Dear Friend of SOS,
As we reach the end of January, we are faced with the ever-increasing cost of buying groceries to feed the rising number of homeless, hungry, and food deprived individuals in Sonoma and Sonoma Valley.
Take eggs, for example. Due to the H5N1 bird flu, 10 million chickens were euthanized in the Central Valley alone. As a result, supplies are low, and prices have risen to almost $9 a dozen in some places. According to a US Department of Agriculture report, the average price of a dozen eggs in California is $8.97, compared to $5.68 in November. SOS uses six cases of eggs per week. That’s 180 eggs a day, used not only for scrambled egg breakfasts, but also for making French toast, pancakes, frittatas, and baked goods. Luckily, we get some, when they are available, at a reduced price from Redwood Empire Food Bank.
Volunteer Rita had the huge task of cracking all the eggs.
From January 2 through January 17, we served 3,665 meals. Our year-end report shows that 59% of our clients were Spanish speaking, a 5% increase from last year
Coming Event – Martini Madness, February 7, 2025, 5:00-7:00 pm
Join some of Sonoma Valley’s top mixologists at The Lodge at Sonoma for this competition celebrating the classic cocktail, while also raising funds for SOS. Many thanks to Gary Saperstein of Out in the Vineyard, for inviting us to be part of this fun event again this year. We will have staff and volunteers at a table, handing out information, accepting donations, signing up volunteers, and joining in the festivities.
Tickets are for sale online but are going fast. A portion of every ticket sale will be donated to Sonoma Overnight Support.
Phill Miller, Kathleen Hill and Lynne Joiner enjoyed volunteering at last year’s sold out event.
During the month of December, we asked clients, in English and Spanish, to fill out a brief survey form:
- Please share what you appreciate about SOS.
- Please share what you feel could be better at Unity Kitchen.
- Please share any ideas for improving Unity Kitchen.
The majority of clients who took the time to respond said that the food was excellent.
Some of their comments:
- Client 1
- “We appreciate being able to feel warm and welcome and access the food in the refrigerator and that’s put out on the tables.”
- Client 2
- “Just keep doing what you’re doing. The food is great.”
- Client 3
- “We’d like to have more choices and also something for diabetics. Need to have better containers of food for hot food. The containers get soggy.”
- **We are looking into new containers, but the biodegradable ones are very expensive and that’s what we’ve been using.
To quote Eeyore from Winnie- the-Pooh, “A little consideration, a little thought for others makes all the difference.”
SOS continues to welcome anyone who needs a meal, services, or access to other resources. We make people feel safe at Unity Kitchen.
Please help us to continue our efforts to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our community by supporting us financially!
Onward,
Kathy King
Executive Director
