NOAH Searching for New Location, School District Needs the Current Space

Local food pantry Neighbors Organized Against Hunger, or NOAH as it's known here, has to move again. Carl Leivo, who helps run the organization, announced yesterday that the nonprofit is seeking ideas for a new location starting in July.

According to Anne Barron, chief business official for Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified, the school district is expanding its Alternative Education program, and needs the classrooms for next school year.

"We plan to hold self-contained classes for 7th and 8th grades in those rooms," Barron said. "These classes will be for students who need additional support to thrive — they have a difficult time succeeding in a large middle school environment."

Barron said shifting students to the former Mountain Shadows Middle School, which shuttered in 2010 because of mass budget cuts, will free up space at Lawrence E. Jones Middle School for a planned 6th grade expansion — part of a .

NOAH has seen a procession of moves over the last few years. A rat infestation in 2010 rendered the former () Southwest Fire Station where the nonprofit was handing out food from, uninhabitable. At that time, volunteers were handing out food to an average of 2,500 people a month.

Now, on average, NOAH feeds between 400 and 500 families here, or roughly 1,000 people a week, said Board President Gail Cafferata. Residents of Rohnert Park, Cotati or Penngrove in need of a little help are offered a variety of produce and other goods, which every week, line the sterile metal shelves inside an old science lab at Mountain Shadows.

NOAH fundraises to purchase foodstuffs, from apples to potatoes and citrus, to canned goods such as tuna and tomato sauce. They're also donated by the community and often by the Santa Rosa-based Redwood Empire Food Bank.

NOAH rents the facility from Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified for $100 a month, organizers said last year. Patch is confirming what the nonprofit currently pays, and will update you when we hear back.

“In behalf of those in need in our community, NOAH gratefully appreciates the crucial help that the School District offered when NOAH had to find a location," Cafferata said. "The District [school] board, administrators and staff provided aid when NOAH required it most."

"It will be a challenge to find a new food pantry site," she added. "But I have faith that the community working with NOAH volunteers will find a suitable site in short order."

Note from organizers: NOAH will continue operations at the Middle School site through June. The Executive Committee is searching for a new site to move food pantry operations. Those that wish to assist NOAH should contact Carl Leivo at cleivo@sbcglobal.net or 707-293-8290. Donations can be mailed to P. O. Box 2955, Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928.

Pick up food at NOAH's current location Mountain Shadows Education Center, located at 7165 Burton Ave. The food pantry hands out food Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. To make a donation stop by during these hours or call 707-795-7853.

NOAH's leadership board is comprised of volunteers from the wider community and community organizations including , ,, , the Rotary Club of Rancho-Cotati and the .  

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