Fund Raising

Riding Day 12

Delta to Eureka, Utah--55 miles

June 8, 2010

I've had some questions about why this is called the "Ride Against Hunger" and how you could contribute if you so cared to.

First, just a word about why I wanted to do this Ride Against Hunger. When I worked for Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Stockton, we established an emergency food program for families needing a boost when other resources were depleted. What I saw every Monday morning was a line from our door around the building with families (with children) waiting to register for a box of food. These same families would return on Friday to receive enough groceries to last for three or four days.

I saw the face of hunger in the Central Valley of California, and it was not pretty. Hunger, it seemed to me, was not the problem. Poverty was the problem...hunger the most glaring symptom. But in the Central Valley of California, where more than 25% of the food for the whole United States is grown, we surely should to be able to find a way to feed its own people.

I developed a passion for making sure that people had enough food on their tables. Tim Viall and I helped to start the Hunger Task Force of San Joaquin that worked to find solutions to hunger in our county. We made progress, but not nearly enough. Too many people still suffer every day from hunger and food insecurity.

Biking is another passion of mine. I love everything about bikes...working on them...teaching people how to ride...and traveling on them. In 2001 my wife Cindy and I rode from Washington, DC to Florence, Oregon on our tandem. It was the ride of a life-time. Now, I'm on my second ride of a life time. And my daily prayer is that it will be the impetus for lots of people to make a donation to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Stockton OR, if you live in Sacramento, to the South Sacramento Interfaith Partnership (Food Locker). Here's where you can send your donations:

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Stockton

1106 N. El Dorado Street

Stockton, CA 95202

Please include on your check (Ride Against Hunger)

or

SSIP Building Fund

c/o Bethany Presbyterian Church

5625 24th Street

Sacramento, CA 95822

The food locker works out of a tiny space at the Bethany Presbyterian Church and is raising funds to build a building on the same site. Every sent of your contribution will be used for the building fund.

By the way, we had a beautiful ride today from Delta, Utah up to Eureka, Utah. We are staying in a bed and breakfast located at the top of the highest mountain in town, and while it was really hard to get here...it is beautiful. And it is great to have a room of our own for a night.

Hope you are all well.