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Saturday, October 26, 2019

Emergency

As Blackout Looms, Arcata Nonprofit Preps Free Meal Services, Seeks Volunteers and Donations

Posted By Thadeus Greenson @ThadeusGreenson on Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 3:54 PM

With PG&E’s public safety blackout looming, Arcata House Partnership is again planning to provide a free meal services during the shutoff and is asking for volunteers and donations to aid the effort.

While estimates as to when the shutoff will start continue to fluctuate — PG&E has offered differing estimates throughout the day with the latest coming at 2:41 p.m. and advising the power will go down at 8 p.m. (local officials, meanwhile, warn residents should be prepared to lose power at any time — Arcata House is readying to kick into gear tomorrow.

click to enlarge

The barren shelves at Eureka's WalMart on the eve of the last blackout. - SUBMITTED

Submitted
The barren shelves at Eureka's WalMart on the eve of the last blackout.

See the press release copied below for details but the nonprofit is looking for volunteers, as well as donations of food and ice, and plans to provide free meals from noon to 6 p.m. at the Arcata Annex (501 Ninth St.) and the Arcata Community Center (312 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway). It will also deliver meals to various locations in town throughout the day.

For more information on how to receive food assistance or on how to help support the effort, see the release copied below.

ALERT: Emergency Food Services Available in Arcata During the Power Outage. Volunteers and Donations of Food and Ice Welcome.

In cooperation with the City of Arcata, Arcata House Partnership will be providing free food services throughout Arcata for the duration of the power outage to anyone in need. Beginning Sunday, October 27th, freshly prepared meals will be available daily from noon to 6pm at the Annex (501Ninth Street, Arcata) and at the Arcata Community Center (312 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pkway, Arcata). Anyone is welcome to walk up to either of these locations for food assistance. In addition, the Arcata Community Center will have power and will make charging stations available for cell phones and medical devices from 10am to 6pm until power is restored. Priority will be given to those with medical needs. AHP and the city’s police department will deliver meals to community members who are unable to transport themselves to either of these locations. For more information or to request food assistance, please call (707) 298-7610.

Throughout the outage, AHP staff and volunteers will also deliver food to the community from their vans and their LUNCH BOX truck, which will be stopping at the following locations:
North Arcata: Valley West & Valley East:
Ray's Parking Lot
Lazy J Mobile Estates
Westwood:
Trinity Baptist Church Parking Lot (opposite Westwood Murphy's on Alliance Blvd)
Downtown Arcata
The Annex & Transit Center (501 Ninth Street)
Plaza Point Apartments
Arcata Safeway Parking Lot
South Arcata & Sunny Brae
Arcata Community Center
Bayview Senior Apartments
Parkway Apartments
Meadowbrook / Brookside Apartments
If you see the Lunch Box truck and need food, just flag down the driver.
For those interested in volunteering on Sunday or Monday between 10am and 6pm, please call (707) 298-7610 or come by the Annex at 501 Ninth Street. We would gratefully welcome any additional food support and donations of ice from our local retailers and community members.

We would like to thank all of our volunteers and our partners who have generously contributed to emergency assistance during the power outages so far: City of Arcata, Arcata Police Department, Food for People, Bien Padre, Eureka Natural Foods (McKinleyville), Grocery Outlet (McKinleyville), Starbuck's (Mckinleyville), Safeway (Arcata), McDonald's (Valley West, Arcata), Pacific Seafood (Eureka), Target (Eureka), AAA (Eureka), and HSU and College of the Redwoods Social Work Departments.