We're headlong into raspberry season - and what a

	Lauren & son Phin at Salman Ranch with their berry bounty

sweet thing that is! Raspberry harvest in our region begins approximately mid-August and can run as late as the end of October, weather depending. If you'd like to celebrate these healthy and tasty little berries, why not take a day-trip to Salman Ranch and pick-your-own. Located 90 minutes northeast of Santa Fe, the U-Pick-It Field offer visitors a fun day of picking berries (only $6 a pound!), shopping in their gift store, strolling the gardens, and if you choose, enjoying a picnic lunch near the acequia under huge cottonwood trees. It all makes for a truly lovely day.


Once you've picked pounds of delicious berries, there's so much you can do with them! August 1st is National Raspberry Cream Pie Day (who knew there was such a thing), and here's Martha Stewart's version of this cool and creamy dessert. Trying to steer clear of desserts?  How about this delicious recipe for a Banana Raspberry Smoothie? If those don't appeal to you, then here's a list of 45 mouth-watering raspberry recipes that will blow you away. You simply can't go wrong.

We always welcome new volunteers! Here are our current opportunities:

• Tuesday Driver, Route 18 (Agua Fria)
• Wednesday Driver, Route 11 (Mid Cerrillos Rd.)
• Friday Driver, Route 4 (Siringo)
• Friday Driver, Route 7 (Rufina to Zafarano)
• Friday Driver, Route 8 (Mid Airport Rd.)
• Friday Driver, Route 15 (Rodeo Rd.)

August 17th is National Thrift Store Day!  There are so many reasons to celebrate resale  stores. Here's a list of the top 10 reasons why thrift stores are awesome. One of our favorite reasons, which didn't make this list: Re-using items instead of purchasing new ones cuts down on the consumption of raw materials. Besides, shopping in a thrift store is like hunting for treasure - when you discover something of value it's pretty exciting!

If you haven't visited our thrift store, Kitchenality, then you're missing out. We've had some truly remarkable items pass through our doors: fine china, Fiestaware, and antique collectibles. Sometimes you don't know you need an item until you see it sitting there. Frozen yogurt makers, lemon-squeezers, pasta cutters, serving trays, centerpieces - if you don't see it this week, check back later. We have new stock arriving daily. We recently had a 1/2 price sale on all of our lovely ceramic wares, which make wonderful gift items. Stop by the store Wednesday through Friday, 10:00 - 5:00 and Saturday, 10:00 - 2:00, and see what you can find!

Did You Know . . . 

Loneliness can make people sick?  Or that as many as 50 percent of elderly patients admitted to the hospital are malnourished?  Or that one out of three chronically ill individuals can't afford to pay for their food, medications or both?

These are just a few of the statistics that Tony McCarty and Stephanie Gonzales presented to  the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee during their testimony last month on the importance of food and nutrition services and the impact they can have on people's  health.

 

But even more striking is the impact home-delivered meals can have on the cost of health care.  A 2013 report in the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health found that the mean monthly cost for healthcare for 65 Medicaid clients who received home-delivered meals dropped by 28 percent when compared to Medicaid clients who didn't receive meals.  Hospital costs and length of stay also dropped.  Click here to read the full article.

A heartfelt thank you to all of the substitute delivery drivers and kitchen volunteers who

Lyndi & Karen with another tray full of delicious food.

looked far into their schedules and signed up early to make sure all of the shifts were covered while Lauren & Teresa were away on vacation. Your assistance made it much easier for staff to  absorb their co-workers' daily tasks. Thanks to the regular volunteers, without whose support meals would not be cooked or delivered. The staff work hard and enjoy their vacation days. They also love coming back to work and hearing that everything ran smoothly while they were away. And don't forget to show your appreciation to Karen in the kitchen for the bang-up job she does while Teresa is away.

	The girls of CCCC were great fun to work with!

If you've ever worked in the kitchen, then you have probably noticed that visiting volunteer groups help out from time to time. Last year, we had close to 200 visiting volunteers come through our doors. Having the extra workers is especially helpful during the summer when many of our volunteers are away on vacation. We recently had a group of young ladies from Clear Creek Community Church in Houston, Texas assist us in the kitchen for three days. We're happy to share in the good work of our organization with people who love to help. This is also another way that we recruit new volunteers, so thanks for making the visitors feel welcome.