#7 Second Harvest Food Bank

Yes, I'm THAT person that has to write their name in all caps, underlined, and three exclamation points.

For number seven of my thirty, I decided to do a volunteer service that I had taken part in before.  A couple of years ago I volunteered to do a food sort at Second Harvest Food Bank.  I loved it!  I worked in the pantry room sorting non-perishables.  I definitely think this kind of volunteering would be more fun to do with a group or at least one other friend because once you start sorting, it's a little chaotic and there's not really time for chit chat to get to know the people you are working with.  I don't mind this that much because it saves this socially awkward person from trying to think of things to say.  However, this food sort was somewhat different than that time two years ago...

So I walk in all excited to sort peanut butter and cereal when the gal in charge informs us that we will be working in the cooler.  Uh...I am not a person who likes to be cold.  It really takes everything within me to go skiing with the hubby because I hate the cold.  I will wear a sweatshirt until it is comfortably 80 degrees outside.  If I had it my way (and millions of dollars to foot the bill), the thermostat in our house would be set at a minimum of 75.  I still don't know how I ever survived in North Dakota.  This all being said, I was not thrilled with working in the cooler.  They offered us gloves, I took two pairs to double up.  They offered us hoodies, I took the unknown article of clothing and put it on over my sweatshirt I was already wearing.  Thank goodness for hoods!  Am I a baby and was I grumbling about this inside my head the whole time we worked?  Absolutely!  haha!  At one point I snuck away to the bathroom just so I could put my hands under the hand dryer. 

The photo of my frozen hands when I snuck off to the restroom to text B

If the cold wasn't bad enough, we were working with meat in the cooler!  I know some of you are laughing right now because you know me and the fact that I am NOT a meat person.  I cannot eat anything on the bone.  I almost gag just taking a boneless chicken breast out of the plastic package and putting it on the George Foreman.  When we buy a rotisserie chicken, I have to have B do all the cutting off the bone.  I have no idea why I am like this but I have always been a little neurotic when it comes to meat.  Sorting meat in the cooler was a little bit of a challenge because of my lack of knowledge of the matter.  I definitely got more than one weird look from the other volunteers when I sheepishly (hehe!) asked what animals certain meats came from or what had bones in it. 

He's a very smart man. :)

Now that I'm done complaining about how much I disliked this volunteer service, let me make some disclaimers.  In no way does my enjoyment (or lack thereof) reflect Second Harvest Food Bank.  When we finished and were thawing out in the warehouse, I was wandering around and saw some signs that made my iciness (man, I'm on a roll!) to the situation thaw a little.  Okay, A LOT!

These signs reminded me why I was there and why I decided to volunteer with them in the first place.  It is devastating that so many Americans suffer from hunger.  It is equally devastating how people who have plenty to eat like myself, take that for granted.  When all the volunteers were called back together, the lady in charge informed us that we had sorted 12,000 pounds of food!!! She said that is enough for over 15,000 meals!  Is that awesome or what?!  I immediately felt guilty for all of my verbal assaults to the cold that had gone on in my mind for the previous two hours.  For 15,000 meals and  providing a bunch of smiles on peoples' faces, it was worth it.  Would I do it again?  You betcha!  I think I would look a little more closely at the availability of the non-perishable room, but I would even work in the cooler again.  I guess what I'm saying is that B was right in his text.  Not all volunteering is super fun, but it will always be worth it.  One of the reasons for me doing the Thirty by 30 is to step out of my comfort zone and try new ways to help others and inspire others that are reading this to do the same.  What is something you thought about doing to help others that you were apprehensive about?  What in the world is holding you back?!  Helping others is always going to make you feel good no matter what you go through to do it.

For more information about Second Harvest Food Bank, go here:

http://www.shfb.org/

Until next time when I'm in a heated room... ;)