Idyllwild Forest Health Project founders to talk at Library

Food distribution volunteers and recipients share their stories

The Idyllwild Forest Health Project was founded by Mark Yardas and Mara Schoner as a response to the threat that wildfire presents to our mountain communities. Its goal was to create a “circular economy around better fuels management and eco-system-based forest management.” The organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was set up as an open platform that could take on various projects beyond what Yardas and Schoner originally envisioned, helping individuals and groups come together to address common needs.

With the pandemic, food insecurity emerged as a threat to the community, and Mountain Communities Mutual Aid was set up to address the needs of residents. A series of “Mental Hygiene Workshops,” held in Town Hall, aimed to improve individual and community mental health skills.

Yardas and Schoner will be giving a talk at Idyllwild Library on Tuesday February 11, at 5 PM, at the invitation of the Friends of the Library. They tell us that the event will be less a talk than a participatory event. “Activities will focus on envisioning community benefit projects for Idyllwild and the mountain communities, identifying issues, concerns, and strengths.” Yardas believes that these kinds of projects help to bridge ideological divides. “People come from different backgrounds and world views, but they can all focus on projects that help everybody.”

We spoke this week with people who volunteer with MCMA’s food share program and those who receive aid. These two groups overlap: many come for a food box and come back to help, and most volunteers take a box home. The benefits don’t just feed the body. “Some people feel that they come to volunteer because it’s a generous thing but find that it’s also a way into the community and helps their own mental health.”

Adam Iyaman has been volunteering since 2021 as a “wrangler,” helping with the physical work of preparing food boxes and getting them into the hands and cars of recipients. He has seen people living out of their cars during winter. “There are definitely people who need the help, it seems they wouldn’t eat without it.” Some struggle with mental health challenges. “It’s not just food; people post requests on the MCMA Facebook page for all kinds of help.”

Shifts are kept to 3 hours or less, and helping out is a very social activity. Iyaman says, “It’s really fun to volunteer, everybody is a tight-knit group. I’ve met a lot of people I would not have known otherwise that are important to me now.”

Trina Vukov has received aid from MCMA for the last year. She came to Idyllwild six years ago, and felt lucky to find a place she could afford, and that would accept her dog. Then her Social Security was cut. “I needed some help with groceries. They have just been a life saver for me.” When health issues did not allow her to drive in to get her box, there was someone to bring it to her.

Jamie Bates is originally from Menifee. She has a membership at Thousand Trails and stays there as much as she is able. She heard about MCMA’s food distribution through a friend and just showed up one day. Volunteers showed her how to put their app on her phone. The app allows users to request boxes, indicating preferences and special items, and schedule pick-ups so that the line is never too long.

Bates says she came up here with only summer clothes. “One of the gals gave me some boots for the winter, some sweaters. It’s a lot colder than Menifee. Just this last week I experienced my first snowfall.” Bates herself also volunteers. “I love volunteering, it gets me out of the RV for a few hours, and I get to meet a lot of nice people there. I get to meet people from the community, greet them, find out how their day is going.” She agrees that life in the mountains can be hard but says “I have to adapt and manage.”

To learn more about the Idyllwild Forest Health Project and contribute to the conversation about future community-based projects, come to the Idyllwild Library, Tuesday, February 11, at 5 PM.