|
Presidential Letters
THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON August 28, 1992 Dear Mr. Castellani: Word has reached me of your outstanding record of community service. I congratulate you on your achievements. Many of America's most pressing social problems can best be solved through a renewal of the values on which our Nation was founded: duty, acceptance of personal responsibility, commitment, and a respect for every individual that expresses itself in direct or consequential action in behalf of others. Efforts such as yours are evidence that these values remain firmly embedded in the American character. I commend you for making a difference in the life of your community. Barbara joins me in wishing you every success as you continue to set a fine example for your friends and neighbors. May God bless you. Sincerely, George Bush THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON June 24, 1994 Mr. Ray Castellani Tarzana, California Dear Ray, I wish to commend you for the service and time you have devoted to the people of Los Angeles. Our country's greatest strength is the community spirit of its people. Throughout our history, Americans have been eager to serve the common good. Your involvement and dedication to caring for others are vital in sustaining this enduring legacy. By taking more responsibility for ourselves, our families, our communities, we can ensure a brighter tomorrow for generations to come. I commend you for your deep concern about our future and for your exemplary commitment to improving our world. Sincerely, Bill Clinton
0 Comments
Heartfelt Thanks to Our Out of State Supporters!
Frontline does not just reach those in Los Angeles, let alone those on the West Coast. The people listed below are unsung heroes. They contribute to the idea of helping humanity, no matter where they are in need. Thank you to everyone here and there who help us help the hungry of Skid Row. James Long, Alabama Kevin D. Grenon, Arizona Scott M. Bluemel, Arizona Douglas L. White, Arizona Pamela Van Dyke, Arizona Nicole Archer, Conneticut Colin James Mayo, Conneticut Peter and Barbara Zory, Florida James and Oskana Fish, Florida Coretta L. Alexander, Georgia Col Richard E.Hoyt & Mary Ann Hoyt, Georgia John A. Maxwell, Illinois Patricia Poage, Iowa Joseph Castellani, Massachusetts Bob and Joellen Ferm, Massachusetts Martin McNulty Jr., Massachusetts Debbie Crisswell, Missouri AMC World Headquarters, Missouri Raymond J.and Dana M. Castellani, Montana Dennis & Mary Eckdahl, Nebraska Kathleen Ansaldi, New Jersey John T. Andrews Jr., New Jersey Linda Hlavacek, New Jersey Margaret Mary McSweeney, New York John Silver, New York Richard A. Auclair, New York George & Barbara Arakelian II, New York Dr. Alan and Carol Meyer, New York Prentiss and Frieda Carnell, New York William Picotte, New York Duncan and Karen MacAffer, New York Daniel P. Hanifin, New York Anne M. Mulderry, New York Mrs. Bida's Homeroom - Form II, New York Lawrence T.and Jane C. Piatelli, New York Charlotte and Guido Bida, New York Irwin J. Smith III, New York Carol R. Rees, New York William W. Rees, New York Joanne Marie Krzewina, North Carolina Dana Lee Schwartz, Ohio Cathy Adams, Ohio Edwin & Bette Harrington, Ohio Troy C. Gaudino, Pennsylvania Heath Twichell, Rhode Island Mary Alice Davis, Tennessee Robbie & Brenda L. McGuire, Tennessee Danny Mustard, Tennessee Cheryl K. Anderson, Texas Sara R. Stevenson, Texas Pat and Wilma Crowe, Texas Kimm Antell, Texas Richard and Rachel Beamish, Vermont Richard C. Mock, Washington D.C. Joel B. Winograd, Wisconsin OTHER COUNTRIES Ed Phelps, Costa Rica Joe Gold, Switzerland Tina Spengler and Philipp Wasserburgstr, West Germany  Truck Theft Stalls Food Giveaway
Driver Has No Way to Deliver Meals to Skid Row Homeless Los Angeles Times - February 16, 1990 by Aaron Curtiss During the past two years, a white pickup truck had become a fixture of sorts on the ever-changing, hopeless streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. Three times each week he parked the truck at the corner of 5th and San Pedro streets and used the pickup's tailgate as a makeshift sandwich bar from which he fed hundreds of the homeless men and women who call him "Papa." But no more. The 1979 Ford F-100 from which he served more than 118,000 meals was stolen Wednesday from the 4000 block of Hazeltine Avenue in Sherman Oaks. The truck is not insured against theft and Castellani, who does not work, said he cannot afford another one. "It was as if the plug had been pulled," Castellani said Thursday of the loss of his truck, one of 60,000 vehicles stolen each year in the city of Los Angeles. "You can open up the tailgate and feel the vibes in that truck. That truck, it was the hope. And when you take the hope from a human being, what do you have to spare?" Castellani, 56, has little enough to spare. He house-sits for friends and at times has slept in the pickup, which he kept in immaculate condition. He said he never knew from one day to the next whether he would have enough donated food to serve the "smelly, pukey, dirty, beautiful boys" that depended on him to bring them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tuna fish and hot dogs. But somehow the Frontline Foundation he formed in 1987 to carry out his mission survived on a shoestring budget and the food kept coming in. A rotating staff of volunteers has helped assemble the meals in the basement kitchen of the United Methodist Church in Sherman Oaks. The cupboards there are crammed with cans of soup and fruit cocktail donated by individuals and San Fernando businesses. Castellani served 111 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on his first trip to Skid Row. He now uses nearly 150 loaves of bread to serve 1,000 such sandwiches, the Saturday special, on an average weekend trip. Los Angeles police said Thursday that they had no leads in tracking down the truck. On Wednesday Night volunteers drove their own cars to Skid row to deliver meals. But how the meals will get there in the future is uncertain. Regardless, his determination to continue feeding the homeless on Skid Row in unflagging. "That food will be there," he said. "Those people will not be let down. Not by me . . If I have to carry the food, it will be there." |
Another Send Love (TM) website