This was originally published as part of "The Life of Zack" series on "I Am Medley.
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Volunteering at the Cadiz Food Pantry was an important part of my life for quite a few years, until work and being an adult got in the way.
It all started on the first Thursday of 2010, the 7th of January. My brothers, Nathanael, Mitchell & I went with Gary from our church and our Pastor to help unload the trucks that deliver food from the Mid Ohio Food Bank. It was my first time doing anything like that.
At that time, the Food Pantry was run by sisters Betty and Edna. They were hard workers, and I later learned they had served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Betty liked to bark orders and Edna was a good listener.
I miss them very much. During the time when I got busy with work and couldn't find the time to volunteer anymore, I got word that Betty and Edna's health was failing and they were moving to Texas to be closer to family. Later I learned that Betty had passed away.
I made a lot of other friends during my years there: Mattie, Johann, Mary, Virginia and Gladys - just to name a few.
Anyway, that very first day we helped unload trucks. We continued to help them unload trucks on the first Wednesday of the month for the next year or two. Later on, perhaps late 2012, (I didn't keep good notes back then) we began to help them on distribution days, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Back in those days, we would arrive early before the pantry would open and we'd prepare boxes of food for the different families, according to the number of people in each family.
Over time, I got involved in just about every aspect of the food pantry operation. I never learned the office paperwork part of things, but I helped sort, stock and inventory. I even would go to the garage outside town where the Mid Ohio Food Bank deliveries would come and help divide the food between our pantry and the others in the area.
Volunteering was a very rewarding experience for me. I enjoyed all the time I spent with the Cadiz Food Pantry.
In more recent years, I've popped in to help out a few times a year. It's a little different now. Under new management, the pantry has been updated so that people can shop for food they will use, so that nothing goes to waste. The main work that needs done now is unloading trucks, putting things on the shelves and helping people carry food to their vehicles, having eliminated the need to box food in advance.
Someday I may be able to work some more volunteer work into my schedule and I look forward to it.
It all started on the first Thursday of 2010, the 7th of January. My brothers, Nathanael, Mitchell & I went with Gary from our church and our Pastor to help unload the trucks that deliver food from the Mid Ohio Food Bank. It was my first time doing anything like that.
At that time, the Food Pantry was run by sisters Betty and Edna. They were hard workers, and I later learned they had served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Betty liked to bark orders and Edna was a good listener.
I miss them very much. During the time when I got busy with work and couldn't find the time to volunteer anymore, I got word that Betty and Edna's health was failing and they were moving to Texas to be closer to family. Later I learned that Betty had passed away.
I made a lot of other friends during my years there: Mattie, Johann, Mary, Virginia and Gladys - just to name a few.
Anyway, that very first day we helped unload trucks. We continued to help them unload trucks on the first Wednesday of the month for the next year or two. Later on, perhaps late 2012, (I didn't keep good notes back then) we began to help them on distribution days, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Back in those days, we would arrive early before the pantry would open and we'd prepare boxes of food for the different families, according to the number of people in each family.
Over time, I got involved in just about every aspect of the food pantry operation. I never learned the office paperwork part of things, but I helped sort, stock and inventory. I even would go to the garage outside town where the Mid Ohio Food Bank deliveries would come and help divide the food between our pantry and the others in the area.
Volunteering was a very rewarding experience for me. I enjoyed all the time I spent with the Cadiz Food Pantry.
In more recent years, I've popped in to help out a few times a year. It's a little different now. Under new management, the pantry has been updated so that people can shop for food they will use, so that nothing goes to waste. The main work that needs done now is unloading trucks, putting things on the shelves and helping people carry food to their vehicles, having eliminated the need to box food in advance.
Someday I may be able to work some more volunteer work into my schedule and I look forward to it.
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I've decided to start ending my blogs with songs that I like. I do not own or endorse the music or artists, unless otherwise noted. Please enjoy my selection of the day.
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