Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/590997
TheFifthAnnualNationalFood Day will be observed Saturday as a celebration of healthy, affordable and sustainable food. In observance of this day, the Tehama County Community Food Alliance is contributing five articles by local writers to promote nutrition in our community. Today's article was prepared by Camilla Wurfel-Delsid, PhD, the administrator of the services of Northern Valley Catholic Social Services in Tehama County. When talking about pov- erty, most of us agree that it is a problem that exists in our communities, as we pro- ceed to interpret poverty throughthefiltersofourper- sonal value systems. Todays' poverty is not the same pov- erty that our grandparents might have faced. Instead, it is highly complex and driven by a multifaceted dynamic, including economic, social, cultural, and psychological factors.Animportantconsid- eration when talking to oth- ers about poverty is that peo- ple often don't know who the poor are and what it means to be poor in this day and age. It is a complex phenom- enon to which there are no easy answers or solutions. A large body of research shows that one of the most impor- tant steps in fighting poverty is to bring awareness to the communities so that people can understand better what it means to be poor. WhatDoesitMeanto bePoor? Not being able to pay the rent.Notenoughmoneytoget gas for the car in order to get to work and school. Earning a few dollars over the limit that wouldqualifyfamiliesforday- care help. Earning too much to qualify for life saving ser- vices but not making enough to make a decent living. Not earning enough money to buy groceriesforthewholemonth. Poverty in America has many facesandisoftenaviscouscy- cle where vulnerable people fall through the cracks and despair. Poverty is no longer an issue that only affects the homeless population, but it is achronicconditionofthelower andmiddleclasseseverywhere. PovertyHasManyFaces Many persons living in povertybecomedisillusioned, insecure, and depressed, es- pecially when their situa- tion has not changed for the better over the years. Hope- lessness is part of their daily bread and they often give up. But, being poor is not solely about the unmet basic physi- calneedsofaperson;itisalso aboutnon-physicalneedslike a sense of self-worth, self-re- spect, and dignity and social inclusion. These needs are often impossible to achieve when living in a society that measures a person's worth in numbers, such as one's credit score, the amount of money that is in the bank, to name only a couple of them. CombatingPoverty Tehama County is fortu- nate in that over the past few years a number of non-prof- its, county agencies, schools, churches, and other stake- holders recognized the de- structive force that poverty has on our beautiful Tehama County. Partnerships were formed and a common goal was articulated, to create a healthier county where fami- lies can thrive, not fail. These agencies andstakeholders of- fer their skills and other re- sources, to not only create an ongoing conversation about poverty in Tehama County, but also to find sustainable solutions by making respon- sive programs that work and notmerelyprovidehandouts. Ronald Reagan once said, "Noteveryonecanhelpevery- body, but everyone can help someone", it is in this spirit that I urge the readers to ed- ucate themselves on poverty issuesinTehamaCountyand to get involved. There are a number of ex- cellent and collaborative pov- erty awareness activities tak- ingplacetoday.Oneofthecol- laborations of nonprofit and faith-based organizations is the Tehama County Food Share program which coor- dinates free meal programs, monthlyfooddistributionand emergencyfoodservices.Dur- ing the past month, numer- ousTehamaCountyindividu- alsandbusinessesstepped-up and contributed to the Food From The Heart Fund Drive whichbenefitsfifteenofthese local food programs. To learn more about this issue and how you could sup- port these efforts, please con- sider contacting the very vi- brant Tehama County Com- munity Action Agency for a comprehensive list on pov- erty awareness activities in Tehama County at www.te- hamaountycaa.org. Please, alsocontactTehamaTogether at www.tehamatogether.org andbeinspiredbythetremen- dousvisionandworkthathas beenaccomplishedbyasmall groupofpeople.Everyonecan help someone. The Tehama County Community Food Alliance is a project initiated by Tehama County to enrich the lives of the residents of Tehama County. Tehama Together is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization located at 332 Pine St. in Red Bluff. Phone 527- 2223 to obtain further information about Food Share, Community Food Alliance or Tehama Together. FOODDAY Poverty, food insecurity in county By Kelly Osborne The Tehama County Vet- erans Service Office is offer- ingVSOappointmentsatthe Veterans Hall in Corning to increase services to our Te- hama County Veterans. The next Corning VSO walkinappointmentswillbe 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 5, 12 and 19. Your participation is en- couraged so we can continue to serve all of our Veterans in TehamaCounty.Ineedvolun- teerstoassistinCorningwith ID Cards until I have addi- tional VA Work Study help in the office. Please contact me ifyouareinterestedinvolun- teering with ID cards at the Corning VSO location. Pleasenotethat duetode- mand, as staffing permits, wewillissueTehamaCounty Veteran ID Cards and the Veteran on California Driv- er's Licenses after Nov. 12 in the Red Bluff office 1-3 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and in the Corning office during the VSO scheduled appointments.TheVSOposi- tionisfull-time,buttheother positions are part-time. I ap- preciate your continued sup- port and patience with Vet- eran Services. OnNov.12,VSOofficeswill beginvalidatingmilitaryser- viceforhonorablydischarged Veterans who would like to have"Veteran"notedontheir California Driver's License. As with Tehama County Vet- eranIDcards,pleasebringan originalcopyorcertifiedcopy ofyourDD-214andifneeded, we can order one for you. As staffing permits, we will is- sue the Veteran paperwork foryourCaliforniaDriver'sLi- cense in the Red Bluff office 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thurs- days. Corning appointments willbebywalkinduringreg- ularly scheduled VSO visits. Once the driver's license form is completed and vali- dated/stamped by the VSO, the form is ready to be taken to the DMV. Driver's license validation will not be avail- able in the Red Bluff office during the Corning VSO ap- pointment dates. As a re- minder, assisting Veter- ans and their families with claimsisthehighestpriority, as we have Veterans with se- rious health and financial is- sues. We also have new per- sonnel in the office who are in training. TheVSOwillissueTehama County Veteran ID cards to honorably discharged veter- ans. Please bring an original copy or certified copy of your DD-214 and if needed, we can order one for you. Busi- ness owners interested in participating in the Veteran ID card discount program, please contact the VSO office at 529-3664. Please come to the Red Bluff office 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays to receive a Veteran ID Card. There are many state and federal benefits and pro- grams available to veterans andtheirdependents.Tofind out if you are eligible for any of these benefits, call the Te- hama County Veterans Ser- vice Office at 529-3664. Asareminder,thenewad- dress is the Bank of America Building, 955 Main St., Ste. C, in Red Bluff. Office ap- pointment hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch. We are appointment only for claim assistance. Friday's we are closedforadministrationand outreach. We are looking for- wardtomeetingyouorseeing youagainonyourreturnvisit. Kelly Osborne, retired U.S. Coast Guard, is the Veterans Service Officer for Tehama County. VSO NEWS VS O sc he du le , li ce ns es COURTESYPHOTO A previous Red Ribbon Week balloon release is pictured. The Tehama County Drug and Alcohol Advisory Board, in partnership with Tehama County Health Services Agency, Tehama County Department of Ed- ucation, Red Bluff Interi- ors, Downtown Red Bluff Business Association, Red Bluff Elks Lodge, Law Of- fice of Ken Miller and Red Bluff and Corning schools will be releasing 2015 red balloons at noon Monday in honor of Red Ribbon Week. Balloons will be distrib- uted downtown starting at 11:45 a.m. Monday between the Post Office and the in- tersection of Main and Walnut streets and south along Main Street to An- telope Boulevard in down- town Red Bluff. In Corning, ballons will be distributed at Tehama County Health Services Agency, 275 Solano St. For more information, call 527-7893. Balloon launch set fo r mi dd ay M on da y RED RIBBON BrookdaleRedBluff Assisted Living | Alzheimer's & Dementia Care 705 Luther Rd | Red Bluff, CA 96080 #525002331 brookdale.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY Joinusforanexceptional culinary experience as we explore Egypt. InEgyptoffersoffoodanddrinksare considered a greeting of hospitality. This month we will follow that custom by sharing Egyptian recipes, often accompanied by pita bread called eish masri (which can also be used as an eating utensil). Come explore the tastes and traditions of Egypt with us. Friday, October 30 4:30-6:30 p.m. Complimentary Admission and Refreshments GreatFOOD, and TRADITION is meant to be Shared. Women of the West CattleWomen's Luncheon & Fashion Show DOOR PRIZES RAFFLE COWBOY PANTRY BOUTIQUE Saturday, Nov. 7 Rolling Hills Casino Tickets are $25 by reservation only Reservations close Oct. 30 For tickets, call Shelley at 529-9679 Doors open 10:00 a.m. for shopping Lunch at 11:30 a.m. followed by Fashions COWBELLE OF YEAR NAMED Round Up Saloon Round Up Saloon 610WashingtonSt. (530) 527-9901 Come join us for BBQ & Football on Sunday's LIVE MUSIC CALL FOR DATES "LifeatitsBest" Why Go Vegan? presentedby Trista Ybarra Suggested donation: $5 Mon. Oct. 26, 6:00 pm: Red Bluff Seventh-day Adventist Church Gym, 720 So. Jackson St. Tues. Oct. 27, 6:00 pm: Corning Seventh-day Adventist Church Multipurpose Rm., 610 West St. $28 A Month Offer Expires 10-31-2015 Call for details (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, October 24, 2015 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6