Atascadero Aktion Club collects food for Loaves & Fishes
The Aktion Club of Atascadero gathers with their food drum after a meeting. Photo by Maurice Wagner.
Club seeks locations to put out food drums
—The Aktion Club of Atascadero is collecting food donations for Atascadero Loaves & Fishes. Members volunteered at the Christmas Project in December at the Atascadero National Guard Armory. The volunteers from Atkion Club, which is a division of Kiwanis Club of Atascadero and is made up of clients from Escuela del Rio, packed boxes of food for more than 100 families so they would have food for Christmas dinner.
“Last year at the armory, we went over there – all our group from TIP [Toward Independence Program],” Aktion Club President James Norgaard said. “What happened there was we were there for three hours filling boxes with food – nine or 10 didn’t have anything.”
In the spring, members decided to start collecting food after one member’s mom, and the group’s advisor, Chris Shuck, suggested they get more food.
“I feel sad for all these people,” Aktion Club Past President Kayla Stroble said. “I thought this would be a good idea.”
“So we thought we’d go ahead and do it,” Norgaard added.
Aktion Club of Atascadero is an active group of 20 members that meets weekly at the TIP site.
The mission of Aktion Club is:
- to provide adults living with disabilities an opportunity to develop initiative and leadership skills
- to serve their community
- to be integrated into society
- to demonstrate the dignity and value of citizens living with disabilities
“We have taken on the community project this year of helping Loaves & Fishes of Atascadero provide food for those who are hungry,” Shuck said. “We have created a ‘food drum,’ but are having trouble finding a place to put it. We will place the drum and empty it on a regular basis.”
Shuck said the club is seeking businesses that would allow them to put out the “food drum.” All food collected will go to Atascadero Loaves & Fishes.
“We need everyone to have food,” Norgaard said. “We need people to help us to put food in these drums.”
To find out more or to help, contact Shuck at 805-461-6533. To donate food to the Aktion Club’s community project, contact Shuck to find out where to drop off nonperishable food.
The Atascadero Kiwanis Club meets every Thursday at 7 a.m. in Kiwanis Hall at 7848 Pismo Ave. in Atascadero. The current president is Mark Dariz. The Key Club at Atascadero High School is another division of the Kiwanis Club.
