Hunger Initiative opportunities at the Wesley Evening Food Pantry!

Have you wanted to do something with this group? Lots of UUs volunteer at the Wesley Evening Food Pantry as part of our Hunger Initiative. Karen Ruhleder has volunteered for over a year and is impressed with the sense of teamwork at Wesley. She helps distribute the bread and sweets and helps customers pack their bags to make sure they fit in as much as possible within the household limit. She remembers one interesting moment: watching a mother talk her young child into picking cinnamon raisin bagels over chocolate cookies! Sandy Hannum has worked early afternoon shifts a few times. She was part of a crew that repacked a truck load of fresh vegetables (e.g., onions, tomatoes) into smaller bags. A meaningful part of this experience was getting to know an undergraduate nutrition student who was part of her work group. She helped with a special event at King School where food bags were packed for immigrant families. Cindy Loui has volunteered for over a year and others in her family join her when they can. She finds it very meaningful to be helping in such a hands-on way, to be interacting directly with customers and humbling to see the real faces and personalities of hunger and poverty in our area. Michael Loui has volunteered multiple times, directing traffic in the parking lot in the heat and the cold, replenishing the food lines, and helping clients shop. One gracious client told him the food was "a blessing." Karen Folk has volunteered since March and finds the volunteer work very fulfilling. With her Spanish skills, she has helped Latino clients select groceries, explaining the choices, etc. Like Karen R., she has mastered the skill of packing the bags in the best way to maximize the quantity of food the customers get. She really appreciates the enthusiasm and caring the other volunteers show to the clients and helping others with fewer resources reminds her of how privileged and fortunate her situation is. Jennifer Greene has volunteered for several shifts over the past year and a half. The crew she worked with unboxes the food that is being distributed. She fully enjoys interacting with the customers as they come through the food line, offering information about what food is available that evening. Upon occasion, she helps guide a Spanish-speaking customer through the line. Other UUs who volunteer at Wesley: Lynn and Carolyn Wiley, Sandy Finnerty, Umeeta Sadarangani, Marilyn Ryan, and Pat Nolan. The pantry is open on the third Thursday of every month. The next pantry date is Feb. 21. There are multiple ways you can help. Join us!