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May 2014 How to Cook and Make a Meal By Vick Koc
It began with a survey of teenagers who were facing upcoming emancipation from the foster care system. The teenagers were about to transition to being independent with no safety net – some were as young as 17. Asked what the teens needed help with as they looked forward, the most common responses were how to cook or how to make a meal. With those responses from Youth Homes After Care teens, the Alamo Women’s Club (AWC) liaison Peggy Fleming and Philanthropy Chair Pamela Singh began asking for help from Club members to meet the teens’ needs. Patt in action during the cooking class for the Youth Homes Fortunately, AWC mem- foster kids. ber and long time Alamo resident, Patt Larkin had the time, the skill, and the background as a former Home Economics teacher to respond to this request. And she loves doing it! With a kitchen facility at the Alamo Women’s Club, Patt began enthusiastically planning for classes of six to eight Youth Homes children and their counselors. Every month since last August youth have come to learn to cook and to make complete meals. Patt’s detailed recipes are geared to all reading levels. She understands needing to blend both aspects of learning how to cook to making a cost-conscious meal at the same time. She gives students the whole picture -- starting with how to chop, to how to be creative, to what to cook. She also bases recipes
See Cook continued on page 24
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Serving Alamo and Diablo From the Heart: Embracing the Ability to Enable Others By Jody Morgan
Thanks to the inspiration of three local men collaborating with the creativity of area educators, 48,000 students in 53 schools are enjoying a fresh approach to Ability Awareness this academic year. Founders of Del Corazon (From-the-Heart), Don Routh, Josh Routh, and Bill Wheeler, support the curriculum with informative videos, personal presentations, and the loan for a week to each participating school of 10 wheelchairs. Children learn to appreciate their own abilities and embrace the challenge of enabling others to realize their full potential. Also known as the Wheelchair Foundation Schools Project, the initiative fosters respect for the strengths of peers coping with intellectual, Elizabeth Campos at Montair Elementary found from a wheelchair a daunting experience. developmental, and physi- teaching Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Compos. cal challenges, while raising funds to send wheelchairs to hundreds of individuals who would otherwise remain immobile. The Wheelchair Foundation, established by Ken Behring in 2000, provides wheelchairs to people around the world who need but cannot afford a wheelchair. In many countries, a wheelchair costs a worker’s entire annual income. To date, 955,000 wheelchairs have been delivered, bringing mobility, dignity, and hope to individuals aged two to over 102. Since Bill Wheeler, founder of Blacktie Transportation, first invited Don
See Ability continued on page 31
Volume XIV - Number 5 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Alamo, CA 94507 Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 Fax (925) 406-0547 A goat herd has been brought in to keep tall grasses at bay and help with fire-suppression of local hillsides. The goats move from plot to plot and are contained by temporary fencing. Photo by Ted and Barbara Shapas.
Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com Sharon Burke ~ Writer
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