My Part Time, Unpaid Job!
I just thought you might like to know a little bit about what I'm doing when I say I was up at the Food Warehouse "today" ... or whatever day. This will only be going on until the 3rd week of this month -- and then it will end for this year, and I will be moving into (hopefully) a different area of helping the hungry. (more about THAT later!) But for right now, I take any opportunity I get to go help out at the Food Warehouse.When I go in...
This is what I find...All those boxes lined up in the back are FULL of donated food from the various collection centers... the shorter boxes were in the elementary schools - the little kids can't reach to
drop things in the taller boxes! (and I can't reach in to empty the lower half of those boxes either!!!) LOL! We've had boxes set up in the schools, banks, churches, grocery stores... anywhere that will HAVE one! And now it's time to get it all sorted out! That's MY job! And many other's who help!
drop things in the taller boxes! (and I can't reach in to empty the lower half of those boxes either!!!) LOL! We've had boxes set up in the schools, banks, churches, grocery stores... anywhere that will HAVE one! And now it's time to get it all sorted out! That's MY job! And many other's who help!
Soooo... we have all these tables set up in the warehouse with certain areas assigned to each kind of food. Sometimes we run out of areas -- but we make do! Our job is to empty the big boxes, can by can by can or box or carton or whatever and sort it onto it's table and into the proper box. We also have to check expiration dates and sell by dates -- because a lot of people clean out there cupboards for food drives ... but we can't deliver expired foods to the food pantries. So unfortunately if it expires on YOUR shelf... it goes in our trash. It IS sad because some of that food really would be perfectly fine -- and I'm sure it beats the heck out of what some homeless people are scrounging out of the trash cans... but you know... government regulations say it's better to eat trash out of a dumpster than from a perfectly good can with an expired date! Actually I have mixed feelings about this... I do sort of like that the goverment mandates we provide UNexpired foods. Still... it seems there ought to be SOMEthing to do with the expired food besides toss it! (although... we found one can from 1987 that none of us minded tossing!)
When a box gets filled with all vegetables or all fruits or all soups (and each box only holds ONE size can -- so you can imagine how many different boxes we have for say vegetables! lol!) ... but when a box gets full, then we move it over onto a pallet. Anything on the pallets is ready to go OUT! Out to the food pantries! Occasionally we deliver to the food pantry -- if it's a BIG food pantry and requires a large load of food. But the smaller pantries -- like my church for instance - we just send someone up to pick up what we need. The day I took these pictures I also hauled a trunk full of food back to my church. 
And this gentleman worked pretty steady toget about a pallet worth into the back of his
truck for his church pantry!
What I really LOVE about this project in particular is that it's not just MY church... it's not just Lutheran's... it's alllllllllll the churches in our community working together! No one cares what denomination you are -- all they care is that you want to help feed the hungry! I LOVE that! Absolutely love it!
posted by Melli at
12:05 AM
13 comment(s):
What a great idea. You are a good hearted soul. It is nice to see so many donations too. Well done! It is good to hear all the churches are cooperating. Wish all religions of the world could too.
By
diane, at
11/09/2009 1:05 AM
Bless you!
We have an interdenominational food pantry in our county. My hsuband went with the kids last time. Pity about that newly "expired" food.
But 1987?!??! *shakes head sadly*
I've been very behind and my Reader is quite full. Tonight I am taking advantage of insomnia to catch up just a wee bit.
By
kcinnova, at
11/09/2009 2:05 AM
My Darlin' I'm proud of ya. It's such a pleasure to know such a wonderful woman such as yourself. :) MWAH!!!!
*me ducking...the little tart was at it again today
By
Thom, at
11/09/2009 2:09 AM
Melli -- that is an outstanding ministry. Those a re the kinds of things all churches should be doing!
By
quilly, at
11/09/2009 2:42 AM
This is so wonderful. You are all such good people to help in this way.
Meet My Mates #3 - Quilly
By
Nessa, at
11/09/2009 5:44 AM
Wonderful initiative, Melli! Our community has similar projects for third world countries. Only last month there was a new one: for the hungry in this very First World country...which is heartbreaking, to know that the number of people in need keeps increasing...
By
Mar, at
11/09/2009 7:39 AM
A very worthy endeavor, Melli, and much needed.
I can see the point about expirations. The food may still be good for a few weeks, but if it sits on a shelf for very long then it would be a problem. It would be nice if you could put recently expired ones in a box and write "Use these first!" on the side.
By
Barbara H., at
11/09/2009 10:31 AM
That is so great! And it looks like you have a lot of food coming in!
May God bless your work there!
By
Betty, at
11/09/2009 10:48 AM
We have that here to and also "heart restaurants where poor people can ate for nothing of for 1 €.
We arrived well here in our hotel, have even the same appartment and it's hard to believe that we have one year behind us. We even met some couples from last year and there are far less Russians ! fortunately!
Chantal's husban eats each rice corn with a fork if you let him, lol !
By
Gattina, at
11/09/2009 11:01 AM
Indeed a very worthwhile project.
It is quite impressive with the amount of food coming in.
Helping others is always a very satisfying endeavor.
BTW: I didn't see your comment about my floating falling leaves till later - thanks for the nice words. I was pretty happy with how it came out.
By
Carletta, at
11/09/2009 4:59 PM
I am so proud of you.
It looks like a lot of hungry people are going to get fed.
By
Dr.John, at
11/09/2009 6:49 PM
What a blessing! And this is SO UP your alley! You have peaked my interest, Melli. I want to hear what the "next step" is. I'm sure it's a great thing. I love it when we can come together to combat hunger that should be SO preventable here in the US.
Much Love,
Susan
By
Susan, at
11/10/2009 12:03 PM
That is a very worthy charity. Last Christmas time our Neighborhood Association made a $300 donation to our Food Bank. So many are out of work that there are more people having to tap that resource. God bless you for your enthusiasm to work so hard and those you reach will not be hungry, at least for a while.
By
Amber Star, at
11/10/2009 5:54 PM
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