By Kyla Skinner
Hello! I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came downtown to celebrate the block party on June 27. It was a lovely collaboration between the City of Atascadero and small business owners, and over 50 of us worked together to make this a special night for our town. It was so rewarding to see people of all ages get out, dance, eat, participate in the scavenger hunt, and enjoy a beautiful evening. Thank you! I got to know so many business owners better through this process and we really do have something amazing in our town, proud to be a part of it.
For August events, we have the ongoing summer Saturdays in the Park, enjoy free live music every Saturday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Bring a low-back chair, some snacks or a picnic dinner and enjoy the musical evening outdoors. August bands include Ghost Monster on August 2, the JD Project on August 9, and August 30 featuring the End of Summer Blues Bash from 6 to 9 p.m.
Also, while at the Lake Park, check out the revived boathouse. Wild Fields has taken it over, and it is so fun. Our family went out on a Monday afternoon recently. We enjoyed watching the fish under us, brightly colored red and blue dragonflies flitted around us, and we saw a grey egret take flight. It was so peaceful and beautiful, highly recommend.
Don’t miss the popular Cruise Night, August 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., from Curbaril to Traffic Way on El Camino Real. I’m curious to see how it goes with the new parking and narrower streets, but it will be lovely with more trees and beautiful lights.
Another thing I wanted to draw attention to is the needs of a wonderful organization in town, ECHO (El Camino Homeless Shelter). A good friend of mine invited us to help her serve a meal there last month. It’s something I’ve been interested in, but I’ve always felt nervous. I was braver with her, and I went with my two daughters and a group of others. My friend Tess made a baked pasta dish, my girls made garlic bread, and there was a salad and dessert. I had no idea what to expect, I worried about safety, and also a complicated feeling of saviorism. I didn’t want to appear better than anyone, or to feel some sort of privilege. My fears all dissipated as soon as we walked onto the site. There were rose bushes blooming their hearts out around the fun clean playground, bubble machines blowing bubbles into the light breeze, and a feeling of clean, organized community.
We were joined by residents in getting the meal ready to serve and they cleaned up for us, no dishes to do, hooray. I admired how people of many different paths of life came together to enjoy a meal. Young families, older seniors, volunteers and employees at ECHO. I learned that when someone is hungry, they go into fight or flight mode where their brain can’t focus on concrete life changes due to basic needs not being met. By offering a warm meal, ECHO is building trust and connection to help those in need be able to improve their situation.
During summer months, ECHO is especially in need of volunteers for their overnight chaperone position in Atascadero and also meal providers in Atascadero and Paso. The overnight chaperone duties include checking clients in for the evening, supervising the shelter with rounds throughout, and offering general assistance from 6 to 7 p.m. This shift can be flexible.
To find out more about the meal service visit giveinkind.com/inkinds/O9G2P4P/el-camino-homeless-organization
To find out more about the chaperone volunteer position, call Mary in Atascadero at ECHO (808) 538-9690 or Stephanie in Paso (805) 538-3908. You can also learn more at echoshelter.org
Our community is so special, and while it is not perfect, we are excited to see everyone come together to make it a better place.
ATASCADERO NEWS MAGAZINE
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