A Rotary Club project that was originally designed by Rotarian Rhonda Brady just for members as a way to give back this past holiday season grew by leaps and bounds into a food project that included people from all over the greater Tehachapi area. There were donations of cash from local individuals and bigger donations from Terra-Gen and BHE Renewables LLC that allowed Rotarians to shop for food to fill the nearly 200 boxes. Many individuals in our community put together the boxes of food, many with extra Christmas surprises.


 
Lewis Brown at the Tehachapi Senior Center offered their back room for the collection point and each day patiently accepted more and more boxes. Members of Rotary shopped for supplies using the donations. Rotary members met (masked and socially distanced) to wrap and fill boxes of food. By Monday, December 21, Rotary had collected close to 200 boxes-almost $10,000 worth of food and goodies for distribution.

The Tehachapi Humanitarian group arrived on December 21 to claim the first 60 boxes for distribution. They were helped by members of the American Legion. On Tuesday, members of Rotary, along with workers from the City of Tehachapi, the Police Department and other volunteers distributed the other 140 boxes to grateful seniors and others who needed a bit of extra help this year.  What a gift Tehachapi area citizens helped deliver in a year with so much need! Tehachapi Rotary wishes you all a Happy New Year.
 
Members of American Legion Post 221 and the Tehachapi Humanitarian Relief Group helped Rotary deliver the food boxes.
 
Rhonda Brady (right) of Tehachapi Rotary Club thanks helpers from the City. From left: Firefighter from KCFD, Corey Costelloe, Ashley Whitmore, Liz Stafford and Key Budge.