Area elected officials help Meals on Wheels celebrate

Meals on Wheels Diablo Region celebrated the 2023 March for Meals with the help of many elected officials including Brentwood Vice Mayor Susannah Meyer.

The annual March for Meals commemorates the historic day in March 1972 when President Nixon signed a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 and established a national nutrition program for seniors aged 60 and older.

Last month, Meals on Wheels programs

Festival from page 1A shown by the Telugu community, we wanted to start an organization to create a platform for our children to promote the culture and festivities,” said Vedantham.

His wife, Samatha Narra, the Association’s president, said there was tremendous support in creating awareness about the cultural aspects and festivities in the community.

Another member, Usha Vallamdas, said such events not only bring back childhood memories amongst the Indian diaspora but also present an opportunity to create new ones for the next generation.

“I get to explain to my children the significance of Ugadi and Sri Rama Navami so they know their culture better,” she noted. “My kids were shy before, but after getting connected to their Indian roots, I see them being more comfortable and having the confidence to talk about their culture to their friends.”

Mahir Khanna,17, who volunteered at the event, said it is necessary to keep the culture and traditions alive.

“I feel happy as this is one of the organizations in the East Bay area that has taken pride in their own culture, bringing it to a foreign land, and trying to connect every-

The project, submitted by MLC Holdings of San Ramon, lies at 5911 Sellers Ave. and is zoned P-1 (Planned Unit Development) District. The project is located along the western boundary of Sellers Avenue, which is also the City limit line at the project location. The project site frontage along Sellers Avenue runs 728 feet. From there, the property continues west where it intercepts the BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) railroad tracks that run in a northwestsoutheast direction.

The new single-family residential subdivision of 77 lots would include private streets, a stormwater detention treatment area, and a neighborhood park. The project will also be dedicating 2.73 acres of land along Sellers Avenue and the future Laurel Road extension right of way along the project’s northern boundary.

The 2.73 acres is open space from across the country joined forces to celebrate more than 50 years of success and garner the support needed to ensure these critical programs can continue to address families not having enough food to eat and malnutrition, combat social isolation, enable independence, and improve health for years to come.

Meals on Wheels Diablo Region fights senior hunger and isolation in Contra Costa County.

“I wanted to get a first-hand experience to see what the program’s all about,” said Mark Armstrong, Vice Mayor of San Ra- one locally, especially since there is a growing population of Indians in Brentwood,” said Khanna.

Charan Venkata Sai Karthik Kanchana, 17, said he is learning about his culture and hopes to pass it down to the future generation.

“One of the few ways I would keep the culture going for the future generation would be to talk to my future kids, informing them and teaching things I learned every day so there isn’t any stigma against any religious (and cultural) activities that we do,” he added.

The event kicked off with a pooja (prayers to God), followed by a coloring competition for children, and rangoli drawing (a traditional Indian art form using colored sand or powder to decorate a floor). Other cultural activities included singing and dance performances..

One of the dances was by Tejaswi Yenamandra, who has been practicing the traditional Bharatanatyam dance for over 20 years. She holds a Masters in Bharatanatyam from the University of Hyderabad, and started the Saadhana School of Dance in Antioch, teaching dance to children and adults.

To view a video and a slideshow, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia right-of-way on north and eastern borders, leaving space for potential sidewalks, landscaping and utilities.

Some 2.76 acres will be required for the stormwater detention basin and open space/park area. Rural residential properties lie to the north, south, and east.

Neighbors commenting at the meeting also mentioned the legality of placing the subdivision within a county-imposed buffer zone around Knightsen to the east, an unincorporated part of the county and outside Oakley’s city limits. Other comments focused on the type of sound walls planned and privacy concerns.

The project includes three different floor plans ranging from 2,054 to 2,493 square feet of livable area consisting of two onestory and one two-story plans. All plans include a front-facing, two-car garage door, and a minimum of four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net mon. “I was able to get a better understanding of the value of what Meals on Wheels Diablo Region brings to the community and to seniors.”

Also showing support and joining in delivery ride-alongs were Meyer; Mayor of Walnut Creek Cindy Silva; Mayor of Lafayette Carl Anduri; County Supervisor Ken Carlson; District Representative Alejandra Sanchez; Danville Mayor Robert Storer and Mayor of Pleasant Hill Tim Flaherty.

“Being a part of the March for Meals celebration has been incredibly fulfilling. It reminds us how critical these services and programs are for the well-being of the people served,” said Meyer. also a former Meals on Wheels Diablo Region employee. “Everyone has a story, and every person should have a voice and be able to share that story. I felt a lot of really great memories from this campaign, and to be able to come back as Vice Mayor has truly been an honor.”

Ellie Hollander, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels America, discussed the importance of participation in March for Meals.

“We commend all of our 2023 Community Champions for stepping up to ensure es between the two developments.

Pulte, based in Atlanta, has built more than 700,000 homes nationwide since 1950, according to their website. Previous local Pulte developments include the Brentwood Park and Rose Garden subdivisions, both in Brentwood.

In other actions Tuesday, Supervisors:

• Unanimously approved $600,000 for the rental of equipment for road and flood control;

• Approved $600,000 in grant funding for Project Second Chance, the Contra Costa County Library adult literacy program, to provide English as a Second Language that Meals on Wheels is there for all of our senior neighbors in need. We must maintain and expand the programs that have helped so many get through this unprecedented time in our nation’s history. We can’t do it alone. It takes all of us to keep the nationwide Meals on Wheels movement going.”

For more information on how you can volunteer, contribute, or speak out for the seniors in Contra Costa County beyond March, visit www.mowdiabloregion.org services from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026;

• Held their 29th annual Cesar E. Chavez commemorative celebration, which included music, dancing and a keynote speaker;

• Proclaimed the week of April 23-29 as National Library Week, which included a presentation from librarian Alison McKee on the county library system.

More information on the Seagrass development, including concept art of the homes, about the development can be found at https://bit.ly/413DuJz. The full list of consent calendar items can be found at https:// bit.ly/3U8TRSZ and the full meeting can be found at https://bit.ly/40EWAG2

To comment, visit www.thepress.net

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