COMMUNITY & CLUBS:Fishing for volunteers

Friends In Service to Humanity, aka FISH, is looking for some volunteers, according to Dennis O’Hern, past board president.

“This summer we closed our Monrovia Street facility, reduced our staff size and are sharing some office space at SOS as we regroup,” O’Hern said.

For many local organizations including FISH, donations have been flat since 2005, due to Hurricane Katrina and the tsunamis in Asia.

FISH has kept its core program of Mobile Meals, done in conjunction with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

“We have 15 routes, five days a week, delivering one hot and one cold meal a day to 100 shut-ins of all ages,” O’Hern said.

More than once in recent weeks, O’Hern and other volunteers have had to deliver on two routes because of a lack of volunteers. The meals are picked up at Hoag at 10:30 a.m. daily, and it takes about 45 minutes to deliver a route, unless the shut-in needs some extra help or someone to talk with. Volunteer drivers usually take one route, once a week, but can do more if they wish.

Mobile Meals started serving the Harbor area communities in 1976. It costs $6 a day for the two meals. The clients are charged on a sliding scale, with the balance underwritten by Hoag and FISH.

“As we reorganize, we need volunteers to deliver meals and donations of clothing, food and money. We need some volunteers for our board, too,” O’Hern added.

For more information or to become a volunteer for Mobile Meals, call Alma Vallejo at (949) 887-2996, or O’Hern at (949) 675-5684.

SPURGEON LUNCHEON

Corona del Mar resident Dave Rudat is the co-chair with Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona of the William H. Spurgeon Luncheon on Sept. 22, 2006, at noon at the Irvine Marriott Hotel.

KOCE newscaster Ed Arnold will serve as the Master of Ceremonies at the event, which attracts police and fire chiefs from throughout Orange County as well as business and community leaders. William H. Spurgeon, then with the Irvine Co., founded Exploring 49 years ago in Orange County with posts at Newport Harbor High School, Beckman Instruments and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Exploring is now a national program sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America with more than 5,000 high-school-age students enrolled in some 200 posts in Orange County.

Also being honored at the luncheon will be a number of Explorers and their advisors from throughout Orange County.

Proceeds from the luncheon help the Orange County Exploring program, helps young people explore career opportunities in law enforcement, fire fighting, medical services, mortuary science, crime scene investigation, the hospitality industry and others. Tickets at $150 each can be purchased by calling Marla McGee at (714) 546-4990, ext. 183.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for the Day as provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council, for the beginning of the college football season:

“I’ve found that prayers work best when you have big players.”

— Knute Rockne

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 45-member Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise meets at the Five Crowns in Corona del Mar to hear Brian Schoenie on trusts and tax planning; www.newport beachsunriserotary.org.

Noon: The 20-member Rotary Club of Costa Mesa has moved to a new location and now meets at the Costa Mesa Marriott Suites, 500 Anton Blvd. This week’s program will be presented by Bob Sellinger of the Rotary Club of Newport Irvine about his recent trip to Africa as a Rotary Vvolunteer.

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 10-member Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club meets at Denny’s Restaurant at the corner of Redhill Avenue and Bristol Street.

Noon: The 27-member Exchange Club of the Orange Coast meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.

6 p.m.: The 56-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a program by Laura Behr of Orange Coast College on senior fitness www.newportbalboa.org.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at Mimi’s Cafe.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club meets at the Holiday Inn, www.kiwanis.org/ club/costamesa; the 45-member Kiwanis Club of Newport Beach-Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to hear private eye Frank Weber, who will describe his line of work; the 95-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor has moved to a new meeting location at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.

This week’s program is from Capt. Bob Pringle of the Newport Beach Fire Department on his experiences in the Gulf Coast area following Hurricane Katrina; the 85-member Rotary Club of Newport-Irvine meets at the Radisson Hotel, www.nirotary.org.