Ten years ago, Ted Young decided he needed a hobby after he retired.

He decided to take a class in woodturning – a type of woodworking where pieces of wood are turned on a piece of equipment called a lathe, and the wood is shaped using various tools into a number of different objects, such as bowls, pens, and vases.

One class turned into more classes, and now Young says woodturning is his major activity. “Before I retired I was an engineer designing medical devices, and so I’ve got those creative juices that I have to continue to let out,” he explains.

Then seven years ago, Young found the Nor-Cal Woodturners, Inc. – a club of currently 128 woodturning enthusiasts in the Sacramento area that meets in the Arden area – and found not only a group of like-minded individuals, but also an opportunity to give back by volunteering to teach local kids a new skill.

Students in the Youth Training Program of the Nor-Cal Woodturners. Photo courtesy Nor-Cal Woodturners.

Learning Curve

About two year ago, Young found himself wanted to do something for the community. With the support of the Sacramento County Board of Education, in July 2011 Young launched a one-month summer program that since has turned into a weekly elective class at both Leo A Palmiter High School and Elinor Lincoln Hickey Junior/Senior High School.

Now in its second year, Young says the two-hour classes are held every Friday. About five to seven students from Hickey come in the morning, and the same amount from Palmiter come in the afternoon. Young adds the classes are so popular with the students, there is normally a waiting list to attend the classes.

Lauren Roth, principal of Leo A. Palmiter High School, says her students are enjoy the woodturning class as they are very interested in working with their hands and producing a product. “On Monday they talk about what they’re going to make on Friday – they’re very enthusiastic about this class,” she adds.

Young says he has about 35 members of Nor-Cal Woodturners that volunteer with him through the program, allowing the students to work on a project one-on-one with a volunteer woodturner coach. “We try and do projects that they can finish in one session because they just love to leave with their finished object that they made that they can take home and show their family and friends,” he adds.

And some objects the students make – such as wooden pens and bowls – are also sold at Palmiter’s Farmers Market, held every Thursday, Roth says. “They’re beautifully done – I have to say our students are getting better and better at it,” she adds.

In addition to volunteers, Young has also received donations from his fellow club members. After starting his program out with four lathes and a small amount of tools, through donations he now has lathes and “all the tools that we need.”

Young also recently received a grant from his group’s national organization, which he is using to purchase safety equipment and kits the students can use to make wooden pens.

A woodturning by Nor-Cal Woodturners members Richard Bell. Photo courtesy Nor-Cal Woodturners.

Bringing a Passion

Through learning woodturning, Young says it gives students a chance to learn by using their hands, and it teaches them patience. “It is a process that you have to have patience to do it,” he says.

Roth agrees, and says learning process is the most important thing. “I think today our students tend to want to have things right away,” she explains. “They have to learn that there’s a process in learning and advancing in a profession and in a field.”

Additionally, Roth says the woodturning class also gives students the opportunity to apply math concepts, learn how to work as a team, and learn safety on the job. Plus the class has helped motivate students to come to class as they need to have a positive attendance of 85 percent or better to attend the class each week.

Overall, Roth says the Nor-Cal Woodturners are “wonderful” as they bring a passion for woodworking to the students. “I think it’s just a great mentoring program as well as learning the craft, and it’s just excellent,” she says. “I’m just so grateful that they’re able to come to our school every week.”

A woodturning by Nor-Cal Woodturners members Gene Kelly. Photo courtesy Nor-Cal Woodturners.

Bowls & Trees

The Young Training Program is not the only way the Nor-Cal Woodturners give back to the community.

According to President Chris Smith, for the past few years the club’s members have been donating bowls to the Empty Bowls fundraiser for the River City Food Bank. Attendees to the fundraiser can select a handmade bowl made by a local student or artist to take home.

“It’s a way for us to help support the local food bank and their fundraiser and give back to the community,” he says.

Young says Nor-Cal Woodturners donated over 100 bowls to the 2012 Empty Bowls.

According to Eileen Thomas, executive director of River City Food Bank, the wooden bowls donated by the Nor-Cal Woodturners are “beautiful” and “classy,” and bring diversity from the large amount of ceramic bowls normally available at the event.

“We want to make sure that we have something for everybody, so we’re just thrilled that they’re doing that,” she says. “I’m just very grateful for their artistic ability and the fact that they share it with all of the community through this event.”

And Smith says the Nor-Cal Woodturners is active with the Sacramento Tree Foundation’s Urban Wood Rescue Program, where the group works with the foundation to keep some of the trees the city cuts down out of landfills by distributing the logs to club members who turn “firewood into art.”

“This is a hobby that if you had to buy all the wood you get can be very expensive, so for us if we can get free wood, that’s great, and it’s basically a win-win (as) the city gets to keep the stuff out of the landfills,” Smith explains.

Plus Smith says members pay the Sacramento Tree Foundation back for the wood either through monetary donations or by donating a woodturning to the foundation.

Join In

Interested in learning more about woodturning?

Smith says come to a meeting and don’t be afraid to ask for help, as the group offers a number of ways to learn from demonstrations at their monthly meetings, to a Mentor Program that members can use to upgrade their skills or learn a brand new technique.

“Our goal is to expand the knowledge of wood turning out there to people who haven’t seen it or haven’t experienced what wood turning is, and then to have an outlet for people who know a little bit about it (to grow their) skill level,” Smith explains. “What we try to do is give people that little bit of information, that little knowledge that will help them to succeed at creating what they want to make when they’re woodturning.”

The Nor-Cal Woodturners meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except in November and December) at Leo A. Palmiter Junior/Senior High School in Sacramento, from 7-9 p.m. For more information, visit norcalwoodturners.org.

corrie@valcomnews.com

Hunger is a bigger problem in Sacramento than you may think, according to Eileen Thomas, executive director of the River City Food Bank based in midtown Sacramento.

In 2011, the food bank served 47,408 people, with about every fourth person a child. Thomas said the food bank is also seeing an increase in seniors – who are living on fixed incomes and pensions with not enough money to go around – as well as those on disability.

To help raise awareness about the hunger problem in the Sacramento area, for the past nine years River City Food Bank has hosted Empty Bowls – an annual fund raiser designed to raise funds for the food bank and awareness about hunger in the community. Thomas said this year’s event will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center on Monday, March 5 with a dinner session from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for $60 per person, and Tuesday, March 6 for a lunch session from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for $30 per person.

“Hunger is one of those problems that can be hidden very easily because you look around and you go ‘Oh, there’s nobody really starving in our community,’” Thomas said. “Starvation looks a little different to us in America than it does like in a third-world country, so some of the people who are starving are actually suffering from malnutrition. They’re not eating healthy because they don’t have enough money for healthy food. Empty Bowls really speaks to the idea that hunger is something that is here in our community and it can be helped.”

At Empty Bowls, attendees come to either a dinner or lunch session to enjoy a soup of their choice donated by a Sacramento area restaurant.

“We try to get the very best restaurants in Sacramento to donate,” Thomas said. Participating restaurants include Cafe Bernardo, Classique Catering, Scott’s Seafood Grill and Bar, Vizcaya and Greek Village Inn. To serve the soups to hungry patrons, the food bank enlists the services of honorary servers from local government and businesses, Thomas said. Some notable servers on tap for this year include City Councilmembers Rob Fong and Steve Cohn.

However, the real draw to the event is the handmade bowl that each attendee gets to pick out to take home. Thomas said this year they will have about 1,200 bowls for guests to choose from made by both professional and student artists. Additionally this year, the event will feature a selection of wood and glass bowls, plus some of the professional artists will showcase their other art at the Potters’ Market held in conjunction with the event.

This year’s Empty Bowls also includes a change in venue. For the first time, the event will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center. This is because the event has grown in popularity.

“We started out nine years ago and we had about 350 people attend – we thought that was pretty good, and then it’s grown and grown,” Thomas explained. The new location also means tickets for the event will not be sold at the door. However, Thomas said patrons will be able to purchase tickets online at www.rivercityfoodbank.org (including the day of the event). Tickets can also be purchased in person at The Avid Reader and the Cathedral Book Shop at Trinity Cathedral on Capitol Avenue.

For Empty Bowls 2012, Thomas said the River City Food Bank hopes to hit its goal of raising $125,000, which will “help us keep the lights on, to keep our building and operation running. It will also pay for some of the food that we have to buy for our food bank,” she explained.

Additionally, Thomas said they hope this year’s Empty Bowls will help them spread the word about the food bank and the hunger issue in Sacramento.

“We hope to gain support for River City Food Bank and raise awareness in the community that this is a real problem and there are people who need not only food, but they need healthy food, they need good nutrition, they need education about nutrition,” she added. “We want to make sure that we explain the programs that we provide the way that people can help to make a difference in their community.”

Getting their hands dirty for a good cause, Christian Brothers High School’s ceramics students, artists, teachers and even a few novices are working to create ceramic bowls in support of the ninth annual River City Food Bank Empty Bowls Luncheon.

On Feb. 22, approximately 40 students will be setting their alarm clocks for an early wake-up to ensure they arrive on time for the school’s fifth annual Bowl-a-Thon. The 6 a.m. event is the final push in CB’s efforts to complete the 300 bowls promised for this year’s luncheon.

“While teenagers aren’t typically known as early risers, they show up for this event enthused about the art and energized to support the cause,” said CB ceramics teacher, Robert Boriskin.

“It’s worth it to wake up early for a good cause,” said senior Katie Hunt who has already contributed two bowls to the event. “When you think about how many people in this community go to bed hungry, it is worth it to sacrifice a little sleep to help.”

Nathan Kauffman, a junior, volunteers at the Sacramento Food Bank every other Sunday.

“I’m really glad to have the opportunity to help the River City Food Bank,” he said. “They do a lot of good for this community and it’s a fun way to help others.”

“The Christian Brothers’ philosophy of service is alive and breathing deeply in Robert Boriskin’s ceramics classes,” said Eileen Thomas, executive director of River City Food Bank. “He not only helps the students create amazingly beautiful bowls, but he takes the time to teach them the ‘reason.’ There is need in our community and we can all help through our own gifts and talents. His care and commitment is manifested in every bowl he throws and he models that for every student in his classroom. The Empty Bowls event has been blessed by Mr. Boriskin and CB students these past five years and River City Community Services is very grateful.”

“I am so proud of the students,” Boriskin said. “They work year-round to create bowls. More importantly though, they really take the time to learn about hunger in our community and embrace the opportunity to help. I’m looking forward to the Bowl-a-Thon and to continuing our support of River City Food Bank and the work they do for the community.”

Empty Bowls is River City Food Bank’s largest fundraising event to raise awareness in the fight against hunger in Sacramento County. The 9th annual event will take place on March 5 and 6 at a new location: the Sacramento Convention Center. The evening soup supper features wine, appetizers and gourmet soup from Classique Catering and bread and desserts donated by some of Sacramento’s finest restaurants. Luncheon guests will enjoy a simple meal of soup from great local restaurants, bread, cookies and water. All attendees will select one of over 1,500 beautiful handmade bowls donated by professional potters, glass artists, wood turners, and area students to take home with them as a reminder of the many in our community that are hungry and face an empty bowl each day. Tickets may be purchased online at www.rivercityfoodbank.org.

Millions of dollars worth of fruit are hidden in plain sight in Sacramento trees. And by 2008, East Sacramento resident Mary McGrath grew tired of seeing the free food go to waste. As a girl growing up in Omaha, the bright orange color and sweet taste of an orange was a treat. Jolted into action by this childhood memory, McGrath and her husband, Robin Aurelius, took action.

“We really felt disgusted to see oranges in the gutters waiting for garbage pick up each week,” she said. “Both of us thought it was terrible to waste good fruit, especially when people in our town were going hungry.”

The couple identified fruit tree owners in their neighborhood and those wanting to donate their fruit. They recruited friends and neighbors to pick fruit on two weekends. Harvested fruit was donated to the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.

In 2009, the idea expanded and became a food access program of Soil Born Farms. It was dubbed Harvest Sacramento under the leadership of Soil Born Farm’s Food Access Coordinator Randy Stannard. The program is seeking volunteers for the upcoming harvest season to serve as harvest coordinators, harvest leaders and harvesters. Two events are scheduled for anyone interested in learning more.

On Friday Dec. 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a fundraiser and information session for Harvest Sacramento at the Sierra 2 Center.

A training session for volunteers will be held on Saturday, Dec. 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Stockton Boulevard Partnership Building, located at 5625 Stockton Blvd. in Sacramento.

Groups and individuals of all ages are encouraged to participate. High school students can use their participation for their volunteer service requirement. Training, outreach materials, harvest supplies and volunteer recruitment tools are supplied. No special harvesting skills are required.

Sacramento is essentially a food forest, sitting amid one of the largest urban citrus groves in the United States. Harvest Sacramento capitalizes

on The City of Trees’ bounty by sharing the wealth.

“Hungry people get good fresh fruit, people involved in the harvest make new friends and picking the trees helps create good conditions for the trees for an even better harvest next year,” McGrath said.

Harvest Sacramento’s close ties with the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and the River City Food Bank, turns the concept of “people helping people” into a working reality. For Oak Park resident Matt Jurach, Harvest Sacramento is summed up in three words.

“Neighbors feeding community,” he said.

Jurach, who shares his backyard with a giant grapefruit tree, calls himself a sucker for efficiency. Having been a volunteer with Harvest Sacramento since 2009, he sees an easy fix for a homeowner confronting a loaded fruit tree.

The hard work of planting and caring for the tree has been done. All that’s left to do is find trees with owners who want the fruit picked.

“The nice thing about urban gleaning is that it’s so easy,” he said.

Harvest Sacramento provides a way for busy homeowners to get rid of their excess fruit. Volunteers meet others in their neighborhood while diverting nutritious valuables from the landfill to families who can use them.

Harvest Sacramento is funded by California Endowment’s Building Healthy Community initiative, the Rudolf Steiner Foundation and the Sierra Health Foundation with support from Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture & Education Project.

Go to www.harvestsacramento.org for more information. Those interested in volunteering can contact Randy Stannard at (530) 204-8082 or rstannard@soilborn.org If you plan on attending the training, an RSVP is appreciated.

The Golden 1 Credit Union announced that it has opened an account to allow members of the community to donate much-needed funds to River City Food Bank, following the devastating fire that damaged both the organization’s building and its stockpile of food.

“We are grateful the River City Food Bank is there year-round for the community, providing food for those in need,” said Donna Bland, interim president and CEO. “We have made it a priority to help this organization get back on its feet as quickly as possible and part of that is providing the community with an easy way to make monetary contributions.”

Eileen Thomas, executive director of the River City Food Bank, said, “We thank Golden 1 and its employees for their support. Efforts such as these will help us get back on our feet much quicker.”

Establishing an account for relief efforts is the latest step Golden 1 has made to help the River City Food Bank recover from the fire that occurred on Oct. 22. Other measures include the donation of $5,000 cash and an employee canned food drive spanning Sacramento that has already resulted in great response.

“We have had an outpouring from employees inquiring how they can help,” continued Bland. “It is always inspiring to see the sense of civic duty present in our staff.”

Donations to the River City Food Bank Fire Fund account will be accepted at all Golden 1 branches.

The Golden 1 Credit Union is California’s leading credit union, with more than 80 offices, $7 billion in assets and 680,000 members.

SACRAMENTO – The Golden 1 Credit Union announced today that they will present River City Food Bank in midtown Sacramento with a check for $5,000, following the devastating fire that damaged both the organization’s building and its stockpile of food.

“Golden 1 has been a longtime supporter of organizations in the communities we serve,” said Donna Bland, interim president and CEO. “We are saddened by this turn of events and decided to take immediate action.”

In addition to this donation of cash, Golden 1 employees plan to show their support by contributing to a canned food drive at all of Golden 1’s Sacramento-area offices and its Operations Center.

“With the holidays just around the corner, we know the food bank is going to face increased demand,” added Bland. “Golden 1 is committed to helping River City Food Bank meet that demand and challenges all other area businesses to help in this time of great need.”

The Golden 1 Credit Union is California’s leading credit union, with more than 80 offices, $7 billion in assets and 680,000 members.