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This is the second installment in Lake County News' ongoing series, Feeding Awareness: Food Insecurity in Lake County.
LAKE COUNTY – "Do you live in Lake County?" and "Are you hungry?" If the answer to both questions is yes, Rural Food Project is here to help.
"We don't put people through a lot of hoops to get food," says Hedy Montoya, who heads the program in Lake County.
Part of the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Rural Food Project is a program that distributes food to the hungry throughout Lake and Sonoma counties. There are currently two sites in Lake County where food is distributed once a month.
The Rural Food Project distributes every third Wednesday of the month at St. Joseph's Church in Middletown and every fourth Monday at St. Peter's Church at Kelseyville. Both distributions are held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and people typically begin lining up at 4 p.m.
During the distribution, volunteers hand out boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables and nonperishable foods. Each box of food lasts approximately ten days for a family of four.
The program began in Middletown in July 2002, and in September 2006, it opened in Kelseyville.
The Rural Food Project purchases food for 18 cents per pound at the Redwood Empire Bank in Santa Rosa. The approximate cost per month to feed people is $1,800, and this is slowly increasing.
According to Montoya, the food primarily goes to the working poor. She finds that around the end of the month, these people are choosing to use what's left of their money to pay bills rather than eat. The other major recipients are seniors who end up prioritizing utility bills and prescriptions over food.
The registration process is minimal and doesn't include much more than a few questions.
Since July 2006, 1,075 individuals have received donated food at least once – approximately 150 families. In Middletown in March, 89 boxes of food were given to 247 people. In Kelseyville, 55 boxes of food were given out to 239 people.
Montoya is the only paid staff member of the Rural Food Project. Everyone else who contributes is a volunteer. Montoya says there are around 20 people she knows she can always ask to volunteer. Among the many generous volunteers, a few especially stand out in her mind as they have been there to help on an ongoing basis since the program's beginning five years ago. This includes Judy Knight, Julie Sears, Bettye McKinstry, Merna Scott, Carolyn and Bill Tobin Jr., and Bill Tobin Sr., who is 99 years old this year.
In 2006, Montoya won the Stars Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian Award for her efforts in feeding the hungry. She credits the volunteers of the program: "The volunteers have made it all possible. I stand on their shoulders. They do such incredible work," she says.
Montoya doesn't want anybody getting burned out, however, so she is always looking for new volunteers to organize, pack food, distribute, and drive loads of food to and from St. Joseph's pantry.
St. Joseph's Church in Middletown is the only Rural Food Project site with a pantry, so emergency food is available. People may call (707) 987-8139 to arrange pick-up or delivery.
The biggest issue, though, explains Montoya, is trying to figure out ways to create money to feed the poor. United Way and FEMA used to provide grants to the Rural Food Project, but these are no longer a guarantee. "We're looking at any other feasible way of doing it," she says.
"Government funding is down immensely. Grants are no longer as available as they were, so we're looking to the private sector and business to help. We used to get a lot of help from the government in terms of providing food, but everything is being slashed.
"Most people don't know that we're here and we're doing this work," she adds.
The Rural Food Project is currently looking for assistance to buy a covered trailer that can haul food from Middletown to Kelseyville. Over the past couple months, it has rained on Kelseyville's distribution night and much of the food got wet in the open beds of the trucks that are currently being used.
The next Rural Food Project distribution in Middletown will be held Wednesday, April 18. The next distribution in Kelseyville will be held Monday, April 23. In May, due to Memorial Day weekend, Middletown's Kelseyville's distribution will be held on the third Monday, May 21, rather than the fourth.
Monetary donations may be mailed to the following address. All donations to this address will go toward Lake County's program:
Catholic Charities
18713 Spyglass Road
Hidden Valley Lake 95467
Memo: RFP Lake
St. Joseph's Church is located on the corners of Bush and Highway 175 in Middletown. St. Peter's Church is located on Main Street in Kelseyville. To learn more about the Rural Food Project, including information on donating or becoming a volunteer, call (707) 987-8139.
E-mail Penny Dahl at
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LAKEPORT – The ESPN Bassmasters Golden State Shootout Pro entered its third day Saturday.
The tournament, which began on Thursday with 108 anglers, was down to 50 by day three.
After the weigh-in, it was Greg Gutierrez of Red Bluff who led the field, with more 91 pounds, 14 ounces, catching bass totaling 25 pounds on Saturday, according to the ESPN Bassmasters standings.
In second place was Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., with 90 pounds, 4 ounces. On Saturday alone he caught more than 40 pounds of Clear Lake bass, standings reported.
Skeet Reese of Auburn, one of six participants from California, had a good third day, bringing in 35 pounds of bass for a three-day total of 89 pounds, 12 ounces.
Another Californian, Jared Linter from Arroyo Grande, came in at fourth place, with 28 pounds of bass caught Saturday and a three-day total of 79 pounds, 13 ounces.
The action will conclude later today.
For the full standings, visit sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/elite/news/story?page=bt_clearlake_launch_day_three-weighin.
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- Written by: John Jensen
LAKEPORT – Officials have confirmed that two women arrested this week in connection with the death of a Nice man have been released from custody.
Sheriff Rod Mitchell said Jamie Martin, 20, of Lucerne and Terri Kenney, 48, of Nice were released from the Lake County Jail Thursday, a day after the two women were arrested for the murder of Michael Eugene Fausnaugh, 38.
Still remaining in jail is Shamus Maroney, 27, who was arrested March 23 for a felony probation violation before being booked for murder along with Martin and Kenney on Wednesday.
All three had originally been scheduled for a court appearance Thursday.
Fausnaugh's body was found dumped along the west side of Highway 29 near north Lakeport on March 22.
The day before, witnesses told Lake County Sheriff's investigators that they had seen Fausnaugh – who was suffering from a “significant” head injury – along with Martin, Kenney and Maroney at Upper Lake's Middle Creek Campground.
“The case is definitely not completed,” said Mitchell, adding that his investigators are still actively working the case, which has not been submitted to the District Attorney's Office.
On Friday, Maroney's booking sheet still listed the murder charge. However, Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said Friday that no suspects have actually been formally charged in the case.
Hinchcliff said he's been in close contact with LCSO investigators but they have not yet submitted a report to his office.
“It was mutually agreed upon that the investigation should continue before anything is sent over to us to make a charging decision,” Hinchcliff added.
Mitchell wouldn't elaborate on the reasons the two women were released, nor would he speculate on other possible arrests in the case.
LCSO Lt. Cecil Brown said of the case, “We've been putting a lot of investigative hours into it.”
Those with information on the case, particularly those who were at the Middle Creek Campground March 21, are urged to contact Det. Brian Kenner at the LCSO Detective Bureau, 262-4200.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson