2008 Woodie Awards
Endeavor closing its doors for good
Brett Shiells
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Community
Two thousand people will have less to eat every month when the Arcata Endeavor closes in October.
That's when the Endeavor, a 9-year-old nonprofit serving the poor out of a city-owned building next to the transit center, will lose its lease and be forced to shut its doors.
"We provide food boxes for 360 Arcata families every month, and serve another 600 hot meals," Endeavor board member Kelley Barrett said. "Where will the poor in this community go for help if we close?"
The city council recently voted against extending the Endeavor's lease and halted negotiations to acquire a new site just a week before the application deadlines for two grants worth a combined $1.2 million, disqualifying the service center from eligibility.
Barrett was confident the Endeavor would have won the money, noting state auditors ranked the service center the third-best rural provider in California.
"All it would have taken was some cooperation from the city, a commitment to work with us," Barrett said. "At any point in the last 18 months, they could have told us they had no intention of letting the Endeavor stay here."
Lori O'Brion, who manages the Endeavor's kitchen, echoed Barrett's frustration with the lack of honest dialogue between the non-profit and the city. She said the Endeavor's board is receptive to city concerns and willing to remedy problems, pointing to the fence installed to keep waiting clients out of bus lanes as an example.
"Anything they've complained about, we've fixed," O'Brion said. "All the city needs to do is communicate with us."
Despite an uncertain future, O'Brion said the Endeavor will continue all their programs until they run out of food or are run out of their home, but will modify the hot lunch program to serve only local residents over the next two months.
"We want the city and county to feel what it's like when we're gone, but we're doing it in small steps," O'Brion said. "It's not our food that's bringing people here."
That's when the Endeavor, a 9-year-old nonprofit serving the poor out of a city-owned building next to the transit center, will lose its lease and be forced to shut its doors.
"We provide food boxes for 360 Arcata families every month, and serve another 600 hot meals," Endeavor board member Kelley Barrett said. "Where will the poor in this community go for help if we close?"
The city council recently voted against extending the Endeavor's lease and halted negotiations to acquire a new site just a week before the application deadlines for two grants worth a combined $1.2 million, disqualifying the service center from eligibility.
Barrett was confident the Endeavor would have won the money, noting state auditors ranked the service center the third-best rural provider in California.
"All it would have taken was some cooperation from the city, a commitment to work with us," Barrett said. "At any point in the last 18 months, they could have told us they had no intention of letting the Endeavor stay here."
Lori O'Brion, who manages the Endeavor's kitchen, echoed Barrett's frustration with the lack of honest dialogue between the non-profit and the city. She said the Endeavor's board is receptive to city concerns and willing to remedy problems, pointing to the fence installed to keep waiting clients out of bus lanes as an example.
"Anything they've complained about, we've fixed," O'Brion said. "All the city needs to do is communicate with us."
Despite an uncertain future, O'Brion said the Endeavor will continue all their programs until they run out of food or are run out of their home, but will modify the hot lunch program to serve only local residents over the next two months.
"We want the city and county to feel what it's like when we're gone, but we're doing it in small steps," O'Brion said. "It's not our food that's bringing people here."
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 6
dan K Hughes
posted 4/16/08 @ 11:32 AM PST
I think closing the endeavor is a good thing for several reason's
#1 The Endeavor has had a paid staff who serves poor people food from the U.S.D. (Continued…)
Brett Shiells
posted 4/17/08 @ 12:05 AM PST
The Endeavor's staff is primarily made up of volunteers, and administrative staff are paid by independent grants and private donations.
Also, the USDA commodities distributed by Food for People in Eureka make up about 10% or less of the food given to Arcata clients by the Endeavor. (Continued…)
John Waters
posted 4/17/08 @ 5:51 PM PST
Date:
To The Arcata City Council:
Please extend the lease for the Arcata Endeavor at its
present location, because for years at that very
central location The Endeavor has been indispensable
to many thousands of people. (Continued…)
John Waters
posted 4/17/08 @ 6:09 PM PST
Take some time and think matters over.
Worsening Food Problems and the NIMBY dreamers
1. Read "World food shortages to stay, riots a risk: FAO"
Wed Apr 9, 2008 7:32am EDT
By Mayank Bhardwaj
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -
"Food riots which have struck several impoverished countries could spread with shortages and high prices set to continue for some time, the head of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said. (Continued…)
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