Spindrift June 4, 2020

OPENING
Our latest ZOOM Meeting on May 28 was well attended, with 21 members in attendance, including Bechtel, Dufour, Fox, Kinton, Kruse, Lesley, Lashmett, Mitchell, Naughton, Nininger, Pauley, Robins, Romeo, Schapiro, Shlemon, Stewart, Summers, Swinney, Von Herzen, Wood, and Yeargain. Three special guests were in attendance from Someone Cares Soup Kitchen: Teri Hatleberg, President; Shannon Santos, Exec Director; & Dan Hamilton, Secretary/Treasurer.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Pres. Ken started off with a prayer that we be kept healthy and safe from the coronavirus; and Bill Bechtel followed with the flag salute….George Lesley reported that Bob Washer is feeling okay …Norm Von Herzen has had very recent contact with Wally Ziglar, and he is also been doing quite well….Please register for the upcoming online CA/NV Exchange Meeting on Saturday, June 27. There is no fee for attendance, and our very own Shirley Lashmett will be installed as President, so we need as many members as we can to sign up. Please fill out the form attached to this email or call President Ken.

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NEWS AND VIEWS
Richard Swinney commented that our abbreviated Field of Honor was staged at Castaways Park between Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day, and a number of people who viewed the 30-flag and banner presentation were both impressed and saddened that we couldn’t present the whole thing this year…Kudos to Ken, Richard, Jerry, Ross, Leo, and his son, Ron who participated in both the erection and takedown of the display…Photos of the Field of Honor flags made it to the front page of the Register on Memorial Day, but, unfortunately, the Exchange Club wasn’t mentioned in the accompanying article…However, an article regarding cancellation of the Field of Honor was published in the May 15 issue of the Daily Pilot which identified the Exchange Club, our plea for contributions, and our website address.

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PROGRAM
President-Elect George Lesley introduced the speakers from Someone Cares Soup Kitchen (SCSK) in Costa Mesa, to which our Club has recently donated. The first speaker was Teri Hatleberg, whose mother, Merle, founded the organization 33 years ago. Both her mom and dad were in the Air Force, and her dad was injured during WWII, spending 5 years in recovery at Walter Reed Hospital. Early on, Merle worked in the food industry, during which she developed a passion for feeding those in need. For an 11-year period, Merle saved over $100,000 via personal savings and private donations, culminating in the opening of the Soup Kitchen on 19th Street in Costa Mesa in 1986. Dan Hamilton, son of Bill Hamilton (who was instrumental in obtaining and developing the building where SCSK is located), commented that SCSK receives no funding from any governmental agency. Shannon Santos, the daughter of Teri, added that SCSK obtains support from the community, especially from restaurants and grocery stores, such as Trader Joe’s, Irvine Ranch Market, and Smart & Final.

They serve the homeless and needy but only turn away those who are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. SCSK serves about 300 meals daily, and with the current pandemic, they have had to adapt to reducing their volunteer staff, only serving 23 at a time. With costs rising including the need for masks and other personal protective equipment, the Club’s $5,000 donation to SCSK was a Godsend. Up to now, the Health Department has permitted only “to go” services. Nevertheless, hot meals have been served to take home, which includes protein, soup, vegetables, bread, and dessert. Take out services are offered Monday thru Friday, 12:30 noon-3 p.m., and breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am-11 am. Visitors are welcome, and the best time to see them is before they begin serving food, i.e. before 12:30.

In addition, SCSK also provides an after-school tutoring program for about 45 elementary school students, K through 3rd grade which is taught by professional tutors, with classes at 3, 4, and 5 pm. Children are served either a meal or a healthy snack prior to being tutored, and a take-home snack for the evening. For more information about the programs offered by Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, please visit their website at someonecareskitchen.org. 720 W. 19th Street, Costa Mesa, CA, (949) 548-8861.

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EDITOR’S NOTES
A Personal Experience with COVID-19 Testing:
About 2 weeks ago, I spiked a low-grade fever, with some minor intestinal symptoms, which lasted about 24 hours, and then things returned to normal. As this happened on a weekend, I contacted the emergency line at Hoag, who assessed my symptoms and advised that I call my internist on Monday morning, which I did. After another assessment over the phone, he advised that I come in for COVID-19 testing at his office that afternoon, which I did. When I walked into the building, I was escorted to a dedicated elevator by one of the nursing staff. My physician met me in one of the examining rooms in full regalia and directed me to lower my mask so that my nasal passages were exposed, but not my mouth. He inserted the nasal swab well into the upper nasal sinus to get the sample, a mildly uncomfortable but not a painful experience. Three days later, I was informed that the results of my test were negative. What did I learn? …A negative result indicates the absence of the virus at the point in time that the sampling occurs but if you test positive, you have been exposed!.….. If you are tested for Covid-19 because you have symptoms, you should assume that you are COVID-positive until you get the results. Therefore, if you have had exposure to others 7-14 days before your testing, you should contact them and give them a heads up…. If you test positive, the information is relayed to the Health Department, and all of your contacts will be tracked….The medical community is definitely taking this seriously: do not rely on “authoritative sources” other than the physicians who are dealing directly with this pandemic….social distancing and masks work, and us geezers will need to continue to practice these as well as avoidance as restrictions become more relaxed.

Be smart, be safe, and stay healthy!

- Dave