Guy Tedesco: A Man Who

Gave His Heart To Strangers

By Buzz Gambill

Guy Tedesco, founder of Food Now, Inc. just passed away to his final reward on Thursday morning at 3:30 am in Fullerton's St. Jude's Hospital. He was 81 and had a spirit that was forever dedicated to the hungry, the downtrodden, the weak, the infirm. He was a man of compassion and love. He fed people who were hungry, his entire adult life.

He leaves many who love him and many whom he set on a straight road, bringing them back from the edge of dispair.

He heard the calling early in life.

   Guy Tedesco has been helping people all his life. It is as if he heard a calling early in his life. He spent the biggest part of that life feeding those who had trouble feeding themselves. He has arranged for places to sleep for these people; places to live, medicine and doctors to help them when they needed it. He has gone out of his way to help his fellow man, but if you ask Guy, it is not out of his way; it is his way.

Guy was born in Weirton, Virginia on February 18, 1922, where he lived with his parents and grew up with two sisters and a brother in a Christian home. In 1948 he left Virginia to serve in the Air Force in Special Services. He served in Burma where he organized a "Birthday Club" whereby all men stationed there recieved a cake on their birthday. it was Guy's job to act as an ambassador for the United States, which was an easy task for Guy, with his happy attitude, pleasing personality and his ingrained love of humankind. In Burma he gladly supplied food, paid for by the American taxpayers, to the local people who were having a pretty rough time of it. He was building good feelings and respect for our country.
Growing up, Guy fell in love with theater and especially the western movies he watched as a boy. He could tell you what cowboy was the fastest on the draw, who wore the white hat, who wore the black hat and what their horses' names were. He did work in movie houses and eventually worked his way into the actual making of some movies. He met and made the acquaintance of many top Hollywood stars, stuntmen and actors of less acclaim.
He and his siblings all moved to California in 1969 but Guy returned to Virginia when his mother became ill. He remained in Virginia until both parents passed away. He rejoined his sisters and brother in California, in the cities of La Mirada where he owned a business called Post All, which he started with $5.00. In Lynwood, CA, he owned the Arden Theater.

Visiting Desert Hot Springs occasionally, he finally followed his friend, Cheryl Calzaretta and her children here and permanently set up residence.
He believes he was sent here for a reason; that being to help people, and help them he has. He immediately sought his life's destiny as a line attendant for Food Now, which was feeding low-income families in Arroyo Park. By 1995, he had taken over Food Now as Executive Director; a position he holds to this day. Even now he organizes the "Birthday Club" making sure that children of less fortunate families receive a cake with candles, on each of their birthdays.
Guy also put together a program where he would rent movies and show them in the living rooms of children who were confined to wheelchairs, buying the movie reels through his 'show-biz' connections from 20th Century Fox and MGM.

Countless children, unwed mothers and out-of-work men have all been the recipients of Guy's generosity. They develop a love and deep respect for him. Many of these people have learned from Guy's tutoring and those who have taken advantage of his sincerity and dedication have pulled themselves up and restructured their lives, moving on to a better way of living.
There were many times when Guy would go out by himself, and in the heat of summer, pick up empty beverage cans from the fields and streets in order to sell and raise money to buy food for the needy and hungry. He was not ordered to do this by some board of directors, his orders came from a much Higher Power and Guy never had any doubt who that was.
He had to help those unfortunates who had a hard time helping themselves. He had to do it. . Guy Tedesco came from an era in America, when the citizens were of one mind. America first! And they all pulled together, trusted one another and actually considered each a part of their American family. Guy came from this time. It was a time when people sacrificed, worked hard and appreciated what they had. People of that era helped each other automatically. When someone was seen to be having bad luck or things going badly for them, the neighbors pitched in, without having to be told to do so. This is where the term "barn-raising" came from. Neighbors would actually turn out and literally build a new barn for someone who had lost theirs to fire, storm or other forces beyond their control. It is easy to imagine Guy right out there, probably serving the food for the workers.
Many times Guy would stop by my office to ask about running an ad in the "Breeze" to let people know when he had food for them, and where to send any donations of food, clothing or other. He also advertised to take any recyclables, such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and the like. With these he was able to raise money to help the needy. We would invariably end up in a conversation on movies and especially, great old 'B' westerns. His eyes would sparkle as he remembered Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, Ken Maynard, John Wayne, Randolph Scott, and of course, Roy and Gene. What a delightful individual. I can't remember seeing Guy without a smile on his face.

Karrie O'Brien who prompted me to finally write something about a very deserving man, says he is a dear, sweet, loving person whom she loves. She spoke of the wonderful times she has spent chatting with him about his life. As she speaks, tears will fill her eyes at the knowledge of Guy's terminal illness. He is her dear friend, as he is a friend of everyone who knows him or who has come in contact with him. It is impossible to speak to Guy for any length of time, without being touched by his kindness and genuineness.
Recently Guy was diagnosed with a terminal illness. After the thousands of people he has helped, possibly saving many lives, he could not help himself. He accepts it with a smile and believes it is God's way.
It would be fitting for the City of Desert Hot Springs to honor this man in some way, as a reciprocal gesture for the honor he has brought to the city, through those he has touched.

                    "Old dreams perish; new dreams come true." ~ Guy Tedesco

                                      Rest In peace, old friend.                     ~ Buzz Gambill       

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Then he gave them his heart....