European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 25, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. November 25, 1998 giving thanks the stars and stripes Page 11 Sweet outweighs the bitterness Palo Alto  says he is thankful for two things one of them expected one of them surprising. First there s his family a group of some two dozen Gay and lesbian friends and their straight relatives who gather each year at this time. Then there s the Navy the same ranch of the service that tried to eject the Petty officer first class when he disclosed his homosexuality on National television. A Federal judge later ordered him returned to work though the Case is being appealed. The Navy Meinhold said gave him the Means to get out of the Small Florida town where he grew up and provided future and a career. I really do love the Navy said theone time High school dropout who wears his uniform or red White and blues eaters when he s interviewed. When he decided to enlist Meinhold said i was a 17-year-old kid going  fed me clothed me gave me an education and most importantly the gave me self respect which t did t have he said. Meinhold a popular sonar instructor aboard sub Manne Hunters soon will Transfer with his unit to a base near Seattle. He plans to retire from the Navy in six years go to Law school and then run for Congress. Someday he said he plans to become Secretary of the Navy or defense. 1survivor Learned value of friends Harrisburg a. Robert Case lost his heart and liver in june. Now he can look Back at All he  Good wishes front thousands of strangers. The Pennsylvania governor suffers from amyloid Sis a rare genetic disorder. His fiver produced a abnormal protein that built up in his organs weakening them his heart was As hard As a Case Telephone and could have stopped at any moment doctors  transplant operation took 13 hours. He survived and soon found head friends he never knew. Casey and his wife Ellen received More than 3,000 get Well greetings cards letters prayers children drawings. Suddenly they Felt As if they were part of one Large extended  prayers and expressions of support and  us in our most difficult Days Casey , the 61-year-old Casey Hopes to return to work in the new year. And he celebrates a thanksgiving he would never have seen but for an Organ donor an the efforts of a team of surgeons. We re thankful that we have each other and a wonderful supportive family Casey said. And we ref especially thankful for the caring and Petty officer 1st class Keith Meinhold homosexual who was discharged by the Navy compassionate spirit of the american and later reinstated by a judge is thankful for the opportunities the service gave bin.  grateful for Dawn to Earth lessons Oracle Ariz. No one took Linda Leigh friends or food away or depleted her oxygen. She accepted these thing voluntarily. A the 42-year-old botanist celebrate the Oast two thanksgivings in the sealed ecological Laboratory of biosphere 2. He two year stay ended sept. 26, and now she s out and grateful. The things i m thankful for Are very Basic Leigh said. I m glad to be out. To have completed this thankful to have had so much support from so Many people. I thankful for the Opportunity of having done it inside biosphere 2, oxygen Levels dropped continually sapping some Crew members strength and two Cloudy Winters hampered food production to the Point that a full stomach was t always a  Friendship beyond the Crew Leigh and her seven colleagues had to reach out by phone or computer network. Shell spend this Holiday in los Angele meeting friends she made electronically. She said it All made her realize How much she and everyone else takes for granted on biosphere 1 the Earth. That experience of coming face to face with what makes us live is something i feel very thankful for Leigh said. These Are very Basic things that let us live and in that sense it almost sounds like a kindergarten kid saying i m thankful for life but in a sense that s what i m  ?�." i a Psi Xiv "  of a. Iki Iii Yvra a &sx&m.tl,t Linda Leigh who spent the past two Yean in the sealed ecological lab of biosphere 2 in background now realizes How much is taken for granted on Earth. Food Banks soup kitchens Likely to face shortages by the associated pres the cupboard is Likely to be Bare this thanksgiving at Many food Banks and soup kitchens around the  in november there s spontaneous giving but this year it s not like it has been in the past said Dana Irribarren head of a hunger task Force for the inter Church Council of greater Cleveland. The Only thing i can think of is people just Don t have it to give or they Are afraid to give it  Honolulu to Boston food Bank officials who had hoped the improved Economy would mean More donations Are facing shortages. In some places corporate food donations Are Dow because companies Are increasing efficiency and producing less of the surplus that once went to  food Banks miss a Bonus they got last year government food left Over from the persian Gulf but mostly it s a Lack of donations from individual that has the food Banks concerned. Some officials said Relief efforts for midwestern flood victims Las summer May have drained Many americans Generos Ity. Second Harvest a Chicago based organization that operates 187 food Banks nationwide said its food do nations Are up by 10 percent to is percent Over Las year but demand for the food is up 37 percent. The Economy is soft and people Are fearful Sec Ond Harvest president Christine Vladimiroff said. She cited Timber Industry cutbacks in the North West and continuing woes in new England s High tech industries As regional problems contributing tothe demand for food. Some hungry spots food supplies Are Down from last year by about 40 percent at the gleaners food Bank of Indiana 15percent at the greater Boston food Bank. 8 percent at the gleaners Community food Bank in Detroit and 14 percent at the san Antonio food Bank in Texas. In Cleveland Irribarren said food shortages May Force some of the task Force s 22 pantries and 10 soup kitchens to close by Christmas. In Hawaii Cash donations from individuals Are below projections and food Bank inventories still Haven t recovered from the 1992 Hurricane that devastated Kauai said Hawaii Foo Bank president John White. In West Virginia a six month strike by Coal min ers has swelled the Rolls of the needy with Many families who ordinarily would be donors. Our food pan try is slowly but surely going Down said Margaret Decola a salvation army spokeswoman i Moundsville. South Florida is dismal said Dave Krepcho. Director of the daily bread food Bank in Miami. Food poured in last year after Hurricane Andrew but that help has dried up even though the need has not. There Are some Bright spots. The Houston Foo Bank which distributes food to 466 Texas charities said food donations in october were up 27 percent Over october 1992. And in Utah about 5,000 turkeys have been donated since word got out last week that the Utah food Bank bad Only one Turkey in its Freezer. Romany donors showed up in fact that a traffic Jam formed outside the building in Salt Lake  re unloading As fast As we can and we re All exhausted. It s wonderful director Brenda Thomp son said tuesday