It Was Bell Peppers & Carrots This Time

Each year, one of the goals of our NF Compensation group was to do volunteer work. Over the last 7 years that I have been with this group, we've had numerous volunteer opportunities, such as adopting a family for Christmas, donating back-to-school back packs and supplies, and the helping out in the local food bank. This afternoon, we were back at the Alameda Food Bank.

This year, we went earlier in the year than we normally do, in anticipation of a heavier-than-normal work load towards the end of the year. Finding available volunteer slots wasn't difficult as well because there weren't as many groups volunteering during this time of the year. Today seemed to work out for most of us, too.

Our schedule was immediately after lunch, from 12:30 to 3:30pm. I suggested that we have lunch at In-N-Out burger close to the food bank, as we have done in previous years, before our volunteer work.

As we arrived, we found out that there was another KP group that was volunteering alongside us. They were from Procurement & Supply, and it was their first time. For our group, it was probably the sixth, so we are familiar with the routine. Despite this, we still had to listen to the usual introduction and safety briefing.

For this visit, we worked on bagging carrots and bell peppers. I chose the bell peppers because packing them would not be as complicated as packing carrots, especially in those red fishnets. Imagine how the pointed ends of the carrots were protruding the fishnets, making it quite difficult (and annoying) to pack. No such problems with the bell peppers.

After our shift, we proceeded to a room adjacent to the warehouse and watched a short video about the Alameda Food Bank. Although the video was a couple of years old, the statistics that were provided were staggering. It gave us a glimpse of the volume of food (in all varieties) that comes in and is redistributed to the community on a daily basis, and how many families are served. Truly amazing.

The time spent at the food bank may appear short (or long) depending on how one sees it. The manual labor makes the task appear laborious, but the companionship and camaraderie of a group collectively doing such work makes it seem easy and fun. And that's the way it should be.

At the end of our service, I felt great, as I always did each and every time. In my own little way, I have helped someone in need. That person (or persons) will remain nameless and faceless, but, in my heart, I know they are happy and grateful. And that's the way I want it .... anonymous.