Change

That title probably got your attention.
We tend to have strong feelings about change, don't we?
Raise your hand if you have ever said "I hate change."

Guilty.  Very guilty.

In ministry, resistance to change is a major hurdle.  Attitudes like "we do it this way," "we always," "we never" grow like Virginia creeper around the foundation of a ministry.

1. "Sticky, disk-like appendages on its tendrils adhere to wall siding, making it difficult to remove. Removal could, in fact, cause damage to the wall. So do not grow this plant on walls unless you wish it to be permanent!"

Sticky. Difficult. Damaging. 

We have to take a hard look at our attitudes about change, particularly as it relates to our food pantries and other ministries, and be mindful of how we plant and prune.  

As a leader, it's important to not only to invite change, but also to build comfort around it with those you walk alongside. 

Even though this blog has been silent for awhile, there has been plenty going on in our ministry. Much has changed.   In the dreaming and planning stages, it seemed too hard to write about because God was still holding some of the details in His hands.

It's time to share now. 

In January 2016, I was given the opportunity to do this job as a part-time staff position.  This has opened the door for me to dig deeper, connect with the rest of the church staff, and take this ministry in the direction I feel God is calling it.  (See this post from 2015 about why I feel paid positions are important in this type of work.)

I had known for some time that our pantry (like any pantry following traditional models) was missing the mark.  Books like Toxic Charity  and When Helping Hurts point to issues we have been facing:  dependency, entitlement, and a lack of positive change in the lives of those we work with.  

Earlier this year, I learned we would have a relatively minor change in our physical space beginning this fall.  There were ways we could have adapted to this while keeping everything mostly the same.  It could have been simple.  Yet, it felt very clear to me that we weren't just being called to adapt to this one thing.  

We were being called to CHANGE.

I had a brainstorming session with a wise friend and God had put some of the same ideas on both of our hearts.  It's hard to explain the calm about all of this I've had because He made it so clear, beginning in this meeting, that this was what we were to do.  While there has certainly been work to make this happen, it has felt somewhat effortless.  

(If you've never let God drive a process before, I highly recommend it!  Once you get over that scary leap into trust, it's a great ride.)

I spent some time getting feedback from volunteers and others, and spent time calming fears and anxieties about change.

A group of volunteers and supporters who were willing to trust and try has made a tremendous difference.

So what changed?  

* We closed our Dollar Shop.  

I loved this concept, and in some ways it worked very well.  But over the past year, it had become burdensome.  We no longer had a dedicated leader for that ministry.  The donations got overwhelming.  There were issues with a couple of people abusing the system.

It took a volunteer at an early meeting to say what I was thinking.  I was afraid to close it. He showed me it was okay, and others supported this decision.

There is a fabulous clothing closet here in town, less than 2 miles away, where we now can send donors and those in need.

* We are launching a new Wednesday night program called The Dinner Table.  

While on the surface it may not seem to have much to do with the food pantry, it's roots were in that first conversation with my friend.  

I'll share more about this in a future post.

* We have moved to an appointment only system.  

Everyone has a 10 minute appointment for a talk with a pantry leader before going to select food with another volunteer in the pantry.

I know my friends who run food pantries are wondering if I've lost my mind.  Maybe.  But it seems to be working.  

We are fortunate that there are other traditional pantries in our geographic area to give us a safety net for doing this.  Those food recipients who are not willing to embrace the new system have other options.  We don't have to fear someone going without.

Look for future posts about the logistics of this.

Meanwhile, after 1 week open in this new system, it feels like we're on track.   I got this thoughtful feedback from the person who had our very first appointment:

"For several reasons, my recent appointment under the new pantry procedure was a great experience: 
I - More space, more privacy (for prayer requests), more personalized attention 
II- It is still and it is peaceful
III - I did not feel anxious to arrive (my place on the sign-in sheet)
IV- No congestion in the food area, saved time making selections. Food spaced out nicely. Easier to see variety of food items
V - Volunteers never rushed me but I pressured myself to make selections quickly because I didn't want to hold up others behind me [in the old system]
VI- Wait time reduced dramatically"

Change is good ya'll.  Seriously.

Stay tuned.

Snakes and doves

Matthew 10:16 says we should be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.

That's a tough row to hoe sometimes.

But sometimes, in this type of ministry, it has to be one of our guiding principles. I always say it's only 5% of people we have to worry about.  (That's just a guess, not a hard fact.)  That's in any crowd, not just the food pantry waiting room.

I like people to be happy.  I seek to avoid conflict.   I'd always rather be a dove.

It wasn't one of those week.

Last November, I wrote a series on a week in the life of a food pantry leader.  If I had written that this week, it would have been fodder for reality TV.  Or a sitcom.

In many ways, we are in a great season of growth and change.  Volunteers have been working diligently to get a computer system up and running for us.  We served record numbers of people in September, many of them new, without undue stress. We've had great conversations with those in need and others our community. We have witnessed as some people have found hope.  We have been given the opportunity to share many Bibles with adults, teens, and kids.

Kindness, goodness, and God have played a big part in this week.

 I sincerely am blessed to be doing this.

So I hope this doesn't come across as whining and complaining.  I think it is important, though, to pull back the curtain sometimes.  I don't think most people would believe the goodness I talk about that I see in people if I disregarded the rest.

It was a challenging week at our food pantry.  This is not the norm.

My friend Gretchen runs a sister pantry in town.  She was the victim of a "serial scammer" this week.  He lied and stole from her pantry, even after being given food.  It wasn't the relatively small loss of food, but the sense of violation that he left in his wake. He doesn't know the time and effort she put into that food he stole.  It hurts my heart for her, because I know how much she invests of herself in her ministry.

On Tuesday, during our open hours,  I was challenged.

We had a family bring in a child who seemed to fairly obviously have chicken pox.  On the one hand, I am praising God that this child was with his dad.  He has fought for custody for years because of the bad environment the kid was living in with his mother.  On the other hand, I have other guests to worry about too.
They came in with friends, all people who are lovely in their own right and known to us.  But it took awhile to get them to admit that they were unsure what was wrong with him and they were't actually certain he wasn't contagious. I think they were afraid we would send them away without food if we thought he was contagious.
By the time I got that sorted out, he had been in our waiting room for over 15 minutes.  We moved them out a bit farther away from folks.  Some volunteers offered advice about where to take the child, since they could not afford the copay most places.  They were worried about him, as am I.  But I am also worried about the many guests we have with compromised immune systems who were in that waiting room.
It was a hard call between being kind to this family (and not making the kid feel, literally, like a leper), and taking care of everyone else.


Shortly after, we had another couple come who we see fairly regularly.
Nice people.
Usually.
They talked to me about their 2 year old grandson and got some books for him.
They usually remember to bring their own bags. Since I never remember things like that, it always makes me happy to see that they do.
There are serious health and pain management problems for both of them.  There may be substance abuse issues, but that's just a guess.
They were in the waiting room later, when only 2 new young ladies with a toddler were there.  I was in and out of the room.  I didn't hear what happened.  But these young ladies quickly asked how much longer they had to wait because the husband of this couple  was speaking in a way that was offensive and making them uncomfortable.
I went to run this past my co-leader, and she said another week (when I was out), a similar instance happened with a volunteer.
I felt like I had to speak to him.  I planned to make it light, a "try to watch the language" suggestion.  Did I mention I don't like confrontation?  I admitted to him that I hadn't heard it first hand, but I had 2 separate reports from 2 different weeks,  and so I felt I needed to let him know.  His wife suggested maybe someone had misunderstood something.  (After I heard what was said directly to this volunteer, I know this is not the case.)  I agreed, and said maybe just be cautious if speaking about things that could be misunderstood.

He went ballistic.
He threatened to call the media on us.
I suggested he do just that, because we would welcome the chance to share the story of our ministry in a public forum.
By the way, did I mention that I don't get paid to do this and I will not be verbally abused and you're welcome for the free food.  (Okay, I probably said it more nicely than that, but that's what I thought. But mostly that's what I said.)
It wasn't my finest moment.

Perhaps my failing was less in that grace-less response, and more  that I was too much of a dove in approaching this situation and not enough of a snake.
Later, when I talked to the previously offended volunteer, we had a great conversation about root causes and the types of pain this family might be going through. There is room for grace here.  But next time, I also need to approach him with more shrewdness.

Oh, and while I'm dealing with chicken pox and offensive language and being yelled at and managing a pretty big crowd....someone stole from our Dollar Shop.  It was just t-shirts.  Quite a few t-shirts.  I would have given them away anyway if someone asked.  But really, why not just ask?   It wasn't the loss of the items.  That was no big deal at all.  It was the violation.

And yet, in all of that, I have been called to remember why we do this.

GRACE.

I have plenty of rotten, awful moments.  I am not perfect.  (Refer back to the conversation I had with  my yelling friend.)
God still loves me.  God still gave his son for me, and continues to give to me in big and small ways all the time.  I cannot loose His love, even in my worst moments.

My prayer is that God will help us demonstrate this type of love to our neighbors.
We need to welcome back the people who frustrate us, the people who steal, and lie, and treat us poorly, and yell.
I think we do these things to God all the time.  He always welcomes us back.

We not only need to allow them to come back, we need to invite them.  We need to have our arms open for hugs, and words of sincere kindness and forgiveness on our lips.

We need......I need..... God's grace to do this.

If you pray for our ministry this week, pray that we be filled with grace-filled love.




By the way, wondering how we know if someone is being honest?  Visit this post.

Food Pantry Utopia

Pretty soon, I will return this blog to the practical information some of you are looking for.  (I actually have a post in the works about how we source our food.  Stay tuned for that.)

Lately, however, I have had to contemplate what our pantry should look.  We are in the midst of restructuring our leadership team.   Mainly, I am trying to farm out chunks of the jobs my partner and I do to lessen our time commitments.  When we started this endeavor, we were serving less than 10 families each week.  We are now averaging close to 40 every week, and we've been on a upswing since October.  So, in the name of sustainable ministry and sustainable personal commitments, we are restructuring.

Today, as I was thinking over possible ways to divide the labor, I realized how little time is actually currently spent doing what we need to be doing.  Honestly, the typical volunteer led pantry such as ours simply does not have enough time, or enough committed and trained volunteers, to make such a vision happen.
Our time is largely spent in food acquisition, volunteer recruitment and retention, and administration. We carve out what time we can for relationship building, but there just isn't enough time to do it adequately.

In an ideal food pantry, here's what I would like to see:


Paid leadership
We are human.  Unpaid ministry is distinct calling and a spiritual discipline.  It is also very hard to maintain and easy to walk away from.  Paying at least one full time ministry leader, if not also one or two part time support staff members, will help keep leadership consistent.  People won't leave for need of money, and they will also have a better sense of their value, authority, and leadership.  These attributes will help with some of the tougher stuff when it comes to counseling and advocacy.  (And speaking of the tough stuff, if you pay someone to lead a ministry, you also can be more highly selective in finding a leader. You can expect certain skills and a level of education and experience to make these things happen.)
This wouldn't necessarily be a full time food pantry focused position, but perhaps a community minister, neighborhood advocate, or some other more encompassing position.


Relationship Building
Our pantry works in this arena, but certainly has much room to improve.
Learning why someone is coming to the pantry, and understanding root causes, is the first step in moving them out of the system and into a more sustainable place.


Focused Individual Development
Once root causes are determined, have resources in place to help someone turn their situation around.  There is no one size fits all program.  It might include financial counseling, job skills training, nutritional counselling, life skill coaching, etc..  It might involve some personal and spiritual counseling to help face the brokenness that lots of people we meet carry around, and that gets in their way of moving forward.
While your paid leader should be expected to have expertise in one or more of these areas to make this happen, they can't do it all.  Meaningful connections with professionals and experts are needed.


Volunteer and Job Opportunities
This is a natural extension of focused individual development.  Once someone is known, finding their place in making the system work is key.  If there are paid assistant jobs, trying to fill them with those who came through the pantry is ideal.
Eventually, your team should be filled out with a variety of current and former food pantry recipients.
Not only do they bring a different perspective to the process, but the appreciate the importance of keeping things going.  For those who need it, this also offers a chance for some skill development and resume building.
A couple of our key volunteers are also food recipients.  The best part of this is that they not only understand the system a different way, but know some of the people in line from a different angle. They can help us catch things (both good and bad) that we might otherwise miss.


Advocacy
If someone comes to a pantry, it's a flag to deeper issues.
Focused individual development will address those issues which are personal.
However, there are many causes which are societal.  For most people, there will be a combination of these two things, though the balance between the two may be different.
If you see patterns of issues that affect multiple guests, it's time organize with them and act.
Is there a lack of public transportation, keeping people from reaching better paying jobs?   Create a group of those affected and work together to advocate for change.
Is there one employer from whom you see many pantry guests?  Can you help gather employees along with a representative from your agency to talk to management and negotiate better wages?
Personally, right now my gut is telling me that our SSDI system has some deep systemic problems that are keeping people in poverty.  I have neither the skills nor time to address this. Higher level government advocacy and problem solving are sometimes needed.


Ongoing connection
The goal is to work with people so they can move out of this system, but it isn't to kick them out of the door so you never see them again.  If the relationship building part worked well, both sides will be invested enough to want to stay in relationship.
This is going to look different for every person.  Perhaps they will speak to groups about their experience.  Perhaps they will work with you in administration.  They may want to lead food drives at their place of business.  They might just want to meet you for a monthly cup of coffee, or be Facebook friends, or have an occasional phone chat.
Not only is this great for the individuals involved, but it also builds a large network of folks who care about your ministry and who might be available to help the next person along.



It would be a big, messy system that wouldn't fit neatly in anyone's box.  It would need to be led with flexibility, discernment, and wisdom.

For now, trying to lay a sustainable and balanced foundation is going to have to suffice for us.

Tips for First Time Food Pantry Visitors

I received a call yesterday from someone who is looking for food assistance for the first time.  It can be scary, and overwhelming, and downright humiliating.

(If you find yourself in need for the first time, you may also find this post helpful.)

Tips for your first visit

* Call ahead.  Try to find out as much as possible about the pantry you will be visiting before you go.  Check out their website, call and listen to their outgoing message, and/or try to speak to someone directly (though the last one is tricky since most pantries are volunteer run).
What paperwork do they require?  Should you line up early or is it better to come later?
Are there restrictions?  (This last one is a big one. I have heard of folks standing in line for an hour for a local pantry who were turned away at the door because they did not live in the right county.  Ask first.)

* Take ID and a current utility bill displaying your address with you.   Some pantries require more, but this is likely the least you will need.  Make sure the address on each matches the address on your paperwork.  If you have moved and not gotten an update ID, call the DMV for an official (free) change of address card.
If you are homeless (even living in someone else's home), check with the pantry on their policies.
If you have time and ability to do so, make a folder with birth certificates, current bills, pay stubs, etc. to expedite the process in case you are applying somewhere that needs more documentation.

* Prepare for a wait.  Just allow yourself at least an hour or two buffer until you know how the system works.  Even then, during busy seasons (usually summer and holidays) the wait can be longer than you expect.
If you have to squeeze it in on your lunch hour or before a doctor's appointment, try to call ahead and ask the pantry for advice.


* Try to find a sitter.   It is better to get the lay of the land on your first visit without your kids with you if at all possible.  Alternatively, take someone with you whose sole purpose is to help watch your kid.
Pantries are often full of shelves of stuff, and not safe places for kids to wander. Have someone directly supervise your child(ren) every minute if they must go with you for their own safety and the safety of others in the area.  This is also a courtesy to other pantry guests and volunteers.
Take things for your kids to do while they wait.  Things that are quiet and self contained are best:  books, paper and crayons, etc.

* Take your own bags.  You may not need to use them, but for pantries like ours it's always a blessing to save a few bags.

* Look for friendly faces and ask questions.  Whether it's another person in line or a volunteer, it's fine to let people know it's your first time and ask how things work.


* Prepare to become a creative cook.  Prepare your family to try new foods.  You will likely not receive items your family is used to eating.   Which leads directly to......

* Look for alternative sources of protein and ways to stretch protein.  Most pantries are not equipped to give you much fresh meat.  Beans and nuts are a great source of protein.   Many pantries will have canned meats, especially tuna, so be ready to look for recipes like casseroles and soups that can stretch a small can of meat for your family.



General Information about pantries

* Food selection process will vary based on the pantry.  A "client choice" pantry allows you to pick from a range of items.  Other pantries prepack food and you receive it sight unseen.

* Some of the people in line are "regulars" and may have been to multiple pantries.  They may have good advice for you.  They may also give you erroneous information about the process based on their own biases and sense of authority.  Always double check information with a volunteer / staff member.

* Volunteers are people too.  They may be having a bad day.  They may have been treated poorly by someone else in line, or really be burned out on the process.  It is unfortunate but true that some pantries and the volunteers who run them may make you feel unwelcome, unloved, or ashamed.  Please don't take that personally.  Pray for them, offer them a kind word, and know that they are trying to do a good thing, even if it comes out wrong sometime.
(On the flip side, if you open yourself up to it, you might make great friends with volunteers and other guests.)



Do you have other questions as you are getting ready for your first pantry visit?  Post them here.

How do you know if someone is being honest?

I get this question a lot.  It's often phrased like "How do you know someone really has need?" or "What type of information do you check?"

The simple and short answer is that we don't know if someone is being honest with us or not.  We extend them grace and acceptance, just like God extends to us, and we treat everyone who comes in the same.

Everyone who comes to us has need.  On the surface, everyone is coming for food and other types of material assistance. But we all need grace.  So if someone is coming to us without a sincere need for food, they still have a sincere need for grace and love and we try to demonstrate that.   A couple bags of food is a small price to pay for this opportunity.

Some pantries do an extensive amount of paperwork in an effort to keep people honest.  There is one large local pantry that requires a variety of paperwork (including birth certificates for everyone in your household), a signed referral from a church or other agency, and a waiting period while they check and verify all of your information.  I sign these referrals sometimes, which always generates a phone call to make sure I am a real person who really signed the form and verify the person is in need of assistance.
 I get it.  I really do.  They serve a lot more people than we do.  This is their approach at being fair.

We do check a photo ID and ask for a current piece of mail to verify the address given to us.  We check this about once a year on everyone, and reserve the right to do so more if we think something is going on.  We are lenient about giving folks a few visits to produce this documentation. We are lenient with those who are homeless in terms of verifying an address.   We have a 2 sided form that everyone fills out, which includes a pledge of honesty guests sign.
We have everyone fill out a brand new form about once a year. We go over their form with them every time they come in to make sure their information is correct.

Why don't we do more?

* It requires a large amount of volunteer time and effort to go more in depth with verifying info.  That time could be better spent in more productive relationship building with people.

* If someone is really committed to lying to get some free food, they will work the system no matter how complex.  If this happens, they obviously have some form of real need that should be addressed.

* If the system is too complex, vulnerable people will have barriers to getting assistance they truly need.  Someone who is elderly, illiterate, undereducated, chronically ill, managing a house full of kids, working multiple jobs to make ends meet, non-English speaking, etc. is going to have a hard time completing a pile of paperwork in a timely fashion and may get into a more deeply critical situation.

* It is far better for a person's spirit to assume they are being honest until you have reason to believe otherwise.  Believing the best about someone, especially someone who is going through a hard time, is a great gift.

* It is important to remember it's just "us" and not "us / them."
When I visited this large pantry, it was pretty clear that the staff and volunteers were superior.  This doesn't mean that there weren't some very nice people there.  But it was obvious from the way the application and check in process was run that they wanted to firmly establish the agency's dominance over it's clients.  It made me a little uncomfortable.  People were getting fed, but there was a subtle human cost.
My partner Laura does paperwork, files reports, keeps spreadsheets, etc. It is important to be business like and in control in some respects. We don't ignore this aspect.
However, a big part of how we know someone's level of need is that we try to get to know them.  We have conversations.  We hear their stories.  We laugh together and cry together and pray together. This takes time.                                                                                                                                
 My theory is that the "us-ness" of the way we run things is going to be very hard to stomach for those who might wish to be blatantly dishonest.   Either this approach is going to change their heart, or they are going to go elsewhere for assistance.  It happens, but those people are the minority.

* We've done this awhile.  We aren't naive. People lie.  Chances are, we can figure out pretty quickly when someone is being dishonest with us.  Even with our simple paperwork, Laura has a great mind for picking up when something is "off."
It is almost never because they don't have a true need for food and support.  It is usually centered around who lives in a household, because sometimes people will try to claim to be more households than they are to get more food.  (ie - Multiple adults living under the same roof may try to make up an address.)
A friend once told me that if she were desperate to feed her family, she was sure she would falsify information if it meant she could get more food.  It's dishonest but understandable.  We hope if someone is that desperate they will figure out that they can talk to us and we can see how to dig deeper with them to help improve their situation.  That's why we no longer distribute food based on family size.  We don't want to set up a situation where someone might be tempted into dishonesty out of desperation.
If we have a sense someone is trying to pull one over on us, we generally give them a grace-filled chance to correct it.  Asking someone to clarify something because we are confused or think we may have made a mistake on their paperwork is a good way to create a safe space for honesty.


Matthew 10:16 says we should be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.  That's where we try to land so that we can openly love on our neighbors while still being good stewards of our resources.

What makes us different?

Grace.

Our response to the grace God extends to us every day is to do the same for others.

Tips for donors: Money or food?

I am often asked whether we prefer donations of money or food.  My answer is both.

Each pantry and foodbank will be different.  In some cases, I suspect that very large pantries and foodbanks could do more with money.  On the flip side, smaller pantries with less man power may really need you to bring food directly to them.  Before you donate, contact the agency you are interested in helping to find their preference.

We are a suburban pantry that serves 20-30 families per week on average.  We are a member of  Feedmore (Central Virginia Foodbank) and therefore Feeding America.

Here's why I like donations of BOTH money and food:

Money

* Most of the year, we do not receive enough donations of food to serve all of our guests.  (November and December during prime food drive season is a little different.)  Money in reserve allows us to shop to fill in the gaps.

* We can sometimes do more with your money than you can.  If we are able to find what we need at Feedmore, we pay only a low shared maintenance cost to withdraw food (usually 19cents per pound).

* Sometimes we have nutritional gaps that need to be filled quickly.   If, for example, we are all out of protein and have some money on hand, we can go to the grocery store to fill in the gaps by shopping sales.  We generally can plan ahead to keep such emergencies from happening, but available funds help in a pinch.

* For some people, being able to give money is just easier.  Some people who really want to support us never would if they had to go shopping.  Making a donation in the offering plate or our church e-giving system is quick and easy, and allows those interested to support us and be involved in a way that fits their lifestyle.

* Sometimes we don't need food.  Sometimes we need supplies to help us acquire and distribute the food.  Since our ministry is more than just a pantry, sometimes we may need funds to support a ministry guest through other means than food.  Having funds allows us flexibility to do these things.


Food

* Direct donations of food save us as volunteers a lot of time and effort.  If you bring the food to us, all we have to do is put it away.  Going to Feedmore requires an appointment and a number of hours for shopping, hauling, unloading, sorting, and stocking.  Going to the grocery store still requires a volunteer to put in extra time to acquire food.  When you give us food, you allow us to use our time in other ways.

* Direct donations of food means we have more variety to share.  We are a client choice pantry, which means guest select their own food within certain parameters.  In our case, it is one item per shelf, and we try to arrange it logically.  Therefore, your can of beets might go on the vegetable shelf with cans of spinach, carrots, and asparagus.  Some of these might be organic, no sodium, vegan, etc..  Our guest can pick the item off that shelf that their family will be most likely to eat that best suits their nutritional needs.  If we shop, we might end up with case after case of green beans, which works fine, but doesn't allow the same nutritional variety.

* Direct donation of food helps prevent food waste.  If you buy a box of oatmeal, eat one pouch and hate it, you can give us the rest (as long as the individual pouches are sealed).  Someone else might like it.  You know that odd can of soup you picked up by accident?  We'll share it.  Don't have room to store that entire case of whatever that you bought at Costco?  Give us your extras.  We even take recently expired food, because most canned items are good for at least a year past date.  (You could eat it yourself, but if you really want to get rid of it, don't throw it out.  Let us check it first.)

* Donating food helps donors feel more connected to the process.  Writing a check can be too easy sometimes.  Our hearts are more engaged if we select the items and think about those who might receive them in the process.  Think about your kid's favorite fruit, or the new healthy item that you love serving your family, and then know another family might appreciate it the same way you do.  If you live alone, you are well suited to shop for items that may eventually go to someone else in a one person household.


Ask before you donate.
Anything you give will be appreciated, but if you want to have the greatest impact, contact the agency you wish to donate to and ask their preference.

If you are in western Henrico and would like to support our pantry with food OR funds, email me at care@gaytonchurch.org.

A Week in the Life of a Food Pantry Leader - Sunday and Monday

I thought it might be interesting to some folks to have an insider's view of what goes into running a pantry.
Note that this time of year is busier than others, not only because more people come for assistance, but also because there are more food drives and donations to manage. I could do the same type of posts 2 months from now and it might be very different.
Still, here is my week so far.

Sunday
Great service this morning focusing on how attached we can get to the things of this world.  That our church is feeding those in need each week got a mention from the pulpit, which makes me happy because (a) it is nice that people know what we are doing and (b) it will probably boost donations this week.

Making my way through the building to meet my daughter and go home, I got stopped by at least 4 different people with pantry questions and discussions, which is awesome because it means people are involved.

Sunday night the women's ministry hosted a dinner. I wanted to be on hand to thank everyone, answer questions, and take care of the donations.  They packed "Stockings for Seniors" using items donated by the youth.  We will give these out to about 40 of our senior adults that come through the pantry, many of whom are fairly lonely and isolated.  The stockings contained devotionals, lotions, candy, tissues, toothpaste, etc.
The women also held a Thanksgiving food drive, and collected huge amounts of Thanksgiving food.  Several ladies helped me shelve stuffing, potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, etc.  while the other women were filling stockings in another room.
I stayed after about 30 minutes to finish putting items away, but ultimately had to leave some things to work on Monday.
I texted my partner Laura with updates on the donations, so that when she shopped at the Central VA Foodbank on Monday morning she would have a idea of our new inventory.

(As a side note, at least 1 person at that dinner has needed help from the pantry before.  I hope I am the only person there who knew that.)

Before bed I responded to an email from a potential new volunteer.

Monday
I work at our church's preschool, which is on the same hallway as our pantry.  I feel blessed God gave me this gift so I can do 2 things at once most days.
On the way in to preschool, I dropped off bottled water in the fridge for our volunteers.
 I also dropped off milk and food items collected by my neighbor.  He volunteers at a local elementary school cafeteria and rescues unused food before it goes into the garbage.  The school won't take it back, but I will happily store it, transport it, clean it if needed, and give it away.
I also put an empty egg carton in our cabinet for the next time we get eggs that need to be divided.  I note that we really need to get eggs so that we can use up the surplus of cartons we have stashed away.

While I was working at preschool, Laura was shopping at Central VA Foodbank.  We have 4 trained shoppers who are allowed to go.  This week, 1 had to work (since she went for us last week) and 1 was out of town, which left Laura and I.  We both sub for the preschool on Mondays, so shopping for us means taking a day off.
She got many things we needed to fill in the nutritional gaps left even after recent food drive (think protein).  She also got soaked unloading the car because it takes awhile to move hundreds of pounds of food. Rainy days do not make for good shopping days.

After preschool, I went to help put things away.  I had a momentary panic about where all the food was going to fit.  About 90 minutes later, it all had a home. Laura has good spatial relations skills.
While we might have more than what we need in the short term, we know that there won't be such extravagant giving after the holidays, so it is good to have plenty of extra to hold over.

I also packed some bags to deliver to 2 senior adult ladies who are not able to get to us.
One is very concerned about healthy eating. She has heart disease and high blood pressure.  She avoids sodium, sugar, and refined white flour when she can, and does not eat red meat. I do the best I can with what we have to get some bags together she will appreciate.
 The other is a very picky  and poor eater.  I don't take her much out of our inventory because it will go to waste.  I look for only the things I know she will use that will help stretch her grocery budget.
On my way home, I deliver to the healthy eater.
While I'm in the car, I call the other.  She will have to wait until another day because I also need to run some errands for her, and she lives farther away.  I tell her to leave me her grocery list on a voicemail, because I will pick up items she pays for herself.  I remind her not to get too much, because she is facing eviction and will be moving any time now.  That's a long story for another blog post.

The phone was busy.  We have a Google voicemail box, so I can check messages on my phone or the computer, but I don't have to give out my phone number.
I talked to one potential new pantry guest, who had questions based on the pantry she used elsewhere before she moved here.  I explained how all pantries are different and gave her some tips for using ours.
I also had to call Food Donation Connection this afternoon, who has arranged our food rescue relationships with WaWa and Chipotle.  We just started picking up food from Chipotle last week, and they have not been putting things online like they are supposed to, so I had to call to report that.
I called one of the homeless couples I met on Friday for an update. (Homeless in our area often means living in a car.)  They are trying to get back home to Vermont.  After having met and talked to them a couple of times now, I feel like they are being honest about their situation.  I send an email to our missions pastor and local missions liason to see what we can do for them.

I confirm a breakfast meeting with a member of our missions council, and wonder if I should invite the homeless couple to join us.  I will wait and see what types of answers might come up before I call them..


Here's what tomorrow is supposed to look like.
8:45-  Breakfast meeting with a member of our missions council
10:20 - Pick up food donation from Chipotle
10:40 - Give a mini tour/talk to a 4 year old preschool class (Our preschool has been having a food drive.)
11:00 - Meet with homeless couple to help get them some more food.  It is tricky to find foods that work for someone living in a car, so I'd rather they didn't come while we are open to everyone.  I want them to have time to look around.
11:30 - Training session with 3 new volunteers
12:00 - Volunteers arrive
12:15 - Pantry is open
sometime between 2-3 (I hope) - Go home.  If it isn't too late, I will deliver to our other senior lady, but that is not looking likely.  I anticipate about 35 families through the door tomorrow.  (When it isn't close to the holidays, we often serve only about 20 families.)

Meanwhile, in the morning we will also have 2 volunteers organizing our Dollar Shop clothing closet, 1 volunteer picking up and delivering bread, and another volunteer setting up our check in and waiting areas.  We will have about 7 of us working while the pantry is open.
By the end of the day tomorrow, nearly 30 volunteer hours will have gone into our pantry for the day.

If I'm lucky, I'll have time to do a recap tomorrow evening.