and Meals on Wheels programs has been greatly appreciated,” says Lori Tourville, Food Service Director for Middletown Senior Center. “We supply approximately 18,000 meals per year. Calpine’s assistance has supplied meat for approximately 800 meals. This helps relieve the pressure of additional outside fundraising.”
Joyce Overton, Food Service Director for Clearlake Highland Senior Center in Clearlake, says the donation makes a difference. “Calpine donated approximately $5,000 worth of meat last year to our Center. We served over 29,000 meals this past year and the donation we received from Calpine helps provide over 550 meals for seniors that were unable to purchase a meal.”
“In 2016, the food donation from Calpine provided enough excellent protein for six teenagers for most of the school year,” says Bill McDougall, Executive Director for Lake County Pride Foundation, a local organization that runs a Safe House that offers shelter to homeless teens. “The donation has made a huge impact on the lives of these youth as meat is very expensive and not always purchased otherwise."
[This archive item was originally published on Monday, October 2, 2017]
