This week was a very busy one for Jen and I. We changed apartments within the same building, which is the same as moving, but with no truck. Our place is a shambles, but we took time out to get back to our friends at Lakeview Pantry, and as it turned out, it was a good thing we did.
I had been feeling sick with a cold most of the week, and so I was a little reluctant to go work. I almost bowed out because the last couple times we have been at the Pantry, there was a very small crowd. I sucked it up and decided to go because we always have fun there, and I thought it would pick me up. When we got there, things were humming along as usual, with everyone working to get ready for distribution. Jen and I have become "meat experts" because we know how much to bring out and in what quantities, and so we jumped right in with that.
Because the supply of meat to the Pantry varies from week to week, there people who pull the meat for distribution have to look at what is in the fridge and the freezer and come up with four categories of offering - beef, chicken, pork, fish, turkey, sausage, miscellaneous. You have to have at least 20, but preferably 30 of something in order to call it a category. Sometimes, this means you have very odd groupings. Usually, it is beef, chicken, pork and miscellaneous, but sometimes you have to get creative. The other thing s that you have to arrange to make sure you give away fresh items before frozen because they will go bad other wise. This time it was easy because there was plenty of meat, or so we thought...
When the doors opened, a tidal wave of people came in. It was the biggest crowd I have yet seen at the Pantry, and it included some of the more "interesting" patrons we have come to know. Sadly, I did not get the total number of people we served that night, or the total number of people fed (this number includes the families). Average is about 40 patrons who feed something less than 100 people. I bet the number of patrons was over 50, with a really big number of people fed, because it seemed like every other patron was collecting food for a family of five or six people. Long story short, it was a big night.
For all that it was busy, it was also a lot of fun. The line moved pretty well because we had a lot of experienced volunteers. When it gets busy like this was, you have to set food out and let them pick what they want, without letting them look at the shelf behind you and ask for specifics. We try to make sure people get what they want when we can, but when it gets this busy, that kind of specific choice has to go by the wayside. So the line kept moving. The patrons were very patient, and did not grumble much, which we do see sometimes when there is a long wait. It was very warm, but everyone did their best to coexist, and it was a very pleasant night.
As it turned out, we had to have volunteers stock more meat and milk and eggs before the night was over because the demand was so high. I was giving out canned goods - tuna, beef stew, veggies, applesauce, peanut butter and jelly, soup, etc. and while I did have enough, for most things, I ran out of selection choices as the night went on. By the end, all of the volunteers were just about dead on our feet. When you distribute, you have be "on" for the patrons. You have to chat them up a little and talk them through the choices you have for them. That kind of focused attention helps the patrons have a positive experience, but when there are this many people, that positive social energy combined with the physicality of handing out the food makes for an exhausting combination. In spite of that, I think all the volunteers had a really good time. Everyone was very cheerful at the end, and amazed at how much food we gave out. We all cleaned up together and left thinking very positive thoughts.
Even though that kind of effort did my cold no favors, it did great things for my spirit, and I was really glad I decided to come.
To learn more about the Pantry, visit Lakeview Pantry.
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