I loved my volunteer shifts in the food bank’s cafe every Tuesday and Friday. But when the food bank’s website featured a brief video on the cafe, there was a rush of volunteers and I was crowded out of my regular shifts. 😞
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Bags and boxes filled by the personal shopping volunteers
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So,
I switched back to an earlier role I had as a personal shopper for
the home-bound. This job starts with a list of foods that each individual fills out with dietary restrictions and food preferences. The volunteer shopper then takes a grocery bag or two and fills it with the specified food choices. It’s not easy because of the limited supply of food we have to choose from. We do the best we can to fill a bag at least half full.
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Sentiment in some of the cards
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I enjoy doing my best for each client. This past Wednesday I brought in handmade Valentine’s cards to slip into the grocery bags for women. , ,Since these clients are home-bound, I wanted to let them know I care about the food I'm selecting for them. The cards included sentiments like the one at the top of the page and at left.
Once
we’ve done our best to shop for an individual’s food, the bags go onto
four-tier racks while they await pickup by volunteer drivers who deliver
the groceries to clients. Not only do volunteers drive cars and trucks, but we also have bicycle delivery teams. The bicyclists are provided with carts they pull behind them, and given how hilly Seattle is, this can’t be an effortless task!
On Wednesdays, the food bank is only open for the personal shopping volunteers and we have no interaction with clients. However, like the work we do in the cafe, I'm still able to provide individualized and personal service to those facing food insecurity.
