Ray Castellani's Writings
 
No one ever wins in a tragedy, and yet they occurs every day throughout our world. No city or town nor village ever escapes the Holocaust of tragedy. It is what it is - the darkest of the dark, the sorrow beyond compromise.
The imagery never ends. The devastation of the soul, the wound without healing. There is no place on Earth one can go to escape this never ending light of darkness.
Excerpt from Castellani's Commencement Address at the Albany Academy - June, 1997
This is a moment - to be remembered - this is a moment that will be remembered - in the hearts - minds - bodies - and souls - of each and every one of you sitting here - this day - June 11, 1997 - The 184th Commencement - of the Albany Academy.
I congratulate each of you - that is graduating today - I want to thank - each one of you - for this beautiful - and prestigious - honor - you have bestowed upon me - It is both humbling - and heartwarming - I welcome it - I cherish it.
 
I would like to invite the student body - that will eventually meet the requirements - to have their own commencement day - in future years to come - to share in this moment - As you look on in wonderment - asking yourself - "Will that day ever come?" - I assure you it will - Be patient - Enjoy your trip - for one day - you will look back - at this whole period of time -and realize - how short it was.
I would like to invite the faculty - from the art instructor - to the math teacher - from English - to music - to science - to history - to language - to the librarian - whose labor - delicate and most arduous task - of teaching these young men - has come to an end today - Your patience - your love - your caring - your compassion - your tolerance - your unlimited framework - for your abilities - to teach young minds - and prepare them for life itself - must be commended - There are apprehensions somewhat - as I speak - a little sadness also - to see these young men - leave your ward - I believe it is outweighed - by the tremendous feeling of joy - each of you - also - must feel - by the communion - of accomplishment - and success - that is witnessed here - today. These young men will never forget you - You have given them life's greatest - commodity - knowledge - preparing them to walk life's path - to see the pitfalls - and to utilize - to the utmost of their abilities - the teachings - that have been taught here - at this academy - Dear faculty - please share in this moment.
To the athletic director - to the coaches - to the assistants - to the program itself - of physical education - The evening - is drawing near - your job - also - has come to an end - You have trained the mind - and body - to act as one - the spirit of winning - eased the heartbreak - when you lost - They have learned what competition - was all about - and sportsmanship - above all - In today's sports oriented society of ours - we do need leaders - You have done - your very best - to uphold the integrity - and dignity - of the task at hand - You have taught these young men - the boundaries of the game - the uncalled for fouls - the timely - time-outs - that they will utilize - for the rest of their life - as they step onto the playing field - of our complex - and ever so changing world - I invite you to share in this moment.
To the parents - let me not forget you - for each of you were present - at the beginning - of their journey - Reflect with me - your tears of joy - when your son was born - the days - the years - that followed - when he first smiled - realizing he had a mother and a father - When he took his first step - when he said his first word - when he blew out candle - number 1 - The nights you stayed awake - because he were crying - the fears - that you gently eased - The worries - you endured - for the values you instilled in him - so that he may walk in peace - the times he was sick - and you nursed him back to health - for the love - tears - joys - and understanding - you gave - to accompany him - for his lifetime - the sacrifices - there were so many - the braces on his teeth - the events you came to see your son excel in - how proud you were - And that first time he came to you - and asked you for the car - And the deep concern - each of you have - that your son be a light of hope - for someone whose courage - is faltering - that he may be used as an instrument - to give - to heal - To fulfill life's forum - for the betterment - of mankind - I invite you to share in this moment.
To all the friends - the sisters - the brothers - grandmothers and grandfathers - uncles - aunts and cousins - I invite you to share in this moment - for each of you - share in part - the library of knowledge - that exists in the mind - and heart - of each young man - that is graduating today.
The Alumni Association with its vast outreach program - undertaking the task of linking 65 or 70 years of graduates - to present day functions - at the Academy - which you the class of 1997 - will be a part of - in a very short time - to make the same journey - that many of us have made - I invite you to share in this moment.
The Board of Trustees - year after year - working tirelessly - for the betterment of the school - and the integrity - of the students - making decisions that must be made - for the future of the Academy - to keep up with change - the one facet of life - that is constant - it is not an easy task - I commend each of you - you are truly unsung heroes - I invite you to share in this moment - And to the surrounding staff that support the Academy - the web of intricacies - the secretaries - the staff at the buttery - and the Academy Store - to the gentleman that warms your school in winter - and keeps it clean - by day -
The cornerstone of this Academy - has been laid some 184 years ago -1813 to be exact - The Albany Academy - highest standards - compelling values - the workings of this institution - are far reaching - and never ending - encompassing - and weathering - incredulous - and most phenomenal -periods of history - our country has faced - From the war of 1812 - the Civil War - The turn of the 20th century - Vaccines wiping out small pox - and polio - From the horse - to the car - to the plane - to the rocket - From a walk down Main Street USA - to that historical walk - on the moon itself - We have fought two World Wars - Korea - Vietnam - the Gulf War - Heart transplants - are no longer a figment - of the imagination - We have endured earthquakes - hurricanes - tornadoes - floods - snowstorms - heat waves - And the introduction of the atomic age - I could go on but I think I'd better stop here - This is what the Albany Academy has seen - and much more -
Today it sees the class of 1997 - standing ever so proud - standing tall - this class will always be unique - to this year - to this day - for you are the only ones graduating - from the Albany Academy - at this particular moment
Today we entrust the present - future - and the overwhelming task - of preserving the ethics - our founders laid for us - to Head of School - Lawerence T. Piatelli - the legacy is in good hands - strong hands - steeped deep in integrity - He dignifies the essence of purity - and has compassion - for the soul - He does not compromise - his values - nor justify - his positions -The welfare of the student - is paramount - He will lead most - of this student body - into the 21st Century - He will be able to guide - and give you courage - in troubled times - when they arise - He will placate - the fears - and encourage - the spirit - He will be your head of School - he will be your strength - until you have your own - And many a times - he must stand alone - in the solitude of his own thoughts - to make a decision - a very lonely place to be in - Head of School - Mr. Piatelli - I invite you to share - in this moment.
To these beautiful young men - I care about you - I care about your welfare - I care that each of you - hear something I say - something that you can carry from me - for the rest of your life - as I will carry this moment - I spend with you - for the rest of my life.
This is truly your moment - This class has spent the better part of six years - together - some more - You know each other very well - you know who did what - when - and where - went on your first dates together - saw your best friend cry - because he broke up with his first girlfriend - went to your first dance together - got your first awards - played your first game of varsity football - swam your first meet - how your heart beat before the start - Alliance - and Allegiance - you all had with each other - for each other. How about all the worries of passing a test - or getting a paper in on time - Or how about when you got in trouble - and were sent to the office - that heart beat again - didn't it? Each of you know this school - inside and out - it will never leave you - as long as you live - And somehow I believe - that these halls - these classrooms - still house some of the teachers - and students - that have passed on -
The step out - the excitement of tomorrow - the accomplishments of today - the journey- with it's twists - some good - some not so good - the joys that will come your way - the girlfriend - that you will marry - the wife - that will bear your child. Some of you will be lawyers - doctors - physicists - chemists - actors - businessmen - or just a man - that has a feel - for humanity- - you name it - It is here - in this class of 1997 - The journey you're on - will see the blinds open - to the 21st century - It is your century - A lot different from the beginning of the 20th century - for our world - and the people in it - move rapidly - swiftly - and sometimes without thinking - Some of you will be asked to solve - world problems - to contribute - to the salvation - of our society itself.
We have a troubled society - beware - Some of you here today - may be able to ease the pain - that will exist - in the heart - of the unborn - You are prepared - you are equipped - the shadows that exist for the 21st century - are many - The challenges - that you will be asked to face - in the century to come - are many - from overpopulation - global warming - extinction of our beautiful animals - that inhabit our Earth - the pollution - of our oceans - and water ways - the very air - that we breathe - And as the years pass - you will have instant recall - of how it was in the year of 1997 - And when you come back to your reunion - you will reflect - for just a moment - and relive the picture - that is here today - coupling it with the thought - of how simple life was - in 1997 - For this year truly - belongs to you.
As most of you know - I was here in April - to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award - a tremendous honor - And as I sat in the fourth grade room - I thought back to 1943 - and my fourth grade teacher - Ms. Swantee - I was sent here - because I couldn't read - or spell - I had been held back 2 years - as I went into this grade - I was not too literate - a mild absence of knowledge - I was 10 years old - when I arrived at the Albany Academy - but before then - I spent three years in an orphanage - from 4 to 7 - not a nice place to be in - in 1937 - When one tried to run away - they caught him - laid him out on a table - sat us all around - in a big room - and made us watch - as they whipped - that boy fiercely - far beyond his crime - I can still see it - I can still hear the cries - By the time I was 7 years of age - the only inner feeling I knew - was loneliness - It haunted me - it beguiled me - it wounded me so deep - that to this day - I can still recall - those feelings - Many a time during those years- I huddled in a corner - and cried - Those feelings have never left me -
 
From that orphanage in New York - to another - across the river in Troy - But this time I was close to Albany - I planned an escape - For I knew -where my grandfather -lived -
On that Saturday - so many years ago - I - in the literal sense - ran to the house - on the corner - of Maine and New Scotland Avenue - I remember it so clearly - Down the stairs - to the cellar - I went - weeping so - most frightened - I pounded on the door - My Grandfather came - opened it - I looked up at him and I said - "Please don't let them take me back, Grandpa" I pleaded - I begged - I cried - He stood six feet two - He picked me up in his arms - and said - "Nobody is ever going to take you away again"- I can still feel the strength - the power - of his arms around me - I lived with him - in the cellar - for three glorious years - I never wanted to leave his side - I loved him so much - He gave me hope - He gave me love - He gave me warmth - He gave me compassion - He gave me life - Today he is with me - As I walk in the September of my years - the vision of my Grandfather - becomes ever so prevalent - for I know he will be - waiting for me - one more time - to hold me - and guide - me through eternity.
I was allowed to have wine - as a youngster - little did I know the effect - it would have on me later -
I want to speak of some of these ironies of life - I don't want to hide behind any mask - of self-deluded ideas - or images - I want you young men - to see me as I am - to feel me - to know me - I don't want any of you to think - I'm misleading you - or trying to put something - in your head - that doesn't belong there - I'm not - I do not want - in any way - to tamper - with the inner beauty - each of you have - I am passionately concerned - about each of you - I would love nothing more - than to transmit the passion - that is swirling around - inside of me - to each of you.
 
So many times you will hear said - "The young men of today - are the hope - and future - of tomorrow" - What a burden - The future of tomorrow - on your shoulders - You haven't gotten through today yet - You will wake up one day - and say - " I am so far behind - it doesn't matter anymore " - You are not the hope of the future - You are the hope - you are the young men - of today - The Now - Each of you have the capability - within your grasp - of making a difference - today - with your knowledge - your energy - your ideas - with your compassion - your tolerance- your understanding - your love - your lust - for life itself - Each of you - here today - have that capacity - what a triumph - what a concept.
As I stated - a few moments ago - I was 10 years of age - when I arrived here - at the Academy - I graduated in 1952 - and I had a lust for life - The only formal education I received - was here - at this institution - my foundation - I carried this foundation - with me - to New York - to become an actor - The Marine Corp interrupted my quest - for a period of three years - In 1957 I was back acting again - plays in New York - Summer Stock - Repertory - TV - etc. - that little bit of wine - I had as a child - had progressed - as part of my demeanor -
In those late 50's - my talent as an actor grew - At one time Helen Hayes - one of the finest actresses of our time - came back stage - to congratulate me on my performance - Just 7 or 8 years later - in 1966 - after coming to Hollywood - and doing many TV shows - in the early sixties - I stood outside 20th Century Fox Studio - I did not know what show - I was on - let alone my lines - I had to ask the guard at the gate - what show I was doing - the use and abuse of alcohol - had rendered me - almost immobile - that talented young actor - the one that could learn 450 lines - and perform three days later - was no more.
For the next three years - the tortures of life - the downhill slide that seemed to never end - the Skid Rows I have seen many - been on many - from New York - to Miami - to Los Angeles - the hopelessness - the fears - the deterioration - of my mind - my body - my soul itself - loneliness - and despair - prevailed - By 1969 I was bleeding internally - huge sores on my body - that would never heal - long hair - bearded - dirty - audio - and visual - hallucinations - black outs - I shuffled as I walked - I spoke in circles - I could not pronounce words - I weighed but 140 pounds - One ounce of alcohol - rendered me immobile - I was 36 years of age - I was dying.
Sometime in July of 1969 - a warm - and all-encompassing feeling -came over me - the realization that death - was eminent - and near - A moment later - I held a bottle of Gin in my hand - And I uttered these words - "Please God help me - I don't want to drink this." - Next month - July- 28 years will have passed - since my cry - of despair - was heard - for I have been without alcohol or drugs - whatsoever in my body - for this period of time - a miracle - For many years - I was ashamed to come back to the Academy - for I had done nothing - accomplished nothing - I just gave heartache - to any one - I came in contact with - I was ashamed - to see my teachers - I was ashamed - to see my classmates - But those same classmates - that were at this ceremony - with me - 45 years ago - came to my side - with love - and understanding - they didn't care - what I had accomplished in life - they just wanted to see me - This is the bond - that will last the ages - for each of you - You will all go your separate ways - but the graduating class - of 1997 - from the Albany Academy - will forever - be together - Faces will change with time - bodies altered by age - hair thinner- voices differ - But 1997 - will never change - It is here now - and it belongs to you -
In 1987 I was most discouraged - I had done many T.V. shows - worked with some of the top people in Hollywood - honed my talent back - to where it was - when I was a young actor - But disappointment set in - the loss of a Broadway play - The never ending roles on TV - that were always the same - another realization - that things would never change - came to me - I decided to leave Hollywood - and my life as I knew it - I took off in my white truck - for parts unknown - living out of the back of my truck - I traveled absolutely nowhere - for several months - pounding my dashboard - pleading for guidance - begging for help - crying at times - despondent - angry - and ever so lonely - one more time - I was 54 years of age.
I'd like to say right here - I had a vision - But that's not true - it sure would make a nice story -
One day while driving in that truck of mine - I had a feeling come over me - to go back to Los Angeles - much against my will I did - As the next several days unfolded - I was directed by this inner feeling - to serve food in the downtown area - known as the Skid Row section - This was not on my personal agenda - I want this understood - But I was obedient - to the feeling
On Dec 5 1987 it was a rainy Friday night - cold - miserable - At three in the morning - I made 111 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - and waited for dawn - a couple of friends of mine - showed up around 8 am - and downtown I went - Since that rainy Saturday morning - what was only to be - a short moment in my life - turned into a decade - the 111 sandwiches - have now grown to over 575,000 meals served - to the destitute - the homeless - the downtrodden - the despaired - to the unwanted - and discarded human beings - of our society - where water - is a premium - on hot summer days - and soup - a welcome - on cold - winter nights.
In 1992 - I received a magnificent letter - from President Bush - In 1994 a beautiful letter - from President Clinton - And on a warm Spring day - in 1995 - over the loud speaker - came these words - "Ladies and Gentleman - the President of the United States of America " - For one brief moment - as the President came through the Oval Office - into the Rose Garden - the vision of past Presidents became prominent - I saw President Roosevelt - I saw Truman - Eisenhower - I saw President Kennedy - fragmented seconds they were - I realized where I was - I came from my own depths of despair - to the highest office - of our country - to meet the most powerful man - in the world - And when President Clinton - gave me this elegant medal - he said to me - "Thank you Ray - for taking care of the people - of Skid Row - in Los Angeles" - I said thank you Mr. President - I had tears - emotions - and wonderment for this precious moment - I accepted this tribute - on behalf of the hundreds of volunteers - and the thousands of people that have supported me - and the residents of Skid Row - I am truly interwoven - with this society of people - and how proud they were - that I met the President -
I have spent the better part of 10 years of my life - on the streets of Skid Row - this time no alcohol - no drugs - The darkened streets - at night with the fires - the scarred souls - where hope is at a minimum - where rape - murder - prostitution - stabbings - gunshot wounds - drugs - alcohol - gang bangers - and violence beyond reproach - sleep by day - somewhat - I have held twisting bodies - ravaged by alcohol convulsions - I have held bodies fallen -by heart attacks - I have held these bodies in my arms - waiting for the paramedics to come - I have hugged the lonely - of our society - I have had them weep - in my arms - I have felt the stomach - of the pregnant women - for they did not know - who the father was - I have intervened in knife fights - I can speak the language of the streets - but also - the language of the heart - I have been the father - mother - sister - brother these people didn't have - And every time I left downtown - I also wept - for I realized I was used again - as an instrument - of the Will of God - for the betterment - of mankind - what a privilege- what an honor -
Four principles - have dominated my make-up - for many years now - allow me to share them with you - Purity - honesty - unselfishness - and love - With these principles - and only these principles - I have been able to face - with dignity - the onslaught of humanity that suffers so - I have gained the respect - the love of thousands - I see no color - I see no man nor woman - I only see equality for the human race - There is no room in my heart - for prejudice -
 
Purity cannot embrace segregation - nor bigotry - nor can it differentiate between male or female - young or old - black or white - One glass of distilled water - one drop of ink - into that glass - it becomes contaminated - deceit - hate - dishonesty - selfishness - resentment - anger - etc. - etc. - become contaminants - of the mind - and soul - when allowed to infiltrate - one's thinking -
The second of these principles is - honesty - most powerful - every moment of life that passes - is a true moment - It is an honest moment or a dishonest moment - You make that choice - Each of you are gifted - with the power of choice - within your own framework - You all know the boundaries - of honesty - or dishonesty -
Third principle - struggling to stay alive - in our world today - Unselfishness - To give purely - to ask for nothing - to put the welfare of someone - or something ahead of oneself - to wake up in the morning - with the sole purpose - of helping mankind - to go to bed at night - knowing I have been a contributor - to the mainstream of life - for the betterment of the human race - To be free of self - with this principle in place - an individual can do - so much - for so many - Unselfishness - a priceless principle - and attribute - to encompass -
"Grant me - that I may not so much seek - to be consoled - as to console - To be understood - as to understand - To be loved - as to love - For it is in the giving - that we receive - It is in the pardoning - that we are pardoned - And it is in dying - that we are born to eternal life" - Most succinct - most elegant - most profound - St. Francis of Assisi - 1182-1226
Love - is the last of these four principles - In order for me to love - there must be no conditions - A mountain can be moved with this simple concept in place - I received a letter in 1965 - the letter came from my father's brother - I didn't know my father - so obviously - I didn't know his brother - When I opened the letter - a small group of baby pictures - became visible - I looked at the pictures - they were of me - the letter went something like this - "On February 18, 1965 - your father - was so riddled with cancer - so weak - he could not hold a glass of water - in his hand -Nonetheless - he managed - to get out of bed - go over to his dresser - pull out these pictures and say " - "This is my son's birthday" - He died 12 days later - He was my father - He loved me - He had no conditions -
I do not rationalize - justify - or compromise these principles - When times are tough - these principles will supercede - the agony - and when times are good - they will accent - the joys - You will realize a freedom - beyond any expectation - you will enjoy peace of mind - and you will have power - that will carry you through life's - triumphs - and tragedies - You will be able to function on any plane - of life itself - cope with any situation - that may come up - you will be able to face - any human being - on this Earth of ours - with the utmost clarity - and dignity -
You have been educated to the highest level - thus far - you are qualified to enter any college - in the United States - or other parts of the world - What an accomplishment - Each of you must be proud - knowing what you have done - a big sigh of relief - also- to realize - that 1997 - has finally come - This is the last time you will be together - in this form - only your memory - will prevail.
I ask each and every person - sitting here today - experiencing this graduation - to focus - for a moment - to channel your love - your compassion - your understanding - your wisdom - your energy - allow it to flow here - to each - and every one - of these beautiful young men - Let them take a part of you - with them - now - as they go from here - I ask you - Be a part of their journey - be a part of their life - be a part of their world - from this day forward -
There is an adage - It goes like this - "What he is - speaks so loud - I cannot hear a word he says - by example" - Each of you - are an example - for the betterment of mankind - not through words - but by action - We are together - we are equal - You are my examples - You are my teachers - I walk - not in front of you - but by your side - Whatever it is you must learn in life - always remember - when the pupil is ready - the teacher will appear-
As you walk from these halls - may your hearts be full - may your joys of tomorrow - be your realities of today - Each of you are perfect the way you are - I am not out to change anyone - my only challenge in life is to comfort the soul - to still the racing mind - for a moment - to give back to humanity - the courage - it has given me - to carry on - to be an example - of caring - Interwoven on the broad cloth of life - are many distractions - pulling and tugging - at the very core - of the ethics - you live by - Do not lose sight - of what it is you are destined - to achieve in your lifetime - Follow your dreams - Stay focused - whether it be selling flowers on the street corner - or re-arranging the stars in the heavens.
Falter not as you go - you are well prepared - schooled to the highest level - uncompromised in your thinking - the courage each of you have - will stand strong - you are a most beautiful group - highly gifted - you have given to me - a most precious moment - a moment I will take with me - and share with the people - by the fires - on the streets - of Skid Row - on those cold winter nights - a moment that will last eternally - in my heart - And that lonely - empty feeling inside my soul - that I have carried so long - will be at rest - a bit - when I think of this moment - I walk away from this most magnificent - and beautiful - and energized area - of love - with a lifetime of dreams fulfilled - Thank you for allowing me to share - this time - with you.
May each of you - stand tall - among the giants - of humanity - and when you reach your destination - as I have reached mine - I hope you find - what I have found - that the end - was but a beginning - May God bless you - until we meet again.
 
Head of School - Mr. Piatelli - it is my honor - to present to you - the graduating class of 1997.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Frontline Foundation was founded in December, 1987 by Ray Castellani when he served 111 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches off of the back of his truck on the corner of 5th and San Pedro, in downtown Los Angeles - the heart of Skid Row. An impulse by one individual became the community's most direct response to hunger in Los Angeles, serving well over a half a million meals on Skid Row, and additional meals in Hollywood and Pasadena.
Frontline's focus is serving dignified food, in a dignified way to the desperately hungry in the most sordid of areas. Providing fresh foods with care, dignity and integrity helps to restore dignity to those lost in our city.
Castellani focuses the totality of Frontline's efforts on serving food, because without food one cannot live. Without mere sustenance, rehabilitation, and job training are ineffective. Furthermore, the growing movement towards long-term planning to alleviate the conditions and causes of hunger has been done at the expense of immediate needs. Frontline serves food with the sole hope that a person may live in a bit less squalor. With this most urgent need met, other programs and groups can concentrate on long-term solutions.
In Los Angeles County people are becoming homeless each day. As the economy fluctuates, thousands lose their jobs, end up on the streets and cannot seem to re-enter the mainstream of life. These people include men, women and children. To quote Frontline's founder, "Hunger knows no boundaries". Downtown, service agencies are overcrowded and demands placed on individuals turn many away. Many groups only serve women and children. Those who cannot wait or submit to demands, most men, and those ineligible or unrehabilitative, have nowhere to turn. Frontline's food means life to these people.
The non-profit organization's program is innovatively simple. It begins when food is collected from various sources such as food drives in schools, in front of supermarkets, and from companies. Instead of securing food from manufacturers, which can be very time consuming, Castellani goes directly to the people, involving thousands in the entity of giving, and gaining new volunteers at the same time.
Once the food is secured, it is prepared in a Van Nuys kitchen facility where over 150 weekly volunteers participate. The Frontline kitchen was built completely through the donated labor and supplies of plumbers, electricians and carpenters. The volunteers prepare ready to eat meals, because those served on Skid Row have no kitchen facilities to prepare canned goods.
The food is distributed, freely and unconditionally, primarily on Skid Row, in downtown Los Angeles in a three square mile area, home to denizens of Los Angeles - the down and out, the hopeless, the helpless, the alcoholics, addicts, homeless, immigrants, abused women - all discards of our society, living in gutters, under bridges, in alleys and under trucks. They've truly no hope whatsoever of ever re-entering society, almost as if there is an imaginary brick wall surrounding "Skid Row" from which they cannot escape. Skid Row is a small place, yet they cannot take the block walk to get out of it, and the few that do cross over, unfortunately come back.
Frontline trucks deliver food throughout this heartbreaking area six days each week, averaging about 1,500 meals served weekly. Responding to the need to eliminate long lines waiting for food, Frontline began delivering meals throughout Skid Row, ending lines and crowds, reaching more people and securing dignity for those seeking food.
What makes Frontline unique is that it serves food every day, consistently, for the last seven and a half years. Furthermore, no other groups can claim to have as much respect and love as the Frontline volunteers and Frontline's founder, Ray Castellani. So many try to change those on Skid Row - try to rehabilitate them, job train them, shift them from place to place, ultimately pushing them away, when what draws them close to Frontline and its' volunteers is the feeling of acceptance, and simple love and care, with no demands and no conditions placed on them or the food.
Frontline's program involves thousands in the purity of giving - a remarkable transfer of love, passing directly from the person who donates the food, to the person who prepares it, to the person who distributes it, to the person who receives it. Frontline Foundation is about love and caring, about giving freely and unconditionally. It is about loving your fellow man and woman, and offering kind words and a smile to someone who needs them so. It is about a union formed between two groups of Gods kids. This, Frontline believes, is often times more rehabilitating than the food served.
Frontline's program is uniquely funded. While most funding comes from individuals, Frontline's program is run on a shoe-string budget. Frontline has basic monthly expenses such as utilities, kitchen rental, gasoline and vehicle maintenance. Frontline's program expenses average $3,500 per month, and through donations and various funding methods, Frontline secures around $3,500 monthly. The focus is not on money, but on securing and distributing food.
Each expense is countered with a fundraising technique. Frontline's program depends upon its trucks to deliver food, so gasoline and vehicle maintenance are vital expenses. Frontline's monthly gourmet Italian dinner or brunch fundraiser raises the funds for the gas and maintenance. Kitchen rental is $860 monthly, and a dedicated group of 80 individuals contribute $10 for the rent called the Frontline-80. While all the food is donated, certain perishables must be purchased to assure freshness. Eggs are purchased through a newspaper recycling program where volunteers and supporters donate papers, Frontline recycles them, and uses the funds to pay the weekly egg bill. The recycling program is so successful it will soon be paying for the rent on an additional kitchen rental unit when Frontline expands its' program.
Another unique program is The General Store, a store within the kitchen facility, stocked with a variety of items, condiments, cleansing items, and foods Frontline uses on a regular basis. People shop in the General Store, purchase items that go directly into the food pantry, with their names upon it, to be used to feed the hungry. This has revolutionized Frontline's method of securing items, because the store stocks everything Frontline needs, including items people don't think about regularly, helping to provide the pantry with items not regularly donated, but nevertheless very needed.
Frontline's program has remained so stable and cost-efficient that it has already expanded it's program. After six years of serving on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, through the vision and action of volunteers, Frontline began serving food one day each week in Hollywood. Then again, in mid-1994, a small group extended the meal distribution program by serving one day each week in Pasadena, and also one more day in Hollywood.
In the face of missions and organizations with enormous operating expenses, Frontline stands tall as it successfully combats hunger each day on a minuscule operating budget. This success has not come easy. In a city that's been propagandized by claims that the hunger problem is unsolvable and even unapproachable, in the face of missions and rehab groups falsely claiming those on Skid Row can be rehabilitated, in light of misleading claims of how much money is necessary to combat hunger, Frontline serves as an example to people that the best way to address a problem is directly. The most direct response to hunger is to serve food. The minuscule budget, the innovative ways of securing food, and the grass roots feeling within the organization, have countered the obstacles and enable Frontline to successfully continue to alleviate hunger.
The current obstacle facing Frontline is a funding need. Frontline has the capacity to increase its' meal output three times what it presently serves within six months of securing funds to hire a Program Director initially, then later another staff person along with a secretary. Founder and Executive Director Ray Castellani will continue to serve full time and unpaid, always refusing compensation for his endless hours of devotion. Castellani, due to his health, cannot alone initiate Frontline's evolution. Upon securing the necessary funds to hire the person, Frontline will immediately increase the meals served to twice daily, and then within six months three times daily, taking an even larger role in alleviating hunger. Because 95% of all food is donated, the added expense of hiring an individual is the only substantial expense increase Frontline would face.
Frontline Foundation has become the community's resource of action against hunger. The unique meal distribution program of serving food daily from Van Nuys to all parts of Skid Row, coupled with the dignity, love and friendship given freely by our volunteers, has made Frontline the most consistent outside organization to service the needs of the hungry on Skid Row, in downtown Los Angeles.
Ray Castellani and Frontline Foundation were the recipients of the 1995 President's Service Award, the most prestigious award given for community service. The award, co-sponsored by The Points Of Light Foundation and The Corporation for National Service, brought much needed publicity and recognition to Frontline's simplistic approach of combating hunger with food.
Founder Ray Castellani has received letters of recognition from both President Clinton and President Bush for his efforts, and was the recipient of J.C. Penney's National Golden Rule Award in 1992. Ray and Frontline were featured on A Current Affair twice in 1992, and have been topics for many newspaper articles bringing awareness to Frontline's meal services on Skid Row, bringing both funding sources and new volunteers. Castellani was also the recipient of the First Lady of California Volunteer Award in 1993.
Frontline has been supported by many Rotary Clubs and Chamber of Commerce's' and also receives support from other local organizations, religious groups, companies and clubs. Schools have played a vital role in securing specific food items.
While the majority of its funds are donated by individuals, it has secured some foundation funding, such as from The Felice Foundation, and The Crosby Fund, with corporate support from J.C. Penney Co., Inc., Mozark Productions, Safeco Insurance, Warner Bros. Records, and others. Frontline also holds many fundraisers annually which help secure funding to continue serving food downtown, including a monthly benefit dinner.
The long term plan of Frontline Foundation is to be a part of the elimination of hunger in the specific area of Skid Row, in downtown Los Angeles, through serving three meals each day to those whose emergency nutritional needs are not being met The group plans to involve as many people as possible in the effort to eliminate hunger in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, and in other poverty-stricken areas.
Frontline is not a pilot program. It has been successful since the very first time Ray Castellani took action. Human success stories abound - every day a few hundred people who don't have to dig through garbage cans for food, or resort to violence. Over 500,000 stories prove that love and food are the best combatants of hunger. These are the exact weapons Frontline is armed with when it ventures into the depths of Skid Row, in downtown Los Angeles.

             - Fact Sheet -
Frontline began in December, 1987 when Ray Castellani felt directed to go to Skid Row to help the hungry. Although he thought he would only do this a few times, the organization he founded has served over a half a million meals to the hungry of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, serving meals six days each week. The program expanded in 1993 to a weekly serving in Hollywood, and again in 1994 to add a serving in Pasadena, and East Hollywood.
Frontline serves its food to people living on the streets in downtown Los Angeles. The people live in gutters, in alleys and under bridges, and on the streets. They are hungry, both physically and emotionally. The food is given freely with no strings attached.
Frontline focuses the totality of its efforts on alleviating hunger. Frontline supports long term rehabilitative groups, but without food one cannot live, let alone re-enter mainstream society.
Out of a Van Nuys kitchen facility, Frontline volunteers serve food seven days weekly. Daily, volunteers collect all food items served from companies, food drives, and volunteers donating specific food items. Frontline also has, in the kitchen facility, a General Store where people can buy specific products to donate directly to Frontline.
Unique to Frontline is the involvement of the downtown people in all aspects of the program. The people downtown assist with food distribution, line control, and they take tremendous pride in their contribution. They feel a part of Frontline and have an investment in how the program is conducted, and their participation strengthens their self-esteem and gives them what little dignity they have.
Frontline has a minuscule monthly budget, with each monthly expense countered by a fundraising technique. Frontline's Executive Director and Founder, Ray Castellani, refuses any compensation for his work uptown or downtown. Currently, Frontline is an all-volunteer group, but funding is needed to hire help.
Frontline is one of the largest independent outside organizations providing emergency food assistance to the hungry of Skid Row, in downtown Los Angeles. More important though is the immeasurable amount of love, compassion and friendship that has passed from volunteers to street people, and vice versa, over the last eight years.
Frontline and Ray Castellani were the recipient of President Clinton's 1995 Service Award, the highest award given for service in our country. He and Frontline were also recognized by President George Bush, and were the recipient of JC Penney's National Golden Rule Award and The First Lady of California Award.
Through the example of Ray Castellani, the one mandatory condition of every aspect of Frontline Foundation is that every single thing must be done with love.

Why Should This BE The Season?
Fundraisers for the homeless abound right now, but grass roots groups address suffering throughout the year
Los Angeles Times - December 29, 1996, - By Noreen Castellani
 
Every year at holiday time, I begin to see the advertisements running in newspapers. They depict hungry people and call upon us to give money to bestow upon them one day of holiday cheer.
This December ritual is disheartening to me. It hurts me because where I am throughout the year, people suffer every day. Their hunger is not seasonal.
All year long Frontline Foundation volunteers are on the streets, fighting traffic six days a week to deliver meals on skid row. I help my husband run the Van Nuys based foundation, a small, grassroots group, but I believe a powerful example of what a few determined people can do if they want to take action against hunger.
Throughout the year we make bread pickups at night, work earnestly in the kitchen preparing the meals we take downtown and solicit donations from as many people as we can inspire. We cut expenses, we save the nickels and pennies. We even recycle for extra cash. We have fund-raisers every month, with every invitation going out with a handwritten note from my husband, Ray Castellani, Frontline's founder. No one sees the endless hours of figuring expenses, bookkeeping and coordinating the program. This "serving humanity" thing is a life-consuming effort for everyone who comes in contact with it. It just grabs your heart and soul.
And then the holidays come around, and I start seeing the ads. I see TV news programs highlighting what missions are doing on holidays. I see celebrities massing downtown to serve on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. I see carloads of people caravanning downtown to receive the gifts that were solicited on behalf of the homeless, but which so often don't get to them.  Hear so many talk about what: their businesses are doing to help during the season. And I hear our phone ring, regularly, with people wanting to volunteer, but only on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
I never doubt the good intentions of everyone during this season. But I wish people would think of fundraisers for the homeless throughout the year. I wish people would want to volunteer in every month except November and December.
And I wish with all of my heart that some of the millions of dollars received from those elaborate and often misleading ad campaigns would go to small, grass-roots groups like Frontline that are doing powerful work. I wish people could have the opportunity, only granted by the media, to see what Frontline is about. I wish people would wonder why it costs some programs so much to serve food and why it costs others so little. I wish just one celebrity would throw his or her name and face behind Frontline and make it known that there are such groups that give honestly and freely, without asking anything in return and without manipulating people in the process.
These are my wishes. Is there a Santa who could grant them? I know there is a TV news program that could, a celebrity who could and millions of potential donors and volunteers who could. I know there is a corporation that, with a small donation by its standards, could fund our entire program for a year.
I hurt during these holidays. I wish they were over.
 
Noreen Castellani is a founding volunteer of Frontline Foundation.
Copyright, 1996. Reprinted with permission

When the Editor of Frontline Today asked me to write something about reaching 500,000 meals served,  I procrastinated a few weeks - trying to find prolific words with profound and deep meaning. Much to my dismay I could not come up with anything. I have not the wisdom nor the ability to put into words the magnitude and the overwhelming feeling I have inside my heart.
Most of us have seen the Rose Bowl filled to capacity on New Year’s Day. Take one moment and visualize it and multiply it by five. Five hundred thousand meals. These meals were served in an area known as Skid Row, downtown Los Angeles, on the streets - not protected by buildings or fences.
The learning process was not easy. And yet, the learning took place. Looking back over the years since 1987,  I see thousands of faces.  I see the hands that reach for our meals.  I see those dark streets at night with the fires.  I see the hopeless, the helpless.  I see the strong and the weak.  I see the wounds of the body.  I see the sickness.  I see the agony.  I see the dead.  I have seen mankind bleed.  I have seen mankind cry out for help. I have seen the despair of the human soul.  I have touched, held, and rocked many people that will never see the dawn of a new day. The learning process did take place. The ability for me to feel with such passion; to hear the cries with such clarity; to sense my fellow man with a purity that runs so deep; to see the cleanliness of the ragged clothed being; to know the true meaning of purity; to comprehend honesty to its fullest; to enter the world of unselfishness, free of any wants; and to know love.
I thank my God for allowing me to be his instrument. I thank my wife who stood by my side. I thank all the people who gave to this powerful display of God’s will.

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One item Frontline can never have enough of is canned chunk light tuna in water. Over 150 cans of tuna are used each week to prepare 450 tuna sandwiches. That is quite a bit of tuna for anyone to secure, so Frontline has called upon students in the Valley to gather the needed item.
Since our last newsletter which highlighted participation from Albany Academy, Valley Beth Shalom Day School, and Sherman Oaks Elementary School, others have joined the effort and some have even held another drive.
With the help of Sandra and Rene McCray, Noble Elementary School and Fairfield Elementary School have held ongoing tuna drives bringing in over 100 cans to date. In these schools, the drives are coordinated by the Student Council who want to take an active role in the community.
Vintage Math and Science Magnet in North Hills also held a tuna drive. Our special thanks to the fantastic faculty, Principal Gee, Coordinator Joanne Gregg, the very strong parent involvement group PASS and of course, all the students who brought in the tuna. Over 380 cans were collected in the 4 day drive.
And, in their second annual tuna drive, Sherman Oaks Elementary School collected a total of 1,240 cans of tuna. Yes, you read it right! One thousand twelve hundred and forty cans - when mixed with our other ingredients in our tuna salad, these cans translate into over 3,700 sandwiches for hungry people on Skid Row. Thank you Juliette Funt and Principal Krojansky for coordinating it!
Valley Beth Shalom Day School continues to be involved with Frontline on a consistent basis. Most recently they held a tuna drive, and then a peanut butter and jelly drive with the help of the Nursery School. Their steady and overwhelming support has helped Frontline continue its meal program, and we lovingly thank Georgette Ben Haim for helping to coordinate all the food drives. She has almost developed a sixth sense to know exactly what item we need and when we need it! And of course thanks to Orly Zvi, a teacher at the school who is also an ardent Frontline supporter and volunteer.
Roscomare Elementary School and Hart High School joined the effort with full hearts. Roscomare held a tuna drive collecting 600 cans which will mean 1,800 tuna sandwiches for our friends downtown. Special thanks to Gayle deGroot and Randy Friedman who coordinated the drive and Principal Guiseppe who approved the drive. Hart High School’s student body collected over 700 cans in a week-long food drive headed by Mandy Flayer. She coordinated the effort and surprised us with enough food for 2,800 people! On behalf of those downtown, thank you!

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On Saturday March 16 I was making sandwiches and on the wall was a congratulations banner and an LA Times article from the previous day, acknowledging that Frontline had surpassed their half millionth meal. I wasn’t shocked that this was accomplished, because it never once has crossed my mind that Frontline wouldn’t keep on all these years. What amazed me was how much has changed and grown over the years.
It's still very vivid in my mind the night six volunteers crept into the old kitchen Frontline used in a Sherman Oaks Church, after midnight on a Friday night to hang up banners acknowledging that the 100,000th sandwich would be served later that morning. During the serving we had a countdown of each person that received a sandwich until we came to a man named James who was Frontline’s milestone recipient.
On that day over 800 lunches were prepared and served compared to this recent Saturday when only 240 were made. But at the time the 100,000 was served, Saturday was one of only three days Frontline served food downtown. Now Skid Row is served six days a week.
The kitchen the volunteers prepare the meals in is an industrial kitchen that is active every day - a huge difference from the small church kitchen that volunteers had only limited  access to hours and days.
Most of the volunteers at that time came from word of mouth from people who knew or knew someone who knew Frontline’s founder Ray Castellani. Now new volunteers learn about the Van Nuys group from the radio, newspaper and word of mouth at an extraordinary level.
Then, media only came down when Castellani’s truck was stolen. Now, he and Frontline volunteers have been written up numerous times, including when Castellani went to Washington to receive an award from President Clinton, and the recent LA Times article written about the half a million meals served.
What I’ve seen that hasn’t changed since the 100,000th meal served to the half millionth, is while Frontline Foundation is special to those they serve, it’s very special for those that do the serving. To be able to have an outlet of helping others while making friends with them on a daily basis, and to get to know other volunteers from all walks of life is a gift. I know for myself that a major part of who I am comes from the years spent at Frontline.
While the structure and sources of volunteers changed at Frontline, the important elements of helping others, sharing love and compassion has never changed and that’s why every day meals are served and there are people to prepare and serve them. Onward to a million.

HOW ABOUT THESE IDEAS

•  Frontline supporters Robert Gary and Mary Bennett purchase 1 can of tuna a day for Frontline and deliver them each month to our Italian fundraiser - 365 cans of tuna a year!
  
•  Paul Armbruster and Penny Funt walk their neighborhood and collect cans and bottles to recycle. With the money from recycling they purchase their tickets for our Italian fundraiser brunch every other month.

 
Frank Sontag, talk show host on KLOS, continues to support Frontline by hosting a fundraiser dinner each month at Maria’s Italian Kitchen. Attended by his listeners and other Frontline supporters, all the promotion and the event itself continues to bring tremendous attention to Frontline’s program, bringing in new volunteers and donors each month.
Sontag also continues to interview Ray Castellani every three months on the radio, carrying on a tradition started some eight years ago, with many listeners sending Frontline financial donations, joining the Three Dollar Club, and even sending Frontline cans of tuna through the mail!
We thank you Frank and all of the listeners and supporters for the tremendous commitment to Frontline!

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You have all literally kept Frontline operating, from the beautiful general donors to all those involved in the Frontline-80, the Three Dollar Club, the shoppers of the General Store and the brunchers and dinners - it is all of you who can take pride in the fact that 517,000 meals have been served to the most desperate in our city. It certainly could not have been done without you. You are thanked, you are recognized,  You are all an inspiration.
 

Ray of Hope
Ex-Skid Row Resident's Foundation Dishes Up Its 500,000th Meal
Los Angeles Times - March 15, 1996 - By Efrain Hernandez, Jr.
Without fanfare, Ray Castellani's Frontline Foundation will deliver meal number 500,000 today to the homeless of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.
The milestone represents the power of human caring and volunteerism, Castellani said Wednesday. "It's not just the food," said the 63-year-old former Skid Row resident, whose nonprofit food kitchen is based in Van Nuys, "It's the understanding, the compassion."
Known by most of those he helps simply as Ray, Castellani seemed energized after an hour of passing out more than 150 free bag lunches ins some of the city's roughest, most drug-inested areas.
At one stop on Seaton Street, near East 5th and Palmetto streets, several homeless men hustled toward the foundation's white pickup truck. Each man grabbed a brown paper bag containing a tuna fish sandwich and a snack.
"We love this guy," said a 58-year-old local resident known as Mississippi Slim. "There's nobody better."
The combination of providing meals, spending a few minutes with some of those he calls brothers and sisters, and reflecting on the efforts of the many volunteers who help the kitchen filled Castellani with joy.
"I'm humbled," he said, struggling to find the right words. "Five hundred thousand meals is a lot of meals. I've done what I'm supposed to do.
The kitchen, which Castellani started in December 1987, has come a long way since he nearly closed it during the summer of 1993 because donations were drying up.
Last year, President Clinton honored Castellani with the President's Service Award, which is considered the nation's highest award for volunteers. Today the foundation, which operates six days a week solely through private donations and volunteerism, is healthier than ever. Castellani said an upsurge in donations and volunteers has enabled the charity to provide more than 60,000 meals a year at an annual cost of about $40,000, he said.
More could be done, Castellani said. Ideally, the foundation would hire one or two staff members and double its production to about 120,000 meals each year, he said.
While the vision is Castellani's, its fulfillment may be beyond his power. He said he may soon end his active role with the foundation. Heart troubles and fatigue may prevent him from continuing his 60 to 70-hour workweeks too much longer, Castellani said.
"It's really a lot for me right now," he said. "I can feel the strength draining from me."
But Noreen Castellani, 27, who married Ray 31/2 years ago, said his energy is the driving force behind the foundation's success. It is contagious and attracts volunteers, she said. Volunteers Richard Gayler, 34, of Hollywood, and Laila Bowden, 27, of Santa Monica, agreed. "He's just a guy who's so pure," Gayler, said. "He has good morals and it's really hard to find somebody like that. The people just love him."
On the streets, Castellani is accepted as someone who tries to help without~~being judgmental, preachy or petty. "What makes him the greatest is he'll come out here rain, shine, whatever," said Mississippi Slim. "I've never seen him show any partiality or racism."
Frank Bridges, who lives under a bridge along 6th Street near Santa Fe Avenue, hugged Castellani tightly before taking a meal. "He gives us an opportunity to feel like we have a home," said Bridges, 34. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Somebody cares."
For Darnetta Thomas, 36, who lives in a tent on 5th Street, Castellani is different from others who help because he treats people as individuals rather than stereotypes. "Ray's a real person," she said. "There's nothing plastic about him."
Castellani said his intention has always been to offer warmth to those struggling in the devastation that is Skid Row. "My only goal is to help humanity in some little way," he said.
Copyright, 1996. Reprinted with permission
 

A Long Walk From Skid Row to the White House
Honors: Tarzana man who once lived on the streets receives President's Service Award for feeding the homeless.
Los Angeles Times - April 28, 1995, - By Marc Lacey
 
WASHINGTON—The rules at the White House are straightforward: Homeless people must stay in the park across the street. Only invited dignitaries can enter the iron gates to the White House grounds.
On Thursday, Ray Castellani of Tarzana turned all that upside-down.
A homeless advocate who once lived on the streets, Castellani was honored at a Rose Garden ceremony with a President's Service Award, considered the nation's highest volunteer award. He shook hands with President Clinton and was heralded for founding an organization that has served 450,000 meals on Los Angeles' Skid Row.
"This may be the greatest moment of my life," said Castellani, his voice full of emotion and his eyes full of tears. "It's just a humbling experience."
Dressed in a dark, pin-striped suit, standing in a place usually taken by heads of state, Castellani could not help but think back to less glorious moments— when he drifted from city to city, living on the streets and looking forward to nothing except his next drink.
"It's a long walk from Skid Row to the White House," he said.
It was only when his life hit rock bottom that Castellani turned himself around. The former actor gave up alcohol and, in 1987, began helping those still on the streets. His San Fernando Valley-based Frontline Foundation has grown from a one-man operation that doled out peanut butter sandwiches to a 150-member volunteer campaign to feed the hungry.
"I am not out to change them or to save them," Castellani said. "I just want to give them something to eat."
The foundation funded by donations—has teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. A few years back, Castellani was ready to hang it all up. But the group, operating on a shoestring budget, has managed to survive.
For his efforts, Castellani doesn't get a dime. That would take away from the food money, he said.
Castellani was one of 18 honorees. Clinton called them "ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things . . . teachers and homemakers, carpenters and business leaders, people from small neighborhood organizations and large corporations."
There was a Nebraska man who helps women in abusive relationships move into a safe place. A Florida woman whose health clinic treats 680 migrant workers a month. A teacher who promotes nonviolence in North Carolina schools.
And then the loudspeaker boomed Ray Castellani's name, he strode onto the stage and pumped the President's hand, looking a bit awkward to be in such a place. All the while, he said, he was thinking about those just like him who could never get past White House security.
"This is not just on behalf of me," he said. "It's for all the volunteers and all the people of Skid Row. A piece of them was at the White House today. That's what I am, a piece of them, a piece of the people on the street."
As he stood on the inside, with tourists actually gawking through the gates at him, Castellani gazed across the street toward Lafayette Park, where homeless people sleep on benches, their possessions at their sides.
"They must see me walking around in this suit and wonder, 'Who is this guy?' " Castellani said, his wrinkled face wrinkled even more.
"They don't know that I'm one of them. They don't know that when I see my brother or my sister lying in the street, or hurting in the street, a part of me hurts."
Copyright, 1996. Reprinted with permission