Fighting hunger one backpack at a time

By Trudy Balcom

Bona Dean Feller was dismayed to discover that there are hungry children right here in the MFL MarMac
School District.

“We knew there was a need for coats and boots, but not for food,” she said.

Working with Elementary Principal Kathy Koether and Mary Kleve, Feller has spearheaded an initiative to
put together snack sacks for needy children to take home on weekends.

Feller, a Marquette resident and a retired teacher didn’t know there was a need here at home.

While visiting her daughter in Fort Worth, Texas, last summer, she attended United Methodist Celebrate Women Day
in which women gave presentation about community and missionary projects they were working on. One presentation
was about an effort to get food to children who weren’t getting enough to eat on weekends. The program was called
snack sack.

Feller was intrigued, so she got some more information about the snack sack program
there and how it was operated. She wasn’t surprised that there might be a need in a bigger metropolitan area such as
Fort Worth. But here in Clayton County?

When she returned home she contacted the elementary guidance counselor Mary Kleve and Principal Koether. They
confirmed that there were students who needed help. In fact, they could immediately identify 12 students that could
benefit from such a program.

“I thought it was a wonderful idea,” said Kleve, who noted that the school had been considering how they might start
such a program “It was very good timing,” she added.

Next, Feller approached the United Methodist Women’s group at her church, First Methodist in
McGregor. The women supported the idea, and felt that they should bring it before the general membership for
support.

They asked members at each of the three parish churches in McGregor, Giard and Monona to sponsor
one child for the school year for $175. By the first week in September, they had sponsors for the 12 children.

Currently the program serves 16 children in grades K-3, and eight children are on a waiting list.

“I think it’s going to get worse and worse,” said Feller who anticipates that the need for the program will grow.

The food is purchased at local groceries, and some items, such as breakfast cereal, is purchased at a
discount from the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

“We try to get it as reasonable as we can,” Feller said. The list of items included in the sack was duplicated from the program in Texas and includes such things as single-serving fruit cups and juice boxes to single serving microwave macaroni and
cheese. Kleve said that the students like the items in the sacks, and look forward to getting them.

The MFL MarMac snack sack project is not the only one in the area. The South Winn and Turkey
Valley schools have similar programs that also include some students attending parochial schools.

Kleve said that while the program is getting established this year, it could possibly be expanded to
students in higher grades, if enough donors come forward.

Feller seems pleased to have  found a place where she can make a difference.

“Whatever you can do, do it,” she said.

How It Works

•Needy children take home a sack of snack items in their backpacks on Fridays when they go home.
It is not enough for family meals; it is simply meant to supplement food eaten at home.

•Children who receive the sacks remain anonymous and are identified and selected by school officials in
conjunction with their families. Each child in a family who is eligible can get a snack sack.

•Anyone can donate any amount to the program. Donors do not have to provide the full $175 scholarship
needed for each child.

Donations may be sent to Living Faith United Methodist Parish C/O Katherine Starkey, P.O. Box 83,
Marquette, IA 52158.

State budget cuts affect county courts

By Pat McTaggert

Recent announcements concerning cuts in the Iowa Judicial system will have a direct effect on the Clerk
of Court Office at the Clayton County Court House. Statewide, 105 people will be laid off and 100 vacant
positions will be cut. Another 58 workers will have their hours cut. There is also a hiring freeze in effect,
meaning that retirees will not be replaced when they leave their positions.

There are four people currently working in the Elkader office.  One worker, who is now working almost four
days a week, will have her hours cut to about two days a week. Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice
Marsha Ternus also ordered that all judicial officers and court staff will take unpaid leave and that all court
offices will close on the following days:

2009

• Friday, December 4
• Thursday, December 24
• Thursday, December 31
• Friday, January 15

2010

• Monday, February 15
• Friday, March 12
• Friday, March 28
• Friday, April 2
• Friday, May 28
• Friday, June 18

The mandatory unpaid leave is expected to reduce judicial branch operating expenses by $4.1 million.
Chief judges of the judicial districts may assign judges and magistrates to be available during
closure days to cover emergency matters.

From now on, there must be two people in the Clerk’s Office at all times. If two people are not available,
the office will be closed until the required number of people are present. Clerk of Court Susan Johnson
also said that the Elkader office might close to the public from 2:30 p.m. - 4:30  p.m.on Tuesday and
Thursday afternoons so that personnel can catch up on work, but nothing about that possibility has been made
official.

Rubashkin convicted
on 86 counts of financial fraud

It took only two days for a jury of five men and seven women to find Sholom Rubashkin guilty on charges
that included bank fraud, money laundering, wire and mail fraud and failure to pay for cattle in a timely manner.

The maximum sentence for the convictions is 1,280 years in prison (Des Moines Register, Nov,11, Nov. 9).

The conviction followed a month-long trial in which the defense tried to portray Rubashkin,
former manager of Agriprocessors, Inc. kosher meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa, as an inept, careless
manager, but not a criminal.

Federal prosecutors persistently argued that while Rubashkin may have been inept, he repeatedly
directed employees to falsify documents and knowingly hired illegal aliens.

Testimony pointed to a business in chaos with Rubashkin trying to keep it afloat with measures that
included illegal activities that were intended to deceive lender FirstBank Business Capital of St. Louis, Mo.

Agriprocessors defaulted on a $30 million revolving loan account with the bank after a May, 2008 federal
raid resulted in the arrest of 389 workers at te plant on immigration violations.

Rubashkin’s defense attorney, Guy Cook, said that his client never actually read the loan document he
signed with First Bank, and that his employees falsified sales invoices without his knowledge.

Prosecutors called this claim ridiculous.

After the verdict was read, the defense said they would appeal.

Rubashkin remains in federal custody. A hearing in Cedar Rapids this week will determine if he will be
release prior to his trial on 72 immigration charges, which is scheduled to begin in early December.