As is so often the case, the worst of times can bring out
the best in people. Like everyone else in the world, our area of southeastern
Utah, and especially the vast Navajo Nation, are going through a difficult
struggle during the coronavirus pandemic. In one of the most isolated areas of
the nation, basic human needs are difficult to obtain and Navajo families,
especially the elders, are in acute need of nutritional assistance.
We here at Twin Rocks are doing our part to help, and when
it became necessary to close the café under the order of local government, we
were faced with an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables that could not be
used. That is when Frances Van der Stappen, our café’s general manager, swung
into action. She and several helpers put together large food boxes and called
in our cook and wait staff to come and get these supplies for their families.
At the same time, an ad hoc group of community volunteers
were also gearing up to serve others. In the past few years, Bluff has seen a
core of younger folks moving to town and becoming involved in any number of
worthy projects. Since most of Bluff’s population are older than sixty, the
ideas and energy of these young people are bringing the promise of a new
generation to those we lovingly refer to as “Bluffoons.”
Dan and Joselyn Meyers, a couple with extensive backgrounds
in media and financial planning, moved to town and volunteered to lead a
renaissance of the annual Bluff Arts Festival in October. Amanda Podmore,
formerly on the staff of Friends of Cedar Mesa and now a consultant with the
National Parks Conservation Association of South East Utah, contributes her
energy and understanding of local issues and needs.
Amanda began to assist Frances in distributing the café’s
excess inventory of food and with the need came an opportunity. The Rural Utah
Project is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering
underrepresented voters in rural Utah through training, voter registration, and
issue advocacy. Their staff helped secure funding to provide basic food for
people living in some of the most remote areas of the Navajo Reservation,
especially those in the ultra-isolated Navajo Mountain region.
The problem was obtaining the food and organizing its
distribution. This was when Steve and Frances became involved, offering the
Twin Rocks Café dining rooms as headquarters for the project. The tables and
chairs were cleared away and the area turned into an impromptu warehouse,
complete with a loading dock
We already work closely with Shamrock Foods, a family-owned,
wholesale grocery operation that supplies the café. By working with Dave
Christopher, our local Shamrock representative, we were able to cut through lots
of red tape so that food can be quickly procured and delivered right to our
door. That way, the volunteers did not need to establish a business relationship,
establish credit, and do reams of paperwork to get started. Steve gave the OK
to use our existing contract and facilities to house this temporary food
distribution center. Dave Christopher and Shamrock Foods became essential
partners in the newly created Bluff Area Mutual Aid (BAMA) project.
Throughout the week, volunteers arrive to assemble boxes of
commodities and deliver them to needy Navajo families. The boxes typically
contain fresh products such as apples, oranges, onions, and carrots. Staples
such as flour, baking powder, and salt, the basic ingredients of fry bread are
provided, as well as canned milk, sugar, peanut butter, and dried soup mixes. Sanitizing
products, toilet paper, bottled water, and other products are also included.
So even though the café is no longer serving local families,
oil workers, and loads of travelers, we are doing what we can to help. Frances
best summarized the impact of the younger local volunteers. “It is great to
have them here doing all this. They are a pleasure to be around – even if we do
keep six feet apart.”
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