Spawning a ministry*

You know the story of the salmon: born in the gravel beds of mountain streams, growing fat and strong in the Pacific Ocean and finally journeying home to spawn and die in a dramatic climax.

But that’s not the end of it.

Even in death, these fish aren’t finished – at least, not at the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery, east of Clements.

Instead, a new journey begins, led by a diverse group of volunteers who don’t mind handling a few hundred stinking dead fish.

It’s a journey that, repeated over the years, has the potential to benefit hundreds or even thousands of people in San Joaquin County.

“We can’t feed the whole world,” said 66-year-old retired maintenance man Carl Allen, who makes it all happen.

“But I thank God for what we can do.”

See st0ry and video here