THOUSAND OAKS : Firefighters Deliver 5 1/2 Tons of Food for Needy in Community

The Ventura County Fire Department was on a mission Wednesday afternoon, and it didn’t involve putting out fires.

Riding a pickup truck, tractor-trailer truck and fire engine, a dozen firefighters delivered 5 1/2 tons of food to Manna, a Thousand Oaks-based emergency food bank that serves the Conejo Valley.

The food was donated by firefighters, their families and other community members. The Fire Department and Ventura County Professional Firefighters Assn. organized the collection and delivery.

In a year when Manna officials say donations are down, the gift comes as a relief.

“This is absolutely marvelous,” said Pauline Saterbo, Manna’s administrator.

Manna was formed 24 years ago and serves more than 3,500 people each month, Saterbo said. The organization is supported by several community groups, including churches, temples and schools. It was organized to provide food for members of the community during temporary emergencies.

“We give three weeks worth of groceries on the first visit,” Saterbo said. On subsequent visits, Manna refers clients to other service organizations.

Aside from food, Saterbo said her organization gives out personal hygiene items. “All the things we take for granted are the things we need the most,” she said.

On hand to help unload the groceries was County Supervisor Frank Schillo, who helped start Manna.

The groceries were unloaded into a pantry overflowing with goods. In an adjacent room, a couple of clients filled shopping carts with donated items to take to their families.

In addition to the food delivery, the firefighters association raised $20,000 at its annual ball this year and donated the money to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. An additional $15,000 was collected when the Ventura County Firefighters, a sister organization, was disbanded. That money was donated to the Salvation Army.

Meanwhile, the Ventura City Firefighters Assn. donated $1,250 to the Ventura County Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross.

“People look at firefighters as people who go put out a fire and ride back to the station in their truck,” said Ken Maffei, president of the Ventura County Professional Firefighters Assn. “But our members, and I think firefighters everywhere, really enjoy giving.”