Food…

I’ve always thought my struggle with the ‘Eat, drink, then shrink’ roller coaster-diet was lame.

But my issues with food are meaningless compared to the greater need to feed hungry people in my own neighborhood. I needed to get over myself and do something. The church I now attend, the one recently placed at my doorstep hosts a Daily Bread Food Bank every Saturday. An invitation to come and volunteer was issued and I had no excuse NOT to help.

It was Mother’s Day weekend (a great conversation-starter) and my job was to help people repack their boxes of food into bags, carts or buggies. Instead of a gloomy scene, the place was lively and hopping -well at least I was. A smile and a laugh is the same in any language and if you’ve ever seen me pack groceries -well it’s pretty sad, but hysterically funny to some people. For the most part the canned goods ended up on the bottom and the eggs on top and in all only one egg was sacrificed in the packing, ok two!

I got to be a mom, a clown, a friend, a hand, a nag,
“You will eat all your fruit and vegetables” I commanded to a young boy helping his mom. His mother just grinned while we packed the carrots and onions into her cart.

“You will get big and strong so you can carry ALL the groceries” I said handing a bag to him. He showed me how strong he was lifting the bag up to shoulder height, smiling.

“Excellent! You’re so strong!” I cheered.
“Don’t forget to wish your mom a happy mother’s day tomorrow!” I whispered.

“You’re obviously a mom.” a man of about 60 said to me. He had a detailed system of packing his black duffle bag.

“I shows, huh? Hey, it looks like you learned precision packing from my mom. I was away that day.” I joked.

Children often have the responsibility of interpreting for parents, they pick up the language quicker because they’re taught English via ESL classes in most schools and then get integrated into classrooms.
These children are precious, they know the weight they carry for their parents and it makes them seem much more grown up.

“Happy Mother’s Day” I said to a young Spanish speaking mom from Columbia.

“Happy Mother’s Day” she said, smiling back at me.

“She knows what that means!” her son said, excitedly.
“I made her a surprise for tomorrow!” he whispered to me just in case.

Social workers are there to register new users, Olga (who looks exactly like she sounds) keeps a watchful eye out for new people (she’s been doing it for 9 years at various locations) and calls out the numbers for people to get into the grocery line like she’s calling a game of Bingo. Everyone listens to Olga. Welfare recipients gain their volunteer hours manning the food distribution stations but you wouldn’t know it until you see them collecting their own food at the end of the day. Church goers, social service workers, translators and recipients blend together. The economic blinds come down and we are all just people helping each other. We are respectful, kind, patient, loving, and funny.
Everybody served receives a week’s worth nourishment, a smile and a “God Bless You” and what I get back is immeasurable.

This is a great essay.
http://thisibelieve.org/dsp_ShowEssay.php?uid=44482&topessays=1”