Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Fountain of Hope helps with Katrina

Efforts continue from the Fountain of Hope Food Bank in Gurdon, not only to serve the needs of the local people, but also to extend the services to hurricane victims in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

A 26,000-pound, 18-foot bobtail truck, arrived at 6:45 a.m. on Friday, full of drinks, diapers, baby formula, clothes and more from California.

A 16-foot bobtail truck was scheduled to arrive the same time but got delayed a couple of days when a clutch went out in Texas.

The two smaller trucks have been donated to Fountain of Hope Food Bank at Gurdon from the Four Square Church in Los Angeles, Calif.

Matthew Lynch, volunteer, said Friday morning, "We are signing up registration with FEMA so we have a better idea where to take this food.

"In addition to the two smaller loads coming through on what are now our trucks, the food bank here is expecting two 53-foot trucks, full of all sorts of food, over the weekend."

Lynch said the food is not only available to the people of Gurdon, but also will be served in the area to those in need at: Pine Bluff, Camden, Emerson and Bismarck.

"We share food with the Arkadelphia Food Bank too, if they need it," Lynch said.

And an abundance of food will be taken from the two huge loads and shipped to the most in need hurricane victims that FEMA can find in Mississippi, Louisiana or Texas.

In addition to the trucks, Darrel Potratz, manager of the local food bank, has expanded his facility to include space in all of the old Food Center, across from the Methodist Church on North Second Street, and to several warehouses in town.

He extends a warm thanks of appreciation to his landlord, Austin Capps, of Gurdon, for allowing the expansion, and to others in the community willing to help with even more warehouse space.

Lynch said, "As of now, the Four Square Church and Fountain of Hope have financed all of this.

"We may get funding from FEMA and may not. We are registering mainly to find out where the most need exists."