Around and About: Volunteers deliver Easter meals

For hundreds of seniors in the Barstow area, their Easter dinner was the work of a large group of volunteers early Saturday morning at the Barstow Senior Center.

Ella Sielski was the force behind this effort. Her son, Mark, and friend, Gloria Webster, did more of the directing and promotion by speaking at the Chamber breakfast and putting flyers everywhere for volunteers, which resulted in a crowd arriving at the Barstow Senior Center last Saturday morning to package meals and delivering them.

The Senior Center's head chef, Maurice "Mo" Lessard had been at it since early morning helping with the food that had been prepared by people in the community. As always, Jeff Eason Sr. had been there since 6:30 a.m. We are so fortunate to have the facilities at the Senior Center and those wonderful people there for projects like this.

Things really got under way at 8:00 and much assembling had been done by 8:30 when I got there. After all, we had been told to be there at 9:00, so I thought I was early. Even Mayor Dale arrived to assemble. Assembling means putting what ever you are working with in plastic foam boxes. Of course we were issued rubber gloves to handle the food. Others put the boxes in plastic bags. Then the people who delivered received their assignments from Gloria Webster.

The packages delivered included personal items like soap and toothbrushes. Other things included were candy, cupcakes, water, juice and a letter with Holiday Meals logo on it that mentioned all the businesses and individuals that had contributed. It was a long list that attests to the goodness of Barstow people.

It seemed like everyone in town was there working. Bea Lint and Stephanie Brand were back in the kitchen cutting up ham. Amber and Autumn Woods cooked, worked on donations and delivered meals. Barbara Fogle was everywhere taking pictures. Jackie and Don Pierce, Buffy Walton and her mother, Jayne Barnard, Sharon Price, Aaron Aupperlee, Kelly McMunigal, Jamie Emerson, Joyce Wiltson, Marcia Bond, Timmy and Carly Bond were among those assembling and other things.

More were Mary Lou Barlow, Kathleen Emmons, Agnes Bialkowski, Kathi Brant, Samantha Pitts, Victoria Hunter, Stacey Connelly, Dr. Claire Ellis and Phil Harris. Gloria Cook also was one of those delivering. To those I've left out, I apologize but it's impossible to remember everybody.
Everyone had fun working and the place was cleaned up by a little after 10 a.m.

At the end Ella Sielski said she's now going to get ready for Thanksgiving Holiday Meals. I'm sure we'll all be there with her as will Jeff Eason and Phyllis Clemmer.

ABOUT THE WRITER
Bette "Bee Jay" Moses is a special events correspondent to the Desert Dispatch. She can be reached at (760) 987-6915 or bette.moses@gmail.com.