Great Northern Services

Weaving a stronger community together...

Good news for people who care about people and community…

Recent Leadership Change at Great Northern Services

Great Northern Services celebrated the many accomplishments of Bonnie Kubowitz as she retired from her nine-year stint as executive director of the local nonprofit. Marie-Josée Wells, who has been with Great Northern for four years, is the new executive director.

Read the article from the Mt. Shasta Area Newspapers.

Tailgate Produce Party Series

One of the joys of the summer is the abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits that show up on store shelves and in farmers markets, but for families struggling to make ends meet those crucial parts of a well-balanced diet are often too expensive to bring home. That’s why California Foodlink has partnered with Great Northern Services to bring fresh produce to income-qualifying residents of Siskiyou County. There are Tailgate Produce Party events in four locations each month—Yreka, Greenview, Weed, and Dorris—and a semi-truck brings fresh produce from California growers. Each location is run by dedicated partners and volunteers and each location functions a little bit differently but at every stop people receive nutritious produce for their households.

“That was so much fun and so wonderful, I just can’t tell you. I had no idea what to expect. I just couldn’t believe the beautiful produce.” –Jeanne, Greenview Tailgate Produce Party Attendee

“We’ve come all 3 years. When you are on a limited income you worry about buying the meat or other things—not vegetables. With this program, you can have a complete meal.”  –Sharon, Yreka Tailgate Party Attendee

“Tell the people who donated thank you. It helps a lot. My parents are on SSI and we have a household of 8—it really helps.” –Manulani, Yreka Tailgate Party Attendee

“Tailgate Produce Parties help the elderly and help the needy. This little town, this is exactly what it needs. If you’re on a limited income it really helps bring the meals together.”  –Anonymous Party Attendee

Where and when

  • 2nd Tuesday of every month at 11 am at the Siskiyou Opportunity Center at 321 North Gold Street
  • 2nd Tuesday of every month at 2 pm in the parking lot at 6655 North State Highway 3 in Greenview
  • 3rd Tuesday of every month at 11 am at the Great Northern Services Storage Facility, at 310 Boles Street
  • 3rd Tuesday of every month at 2 pm at Butte Valley Community Park in Dorris

The Tailgate Produce Party series runs through October. If you income-qualify you can attend any produce party we host. Partygoers sign to self-certify that they income qualify and picking up for other households who can’t make the event is encouraged.

It’s a very popular program–each month about 30,000 lbs of fresh produce is distributed to around 800 households and helps feed nearly 2000 people. The program makes a tremendous impact on the lives of so many people.

Help this program reach even more people!

SPREAD THE WORD by downloading a printable flyer for the program or email us a mailing address and we’ll send some to you. You can also share our Facebook events for the series:
Yreka · Greenview · Weed · Dorris

Summer Lunch Wrap-up

It was an incredible year for the Summer Lunch Program; 7,239 meals were served at nine different locations. This was made possible by the hard work of many dedicated volunteers and generous donations from caring community members. On an average day over 190 kids received nutritious meals in safe and enjoyable settings.
You can help! We would love to hear from the parents, family members, and other caring adults who brought the children in their lives to a Summer Lunch site. Take our survey and your feedback will help us improve the program in future years.

On-going Gifts make a big impact over time

Many of our programs rely on donations from community-minded individuals like yourself. THANK YOU! Federal and state funding often covers basic costs, but the success of valuable programs like the Summer Lunch Program and Mini-Pantries in Schools hinges on unrestricted funds from our generous donors. They are making a huge difference for Siskiyou County.
Recurring donations help us plan and expand our services for community members like children and seniors who need them most. Join our special group of dedicated donors who support Great Northern’s work by offering a monthly, quarterly, or annual gift through automatic credit/debit card deduction.