Giving is often all about, giving someone a chance, and it’s never too late or too early to start.

“If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart” – Arab Proverb

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” –  Mother Teresa

“The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” –  Albert Einstein

“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” – Albert Camus

“For it is in giving that we receive.” –  Saint Francis of Assisi

“They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing”  - Hindu Proverb

The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another’s, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.” - Leo F. Buscaglia American guru, tireless advocate of the power of love, 1924-1998.

“To give without any reward, or any notice, has a special quality of its own.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh American writer and aviation pioneer, 1906-2001.

“Give what you have to somebody, it may be better than you think.” Henry Wadsworth

“Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me cope, with this heavy load, trying to, touch and reach you with, heart and soul.” – George Harrison

“Giving people self-confidence is by far the most important thing that I can do. Because then they will act.” –  Jack Welsh former CEO GE

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” –  Winston Churchill

Sometimes a small thing you do can mean everything in another person’s life.

“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” Maya Angelou a voice of contemporary literature.

“Memories are perhaps the best gifts of all.” –  Gloria Gaither

“Never get tired of doing little things for others, sometimes those little things occupy the biggest parts of their hearts.” –  Unknown

I wish there was room to show a photo of everyone who has helped the food bank this year.

You are loved and appreciated. Together we are changing our little part of the world.

You are all making a difference!

Good Cheer and Happy New Year!

In case you haven’t noticed the local merchants in Langley are decorating their doors for the holidays and supporting the Good Cheer Food Bank.

Plum Pudding Pennies (your donations) are the key to “Deck the Doors”. Each store has a Plum Pudding Pennies gift box for the collection of pennies. The pennies or dollars represent your vote. Yes, this is a competition and for all the right reasons; you’ll be making this holiday season a little bit brighter for those in need.

This is a great community and one that supports buying local. Buying local products from local businesses keeps the money in the community.

Buying local, as with any movement, begins with the actions of a few people and then expands to many. As spending grows, the businesses grow in number and size which provide even more local choices. This spending is critical to establishing viable local stores. When dollars are spent locally, they can be re-spent locally, raising the community’s overall level of economic activity.

Deck the Doors is all about our local merchants and buying local. The results are a festive and bright holiday look on the streets of Langley!   We are in the home stretch this week for filling the ballot boxes with Plum Pudding Pennies (your donations) for the food bank.

This Saturday, December 17^th between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Main Street Door elves will be around to collect the money in the ballot boxes.

We’ve put together a slideshow of Deck the Doors in Langley with photos from our local merchants, just click on the ornament below. If you can’t identify the store just move you cursor to the upper right of the slideshow and and click show info.

Some of our local merchants on the Holiday Season:

“MYKEN’S Pet Boutique is proud to participate in Langley’s Deck the Doors event supporting Good Cheer.  MYKEN’S would also like to show our appreciation for all the hard work that is done on behalf of Whidbey’s homeless animals.  Therefore, we have decided that all monies collected from the MYKEN’S door design will be matched and donated to our local animal shelter; W.A.I.F. (Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation).  We wish everyone a happy holiday season!!!”

“Although Brackenwood Gallery is continuing its “Small Pleasures” show for the month of December there are many new pieces that have been have added. “Small Pleasures” is work that is interesting, high quality, imaginative, original art yet smaller and more affordable. By our artists offering smaller works we hope it presents an opportunity to give the gift of art that is enduring this holiday season. It is also a time of year where people are traveling and smaller work is a memento that can fit into both the suitcase and the budget. The show continues thru Dec. 31, 2011.”

“Find an Antique Clock or new clock to grace your home. Herb provides professional repairs for those old Family treasures you may have. Santa Herb is anxious to move some merchandise, so come in and discover some bargains at Langley Clock & Gallery.”

“The Star Store is happy to help with your shopping and entertaining needs…with a smile, in Star Store Style! We’ve got hot cider, goodies, Santa’s helpers, and complimentary gift wrapping!  And…learn how to receive a free Star Store $25 Gift Card!”

“Happy Holidays from all of us at Prima!  Thank you to Tobey Nelson of Vases Wild for creating our front door decoration for the Good Cheer fundraiser.  Hope you’ll come in this holiday season, vote for us with your pocket change, and have a cup of Good Cheer in honor of our awesome food bank!”

“Sassy Siren has been serving the Local Island Community and visitors to Downtown Langley for just over a year and a half now.  We have a great selection of ladies accessories from fashionable handbags, jewelry and gifts to fun ‘Tween & Teen’ goodies too.  Keeping prices affordable to cater to the Locals, Sassy Siren has quickly become one of the favorites of Downtown Langley.  Sassy Siren is a Team player too when it comes to supporting local charities and foundations.  If you haven’t already experienced Sassy Siren for yourself, what are you waiting for?  Come see what you’ve been missing!  Check out the website for extended Holiday Hours at sassysiren.com.”

“Let’s all be sure to participate in Deck the Doors. The money goes to a great cause. Be sure to vote for Good Cheer the people in the community are counting on you!”

“Chic Debris, a purveyor of cool stuff, is in Langley Village between Half Moon Yoga and Langley Liquor Store and is open everyday 10-5.  Visit us for cool stuff like antique furniture, local artists’ paintings and cards and more, wine glasses, jewels, old hand made Christmas decorations, a slot machine and a stitching horse.  And more.  Please drop in to vote for our Deck the Doors sock monkey entry! ”

“The Cottage is best known for its signature look as a French boutique.  We are eclectic, affordable, and friendly with great service.  We make women happy!!”

The Langley Chamber is hosting its Holiday Cheer Giveaway thanks to the generous donation by Whidbey Island Bank.

YOU CAN WIN $1000

Good Cheer and Thanks for You Support!

We can make healthy choices and the importance of doing should not be understated. For example, about 65 million American adults or nearly 1 in 3 have high blood pressure. My guess is that number will go much higher with obesity continuing to work its way into the American culture.

The Mayo Clinic website had some good information on the topic of sodium intact and  I wanted to share it with you.

There are a number of factors that can push blood pressure up according to the Mayo Clinic.

Eating too much salt

Drinking too much alcohol

Not getting enough potassium in your diet

Not doing enough physical activity

Taking certain medicines

Having long-lasting stress

Smoking

I don’t think that many of us are taking the time to find out how much salt is going into our systems. We may think that we’re eating less sodium, just a pinch of table salt on your baked potato and a dash on your scrambled eggs. But a pinch here and a dash there can quickly add up to unhealthy levels of sodium. Consider that just one teaspoon of table salt has 2,325 milligrams (mg) of sodium.

Your body needs some sodium to function properly because it:

Helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body

Helps transmit nerve impulses

Influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles

Your kidneys naturally balance the amount of sodium stored in your body for optimal health. When your sodium levels are low, your kidneys essentially hold on to the sodium. When sodium levels are high, your kidneys excrete the excess in urine.

But if for some reason your kidneys can’t eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases. Increased blood volume makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, which increases pressure in your arteries. Some people’s bodies are more sensitive to the effects of sodium than are others. If you’re sodium sensitive, you retain sodium more easily, leading to fluid retention and increased blood pressure.

Sodium: How much do you need?

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you’re age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

Keep in mind that these are upper limits, and less is usually best, especially if you’re sensitive to the effects of sodium. If you aren’t sure how much sodium your diet should include, talk to your doctor.

The average American gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day — more than recommended.

The Good Cheer Food Bank works hard to provide better choices to our clients and it’s  your donations that give us more flexibility in buying healthier foods.

Good Cheer Garden – very healthy

Part Two will deal with serving sizes, processed food and nutrition labels.

You can donate by clicking here and help us provide better choices!

Good Cheer!

Good Cheer’s two thrift stores and Rack clothing boutique are the funding base of the organization. They provide 67% of Good Cheer’s operational revenue. Last year, sales at Good Cheer’s Langley Thrift Store were $354,256 alone. The Langley store, which has been in continuous operations since the mid 1960′s, is in the final stages of a renovation and expansion of its retail space.

The project when completed will add a total of 1,140 square feet of retail space which could produce an additional $71,000 in annual revenues, money that will help fund the operational aspects of the Food Bank.

When the Capital Campaign was originally started Whidbey Island Bank was there to help the community. Bob Olson, Chairman of the Capital Campaign and a member of the Board of Directors at Good Cheer secured the first $25,000 from Whidbey Island Bank to kick off the campaign.

It seems only appropriate that Whidbey Island Bank would be here for us again as we complete the Good Cheer Capital Campaign with their $10,000 matching grant. They have been a great partner helping out last year with another community challenge that allowed us to get through a rough time when food was short at the food bank.

Anne Bobinac and Pam Bickel visiting the new addition as the Langley Good Cheer Thrift Store.

“This community has generously contributed to Good Cheer’s Capital Campaign which provided for the relocation of the Food Bank and which allowed Good Cheer to serve many more families. Good Cheer is so close to completing their capital goal for renovations to increase self-sustainability, that we wanted to help in this final push,” said Whidbey Island Bank Freeland Branch Manager Anne Bobinac.

“Whidbey Island Bank feels very much in partnership with the communities we serve and want to maximize donations by matching contributions made in this final stretch of the campaign. We look forward to this Community Challenge, matching up to $10,000 in donations,” she added.

This challenge follows on the heels of last year’s successful $5,000 community challenge sponsored by Whidbey Island Bank, which raised more than $40,000 for the Food Bank. Good Cheer Board member and Langley Branch Manager Pam Bickel spearheaded that effort, and joins Bobinac in this current community challenge.

Donations are being accepted at all Whidbey Island Bank locations on South Whidbey:

Clinton Branch -  Branch Manager Candy Anderson at 360-341-5238

Good Cheer has for decades has operated differently than other food banks. It conducts itself as an enterprise “company” using community thrift stores as its source of operational funding rather than relying on governmental grants/programs and general fundraising for financial stability.

Good Cheer is a self-sustaining non-profit charity. Our thrift stores recycle a high volume of still usable donated goods while providing low-cost clothing, furniture, and house wares to low income families. A search for other similar programs has not turned up a comparable self-sustaining food bank operation in terms of scale and hours of operation in western Washington.

Freeland Branch – Branch Manager Anne Bobinac at 360-331-5868

This successful and replicable funding approach has caught the interest of other food banks in the Northwest. With the improvement of facilities, Good Cheer will offer information to other organizations interested in this model of client services and operational sustainability. Good Cheer provides an important non-duplicated service to the community, without relying on federal, state or even county tax monies to support it.

Langley Branch – Branch Manager Pam Bickel at 360-221-0203

The success of the Capital Campaign will be measured by the increased number of people served, greater food choices for our clients and innovative programs that educate.

We will work everyday to make South Whidbey Island a hunger free community!

The success of Good Cheer is tied to the community. The participation of individuals, organizations, businesses and foundations at a variety of gift levels has made this a successful campaign.

For information about making a pledge, building naming opportunities, and gifts of stock or property, contact Kathy McLaughlin at Good Cheer at (360) 221-6454, ext. 6.

Good Cheer Capital Fund Drive
PO Box 144
Langley, WA 98260

Good Cheer!

The HELP Network on South Whidbey Island is truly amazing and I wanted to start the year off with a post about the many ways that people can find help on South Whidbey Island. People helping people is what it is all about.

Gary Zukov wrote in his book, The Seat of the Soul, that “millions of individuals are awakening,  sometimes to their surprise,  to a hunger for harmony, cooperation, sharing, and a reverence for Life. Their challenge is to create those things in a world of discord, competition, hoarding, and exploitation, a world in which life is a cheap commodity.”

There are in the neighborhood of one to two million organizations working toward ecological sustainability and social justice. This social movement is decentralized and has no specific leaders; hence no media following. Paul Hawken in his book Blessed Unrest noted that “This is the largest social movement in all of human history. No one knows it’s scope, and how it functions is more mysterious than what meets the eye.”

The HELP Network is a small but powerful part of this movement.

Hawken says “What does meet the eye is compelling: coherent, organic, self-organized congregations involving tens of millions of people dedicated to change. What I see are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in an attempt to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty in this world.”

It is very evident that we have our own movement right here on South Whidbey Island.

We have The HELP Network! By Clicking on their logo you can visit their websites or read a post that was done last year about the organization.

All of us working together to help strengthen our community! It’s a good place to start.

Good Cheer!

The Good Cheer Food Bank is only as good as the community that it is part of.  It is from this community that we find volunteers, charitable givers and businesses that have put their hearts into making Good Cheer the success that it is.

Below are photos of some of the organizations and people that make this community work. You can read the post that was written by just clicking on your photo of choice. I’m sure that we have missed someone but you all know that you are in our hearts and minds.

Fixing Homes…………………                                                        Thanksgiving on Wheels………………

Food Drives on South Whidbey Island…………………………………

Nourishing our young people………………….                           Supporting our Volunteers………………….

Island wide food drive…………………..                                         Affordable Housing…………………….

Grocery store partner……………………                                         Helping our children grow……………..

Harvest celebrations……………………                                         Fresh Fruit from our neighbors…………………..

Matching community donations……………                               Support through arts and crafts……………………..

Volunteers asking for help……………….                                      Businesses supporting raffles………………….

Providing community service…………………                               Supporting the best for women…………….

Gathering places and youth programs……………………          Sharing homes…………….

Local talent………………                                                                    Helping with medical expenses…………………..

Valued business partners…………………                                      Promoting student success……………..

Click on the photo above and you can read a wonderful poem about never quitting.  Good Cheer, like all of you who help,   is here to enable people and families. It is up the the individual to succeed in life.

“Don’t Quit.”

Together we all bring good cheer!

Wondering what the word “Choochokam” means? Choochokam is a Hopi word which roughly translates as “a Gathering of Stars.” Our “stars,” a diverse group of several hundred local artists, inspired by the early organizers to create what we now know as The Choochokam Festival of the Arts.

The Festival, which began as a dream, has been a reality for the past 35 years! This years event was a wonderful mix of art and music; the weather was just perfect.  The Choochokam Arts Festival has become a stage for our community artists and one can see that it is a true reflection of the richness and depth of talent found on the island.

On a warm sunny day what better than a root beer float!

Kay Stanley (pictured on the left) is a member of the board for the Good Cheer Food Bank. She headed the committee that put together this effort to raise money for our organization.

Kay organized 20 volunteers with shifts that included 3 volunteers per shift.

Good Cheer was spread through-out the weekend Food Bank fundraiser.

Total income from the event was $1090.55.

Another step in creating a hunger-free community.

Good Cheer!

Summer is finally here and it got me to thinking about the hydroplane races on Lake Washington.  Having just celebrated the 4th of July I thought it might be appropriate to bring you a story on Mira Slovak; the famous pilot of the Miss Wahoo. It is a story that talks about the desire to be free and it brings back memories of my childhood, hydroplanes and the Pink Lady.

There were many memories of working with my father in his workshop building a wooden hydroplane; the Hawaii Kai. We would tie the boats to the backs of our bicycles and run them around the baseball diamond; nails in back of the boat provided the rooster tail effect.

I wanted to share an article written by Bob Karolevitz on Mira Slovak and his flight to freedom. They have just recently restored the Miss Wahoo; you’ll find the photos interspersed throughout the article. I spoke with David Williams at the Hydroplane and Raceboat  Museum in Seattle and he directed me to some photos by Jim Clark Photography. If your a hydroplane buff; they are both great sites!

Dr Randy Pillow (on the left) longtime hydroplane racing enthusiast and Seafair supporter sharing a moment with Myra Slovak in 2009. Dr. Pillow is a friend of mine who served as a driver, owner, medic, and general chairman for numerous hydroplane races throughout the Pacific Northwest from 1950 to 1975.

The men who pilot unlimited hydroplanes are a brave, speed-loving lot with many interesting stories to tell. One such story begins when the late Major General Claire L. Chennault unfolded a letter which reached him in Taipei, Taiwan. The writer was a crop-dusting pilot in Yakima, Washington, a young man whose message moved the fighting old general who knew first-hand the ravages of Communism.

The letter read:
“I escaped from Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia last year by flying an airliner from Prague to Frankfurt, West Germany. I was granted political asylum in the United States in December, 1953. I feel an obligation to fight against the Communists because I saw what happened in my country. I will fly with you, against the Communists, anywhere, and for no salary. I have only one wish in my life and that is to fight these terrible aggressors.”

The letter was sent by Myra Slovak who later became a favorite of many hydroplane fans here in the Pacific Northwest.

The escape would be made on a scheduled flight from Prague to Brno. Mira would be the pilot of a C-47 Dakota which would carry 26 passengers and three crew members. Among the passengers were Hana and Helmut Cermak and Bozidar Medic, a television engineer who was a last-minute addition to the conspiracy. At 7:20 p.m. the plane lumbered down the runway and took off in the direction of Brno, 115 miles to the southeast.

Once in flight, Slovak turned the controls over to his Communist co-pilot and walked back among the passengers. Helmut Cermak and Medic then accompanied him up front on the pretext of seeing the pilots’ compartment. With weapons brought aboard by the pilot, the escapees overpowered the other crew members and locked them in a baggage compartment. Almost casually Slovak made his final radio contact over Benesov, then tipped the ship downward in a steep dive.

Leveling out well under 1,000 feet, which was below the effective radar screen, the pilot banked the plane sharply toward the west and the 45-minute hedge-hopping flight to freedom. At any moment they expected MIG fighters to pounce upon them. As an additional menace, an attempt was made by Communist passengers to break down the door of the pilots’ compartment. Mira pulled back hard on the wheel and then shoved it forward quickly. The effect was like hitting a huge air pocket and the lurching plane dissuaded any further passenger counter-revolt.

By this time colored lights began to appear in the towns and cities below them. “We knew we were over West Germany then,” explained Mira. “In Czechoslovakia we had no such lights, just dim white ones because of the power shortage.”

Circling high above the American Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, Slovak contacted a passing jet and was led down. The time was then 9:50, and a more suspenseful two-and-a-half-hour drama could not he created on stage or film.

This chapter of Mira Slovak’s life came to a close when he and five of his passengers were granted political asylum, and the next morning headlines throughout the Free World proclaimed the escape.

For over a year Mira worked closely with the U. S. Air Force, in Germany and in Washington, D. C., where he arrived in December of 1953. For his cooperation during those long months of interrogation, he won permanent residency in the United States.

The rest of Mira’s story — from crop-duster to hydroplane pilot — is familiar to all devotees of the sport.

Jim Clark sent me a photo of Mira Slovak riding in the Wahoo with David Williams, Director of the Hydroplane Museum, at Seafair last year, The one on the right is Miss Wahoo.

This post was from Mark Clawson who helps Kathy with the blog site for Good Cheer.

Kathy will be back on Friday for more Good Cheer!

Good Cheer is raffling off a custom built garden shed/greenhouse. The garden shed is on display in front of the Good Cheer Food Bank in Bayview. The proceeds from the raffle will be used to support the Good Cheer Garden. Last year the garden produced more than 5,800 pounds of produce for the Food Bank; a lot of good eats!

The shed was built and donated by Bob Bowling Rustics right here on Whidbey Island. Hanson’s Building Supply stepped in and helped to move the structure to Good Cheer just last week.

Bob Bowling Rustics creates a wide variety of unique structures that will enhance your yard and garden. Made from reclaimed and recycled materials, these functional art pieces are designed to invoke whimsy and a sense of playfulness to your outdoor living spaces.

Bob builds one of a kind playhouses, chicken coops, greenhouses, tool sheds, outhouses and garden chapels that are made to order. He will even incorporate your own treasured pieces into the design!

Tickets for the  for the 5 by 8 foot structure, valued at $6,500, are $5 apiece or five for $20 and are being sold at all Good Cheer Thrift Stores, the Food Bank office, and at Bob Bowling’s booth at the Bayview Farmer’s market. Tickets should be available at all the sites mentioned by the 4th of July weekend.  The drawing will be held at Good Cheer’s Harvest Party & Music Fest on Saturday, September 11 at 3 p.m. Winners need not be present to win.

If you don’t have a place for the garden shed; it would fit in nicely at the Good Cheer Garden:-) We can mark the piece with a copper nameplate for all to see!

The partnership of small businesses and non-profits or charities is not a new to Good Cheer; we have been blessed with strong business support from our community.

There are a number of reasons why businesses support  charities and non-profit endeavors in our community.

There is the opportunity to give back.  It allows the business to share and pass on some of its good fortune and success.

Being part of a community is vital for small business. In the days of the mega stores and the internet, it can be difficult to sustain a small business. One way to ensure that a business thrives in the community is to help build a thriving community.

When a business donates money, time, products or services; that enterprise gets instant recognition from the community.  People are more apt to support businesses they feel are part of their world. There is also the opportunity to support causes that the business believes in.

The opportunity to be involved in the local community is a great business strategy for many reasons. As you get to know others and work with others for a cause that you believe in, you will have fun and, you’ll become a part of the group. You will be involved and that can help you with marketing your business in many ways. You will know the needs of the community and be able to find ways to meet them.

All in all, supporting a charity or non-profit group can help a business grow, but most of all, it can be a great way to give back to your community and help support causes that need your help.

Our thanks goes out to Bob Bowling and the other businesses in our community that continue to support The Good Cheer Food Bank.

Good Cheer!