I haven't called them yet, but am considering volunteering one morning a week or so.

Jodi

I'm working WITH them as the local Scouting For Food chairman.

What is a Scouting for Food chairman?

Jodi

Been working at the Rescue Mission serving food 12 months a year for about five years now. The need exists all year long, not just at Christmas time. They will appreciate your help. Thank you.

Good for you, Gryphon. Seriously. I'm impressed.

Jodi

I am my church's donation delivery woman. Mostly it consists of leftovers from fund raisers; donuts, sausage, pizza, prime rib, salad dressing, brats, chili... I drive it down town to the Catholic worker house. There are so many poor who live on donated food.. it's very sad. It's cool because for the most part, those who avail themselves of the donated resources, volunteer to carry it into the neighbor hoods.. kind of like free take-out - they just don't have a menu from which to order.

I would find that hard. Driving food bank stuff to people who need it. It would make me so sad. Is it difficult? I am hoping they will let me start out slowly - like stocking shelves or something.

Jodi

I am volunteering at a place with people living with AIDS, actually.

I just drive it to the house.. (usually all packed up and ready to fly) ... it's easy.. the homeless volunteers who get to eat dinner, walk it thru the neighborhood.

I housed 6 mentally ill people in my apartment once when their 1/2 way house suddenly lost it's state funding... for almost 3 wks. My landlady was going to evict me.

that was a TRIP ! (one of them was my brother)

Scouting For Food:

On the first Saturday of every December, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts go out door to door in their neighborhoods collecting non-perishable foods for the local food banks. We bring in many thousands of pounds of food each drive. The food banks have come to count on the scouts doing this every December, and the community looks forward to it also. As chairman, I coordinate the whole thing.

I worked and managed a food pantry when my oldest was little (we served a weekly dinner as well). He helped by standing on the food line and offering "Would you 'wike' a bag?" He was four at the time....

Now we buy wrapping supplies and gift cards to the local family shelter. We shop and deliver to the home. They like this better as now they have the families do their own shopping giving them more of a feeling of power and confidence.

The food pantry or dinner is a fun way to spend time...Some I know have done if for decades. I did enjoy it, but week after week it became too much especially as more children joined our family..

Jodi, if you want to make this a regular thing, the off times of year are the hardest for such places. EVERYONE wants to work at the holidays, but March, July, August etc. are tough...Maybe you could mark your calendar?