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Published on 03/01/1999 All articles from this issue

The needy exist amid prosperity, CSA director tells Rotarians

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By Clyde Noel

Special to the Town Crier

Tom Pamilla, executive director of the Community Services Agency (CSA), paid a visit to the Los Altos Rotary Club last Thursday and thanked them for their generosity in helping eliminate hunger in Los Altos.

"Hunger in Los Altos?" he asked. "Yes, and it's more than hunger. We have a lot of problems in zip code 94022. People raise their eyebrows when I mention the problems in Los Altos Hills."

On a recent application to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, requesting money to help find housing for the homeless, Pamilla said CSA was turned down flat when the agency looked at prosperous 94022 zip code. But Pamilla pointed out that in a large number of cases, money that used to be allocated for food in a client's budget is now being used to cover escalating rents.

"I read the police blotter in the Town Crier religiously and there is a tremendous amount of alcoholism, domestic violence and sexual abuse in Los Altos," Pamilla said. "We try to work with these problems. A lot of our work is with seniors who are isolated in their Los Altos homes."

Mary Burkhardt, development director for CSA the past eight years, said the agency is successful at helping the community's needy.

"We have problems in the community with seniors, the homeless and helping the poor with food and clothing," Burkhardt said. "We try to involve the community through churches and schools to alleviate these problems and do well."

"We are fortunate we live in a prosperous area, but we aren't as fortunate with our seniors," Pamilla said. "As we become older, we lose some of our faculties and CSA's job is to find those people who live in homes who are isolated, and try to help them.

"These people do not know how to ask for assistance," Pamilla said. "They come to their door in the middle of the day in their night clothes and you look - and see the house is a disaster. Those people need help."

CSA has established outreach programs to help children in the schools. Pamilla described a graphic picture of today's parental challenges. When two parents have to work to meet the family's requirements, he asked, "What about the kids?"

Pamilla was recently given the "Hometown Hero award" by the CSA board for his 12 years as director of the agency.

Marge Bruno, past president of CSA, said the organization really does takes care of people in the community who can't take care of themselves.

"Tom is a visionary. He has the ability to anticipate the social problems that are going to need attention before they come on the community radar screen," Bruno said.

"Is there a legacy you want to leave the community?" Pamilla asked the Rotarians. "If it's something that will bring you peace, I suggest you become involved. Go to the schools and get involved. Don't just write a check - get involved personally and provide the compassion and desire to do something for the community."