Community

Good Samaritan Missionary Baptist’s Food Programs Close:

This church has had a rich history of serving the community and the surrounding vicinity for over 40 years. Mr. and Mrs. Roger Rigsby, members of the church, began serving meals from their home to those in need.

Published

4 years ago

September 5, 2021

Isabelle Price

Good Samaritan Missionary Baptist Photo Courtesy of Flickr

It is with a very heavy heart that I must announce that the Good Samaritan Missionary Baptist Church (GSMBC) Food Programs closed on Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Dr. M.D. Slade and the late Mrs. Viola Rigsby combined their efforts and started the GSMBC Food Pantry and the USDSA food distribution programs. Throughout the years this pantry has been a constant source of assistance; providing clothing, food and community holiday meals to everyone.

Dr. M.D. Slade has always been a prominent part of the Vallejo community as well as the North Bay Ministers Union as a senior pastor. He is still always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone or offer his words of wisdom and guidance.

I believe God has anointed me to serve, and I welcomed the responsibility of running both programs in 2016. With much prayer and Pastor Slade’s encouragement, I started by applying for an Enhancement Grant from the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and through God’s grace we have not looked back.

As the needs of those we serve grew, so did the pantry. We applied for the Solano County Funding Grant and was awarded $10,000 which allowed us to prepare for the COVID-19 restrictions. We remained open during the entire pandemic and served an additional 8,000 more clients than the previous year.

We are also members of the Feeding America Network and Meal Connect which provided amazing donations from Costco Vallejo and Safeway in Glen Cove.

Lastly, (I thank) the volunteers who have consistently supported these programs. I, personally, have been truly blessed by you!!!

Last year we served over 21,000 that were in need.

Dr. M.D. Slade retired as pastor of GSMBC in December 2021 after over 40 years of faithful service to the church and the community. The church membership did not initiate this action! They truly believe the program is needed.

The church leaders, members of the board, have decided to “pause” the programs, with the approval of the new incoming Pastor Anthony Briscoe.

When and if the board decides to reopen, they must reapply and find someone to train and certify the program. The board is confident that they can make it better and welcome the change. The USDA program is …scrambling to find another site.

My heart goes out specifically to the senior and handicapped population that are in close proximity to the church location. We are surrounded by 4 senior housing complexes, as well at least 2 low-income housing complexes.

I feel so helpless now, but God is still in control. He continues to make a way. I have a tentative offer for a site in the vicinity and a definite home under another umbrella to work that shares the vision of serving and welcomes me.

Praise God that my efforts have not been in vain or gone unnoticed. I will continue to serve, however at another location.

The Vallejo Post’s coverage of local news in Solano County is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support community newspapers across California.

Isabelle Price

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Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

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Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

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U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12). File photo.

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The legislation establishes a federal partnership between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the National Council on Disability to help small businesses across the U.S. hire more individuals with disabilities and provide resources for disabled entrepreneurs.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of cities, making them accessible for all will maximize local economic activity and broaden the job market to everyone who is seeking to contribute to their communities,” she continued. “Investments in business and talent in our communities shouldn’t be limited to just those who are not disabled. Full stop, period.”

Since taking office in January 2025, Simon has introduced six bills. The House has approved two of them: this measure and the “Assisting Small Businesses, Not Fraudsters Act.”

Simon, a lifelong disability rights advocate and former BART board member, has focused her career on improving access, from public transit to the job market.