Food Drive in Response to President Obama’s Call to Service Surpassed Expectations

[singlepic=459,320,240,,]To everyone who so generously responded to President Obama’s call for Americans to join in service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., THANK YOU!

On the eve of President Obama’s swearing in as the first African-American President of the United States, men, women and children from around the San Gabriel Valley joined me in my effort to collect food for the Foothill Unity Center, demonstrating once again Obama’s ability to inspire average citizens.

I decided to help in a simple way, by putting out a request for others to join me in collecting food for the Foothill Unity Center. I got the word out in two ways; I emailed everyone in my personal address book (190 contacts) and also put out the call by word of mouth. In addition, I used USAService.org to announce my event online. Many people registered there and committed to dropping off food during the Call to Service on MLK day. [singlepic=463,320,240,,right]

Thanks to your generous contribution, close to 2,000 food items and toiletries were donated to the Foothill Unity Center. Items donated included canned goods, cereals, pastas, rice, beans, and health items such as, shampoo, toothpaste, soap and toilet paper. The Unity Center offers assistance to low-income neighbors from eleven local cities: Altadena, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Duarte, Irwindale, Monrovia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena. Last year, they distributed over two million pounds of food to over 2,200 unduplicated very low-income local families. They also provide clothing, limited motel vouchers, and referrals to the homeless and people in crisis. So rest assured that your bags of groceries will make a difference for families here in our own neighborhood.

 [singlepic=471,320,240,,]I take very seriously Obama’s urging to make this year a continuous effort of community service. Therefore, I commit to coordinating these food drives every quarter to help feed those who need food for their families. As this year’s Monrovia Citizen of the Year, I feel compelled to reach out in other ways, as well, to help my fellow community members in any way I can. 
 Contact me for more information about volunteering opportunities

MLK Food Drive’s Participants

Arden, Felice
Arguijo, Denise
Balsamo, Diane
Barltlett, Sylvia
Barnier, Christine
Baum, Jordan
Baum, Linda
Baum, Mar
Bead, Ann
Bencosme, Andy
Brown, Cheryl
Bull, Sheldon
Carmack, Allison
Carnighan, Deanne
Carter, Charles
Cash, Francie
Cervantes, Pat
Cervantes, Ray
Chattersee, Saswati
Cole, Britt
Connally, Kate
Conway, David
Cote, Jessie
Crowell, Cyndie
Ezin, Max
Faibis, Nancy
Forbeck, Betty
Gandy, Margaret
Garcia, Tony
Garemore, Margaret
Geltz, Christine
Giangregorio, Kathy
Girl Scout Troops 637 & 366
Gonzales, Pamela
Hansen, Vicky
Hastings Family
Hiestand, Laurel
Hiestand, Richard
Johnson, Karen
Lawless, Elaine
Leavens, Hal
Lopez, Samantha
Lutz, Mary Ann
Macy, Maryanne
May, Nancy
McCabe, Rosemarie
Mills, Alycia
Mills, Vanessa
Miner, Paula
Murphy, Deborah
Mullenix, Sharon
Norton, Barbara
Norton, Ralph
Nunez, Diego
Olsen, Joey
Olsen, Lindsey
Otis, Julieane
Phillips, Annemarie
Reck, Jan
Reck, Melissa
Reilly, Collen
Riko, Tom
Rosas-Petty, Yvonne
Savan, Adolfo
Scafidi Leiva, Gia
Scott, Jeanine
Shelton, Kirk
Shelton, Rachel
Shevlin, Chris
Singer, Jeri
Smith, Stephanie
Sotelo, Aaron
Soto, Pam
Sparks, Cameron
Sparks, Dave
Sparks, Deb
Sutherland, Gary
Sutherland, Karen
Taylor, Vermel
Wilson, Barbara
Wong, K.K.
Wray, Amanda
Zucco, Alexandra
Zunino, Ellen
Donna Baker, Dickson Podley Realtors, Monrovia

 

Filed Under: News of Note, Top Stories
Tagged: Barak, call to service, Dickson Podley, Donna Baker, Foothill Unity Center, MLK day, monrovia, obama, usa service, volunteer

6th Annual Client Appreciation Night

On August 11th, Donna Baker hosted her 6th Annual Client Appreciation Night held at Café Mundial in Old Town Monrovia. Every year, for the past six years, Donna holds a special event to recognize and express her gratitude to the many clients who have sold or bought a house through her or have referred someone who has. The evening was filled with delicious food and drinks, fabulous prizes and giveaways.

This year, attendees were given a raffle ticket for the drawing portion of the evening.  In addition, prizes were presented to people in various categories.  They were:  Dinner at Restaurant Devon and movie tickets went to Karl and Kathy Aaronian for being Donna’s very first clients; Carlos & Suzie Carrion won a $50 gift certificate to the Irish Gardener for being Donna’s most recent buyers; Brad and Lisa King won a goodie bag of gardening items from the Irish Gardner for being the first buyers after last year’s Client Night; Charles and Janet Manning were presented with dinner at Cafe Mundial and movie tickets for holding the record for Donna’s longest listing; Don and Peppy Agnew won dinner for two at Caffe Opera and movie tickets for having closed the most recent escrow; Sabin Gray and Bryan Gerber won in the category for longest and most persistent escrow and received movie tickets and dinner at Cafe Mundial; and Jane Lustig was the client with the most recent baby and won movie tickets and dinner for two at Bella Sera Trattoria.

Drawing prizes went to Michael Tuck and Sabin Gray, who each received a $50 gift certificate from Historic Lighting, and Margaret Williams, who won a $25 gift certificate to Bed Bath & Beyond along with a $25 gas card. 

This year’s lucky Grand Prize winners were Brook and Kristen Reynolds (Brook in photo at top of page) who received a weekend getaway at the luxurious Renaissance Long Beach Hotel, a Gondola Cruise around the enchanting waterways of Naples Island, and dinner for two at Gladstone’s Restaurant. First Prize, a two-night stay at the Dana Resort Hotel on Mission Bay and a two-day pass to SeaWorld Adventure Park went to Wes & Allison Ferrari.

For your chance at winning a prize, enter this month’s Dinner & a Movie drawing for a chance to win two movie tickets and dinner for two at Restaurant Devon, one of the highest rated restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley (Zagat Food Guide 27).