<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">THE ORGANIZATION WILL BE AT THE CASPAR FESTIVAL TOMORROW, SAT TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE PROGRAM. Admission to the festival is free with donations accepted. There will be music. Lots of good food (for a fee) along with craft and nonprofit booths.<div><br></div><div>Carlie<br><div><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On Jul 18, 2025, at 7:15 AM, Eric Stromberger via Thespiritexpress <thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Hello folks… in these times of radical change, here is a good opportunity to put energy into one of our ways forward - develop community resources.<br><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div><br></div><div><div><blockquote type="cite"><font>On Jun 5, 2025, at 5:40 PM, Victoria Joy <<a href="mailto:victoryjoy@hotmail.com">victoryjoy@hotmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><br>Update: A commercial kitchen has become available this summer. We will be putting up dates for canning workshops soon. Contact Marty. The Food Bank is the hub for donations of jars and we still need them. Look for YESWECAN! On Flag June 14, in Fort Bragg.<br><br>YES WE CAN! — A Community Effort to Preserve Local Food and Nourish Our Neighbors<br>Now more than ever, it's time for all of us to come together in support of local food security and community resilience.<br>Our local Food Bank has recently been denied access to essential federally provided food—resources our community has long relied on. In response, I began discussing an idea close to my heart: YES WE CAN! A community-driven program to preserve donated or locally grown food by canning it—ensuring safe, shelf-stable nourishment for our neighbors.<br>As someone who has taught canning and deeply believes in the power of food to unite and sustain us, I invite you to join this effort. Many of us are searching for meaningful ways to give back right now. This is one small, powerful way to make a difference.<br>Here's how you can help:<br><br>Donate Quart-Size Jars<br>Canning allows us to preserve food without the need for refrigeration or freezer space. Our first need is quart jars—perfect for soups that can feed at least three people per jar.<br>You can bring jars to the Fort Bragg Food Bank, or contact me directly. Thanks to a generous donation of 2,000 lids, we are ready to can at least 2,000 jars of food—for free.<br><br>Volunteer to Can Food<br>If you're interested in learning or helping with canning, we’d love your hands and hearts. I’m happy to teach anyone the process. We also need:<br><br> *<br>Outdoor propane stoves<br> *<br>Canners (water bath or pressure)<br> *<br>Volunteers to help prepare and process the food<br><br>The Food Bank has a great system: jars will be distributed and returned for reuse, helping us stretch our resources even further.<br>Contribute Ingredients or Funds<br>Once we’re up and running, and have access to a commercial kitchen, I’ll provide recipes and ingredient lists—so you can donate things like 20 pounds of potatoes, 10 pounds of onions, celery, or carrots to help us create hearty, nourishing soups.<br>You can also support this effort by:<br><br> *<br>Donating to the Fort Bragg Food Bank (please note “YES WE CAN!” on your donation)<br> *<br>Volunteering at the Food Bank, where help is always needed<br> *<br>Spreading the word to others who want to help<br><br>This is what community looks like.<br>I want to give a heartfelt thank you to Harvest Market and Roundman’s Smokehouse for donating bones for stock—true acts of local generosity. Together, we are creating something meaningful, nourishing, and sustainable.<br>Let’s preserve more than food—let’s preserve community, dignity, and hope.<br>With gratitude,<br><br>Marty Johnson<br>YES WE CAN! Project Coordinator<br>Contact at <a href="mailto:YESWECAN@MCN.ORG">YESWECAN@MCN.ORG</a><<a href="mailto:YESWECAN@MCN.ORG">mailto:YESWECAN@MCN.ORG</a>><br>Please let Marty know what you are interested in helping move forward. Everyone is welcome no matter your skill level. Look for updates on where and when canning will occur.<br><br><br><br>Looking forward to what we do together,<br>Victoria Joy<br></font><br></blockquote></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>_______________________________________________<br>Thespiritexpress mailing list<br>Thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org<br>https://lists.mcn.org/mailman/listinfo/thespiritexpress<br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>