Fed with Love

The Entrance to the Food Pantry

 

Speedy Service

 "Jeff! We need more bread and miscellaneous vegetables" shouts Lin, one of the lead volunteers behind the line at the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard. Jeff shuffles back through the door and into the storage area, returning a few minutes later.

"Here you are" he grunts, carrying two heavy boxes full of food.

"Perfect, thank you" Lin answers as she takes the boxes and puts them on the table.

"You'rrrre welcome" Jeff replies sarcastically, then saunters back inside to organize more items to keep the line moving smoothly.

The Parking Lot in Front

While the cars might be around the parking lot and almost into the street, the volunteers at Bloomsburg Food Cupboard haven't even broken a sweat. Their smiles still beam, and the laughs keep going. The genius car waiting system, created out of necessity mid-Covid when people could no longer enter the building, functions like a well-oiled machine. It gets orders filled for the clients within a few minutes of their arrival while still providing ample time to foster a deep personal connection. Relationships and efficient service make the foundation of the food pantry.

Trust the Process

Serving hundreds of families with tender love and care takes a lot of behind-the-scenes preparation. Six board members lead the Food Cupboard along with many other paid employees and a long list of volunteers. Executives on the team hold bimonthly meetings to discuss events, draft needs, and seek out donators. They direct people to collect from businesses and local farms. Collections can range vastly depending on the donor. Restaurants like KFC, Olive Garden, and Blooming Bagels often donate the extra preservable meals that didn't get sold. Farmers in the area give their extra produce and sometimes grow food specifically for the Cupboard. The hauls come together on Fridays, and are bagged, dated and stored in the proper locations. Newer donations go to the back of the fridge so that older stuff can get used first. Local farmers take any food past its expiration date and use it to feed their pigs. The fresh inventory in stock creates a list for each week. Proteins at the top, then groceries, and lastly other items like breads, eggs, and snacks. When the volunteers show up on Tuesdays and Sundays, they work by this list to know what items to serve and in what order. Figures b and c below, show the list and then how the tables would be set up to match it. 

(Figure B The List which becomes...)

(Figure C The "Shopping" line)

 

Setting Up

The volunteers usually trickle in an hour or so before the actual service time. They are an odd bunch of people from all walks of life; many college students, churchgoers, and retirees join and serve for years. Depending on need and time of their arrival, volunteers complete many smaller tasks prior to starting. The clanky aluminum tables need to be rolled out, locked in place, and have crates and colored boxes set on them to hold individual items. Parking attendants must mark out a route in the lot so that the cars can make a wide loop that doesn't snake over itself. The iPad registration system gets booted up and put at the rolling blue desk cabinet under the canopy. This system helps volunteers keep track of who comes, the amount of people fed, and how many cars were served each day. By their estimates, the Food Cupboard says that they feed around 350 families each month, giving about $50-60 worth of food out to each.

Go Time

D. A full box of food

The line is usually full stocked just before opening. This gives the volunteers a moment to decide or have decided for them where they need to serve. They can take on a variety of roles: some people take orders from the car, others fill the bags, stand behind the line to keep it full, or on the busiest days, a few will stay inside to fill new boxes for the crates. When each person has a post to stand at, the attendants in high visibility vests will start weaving through the cars to take orders. They ask for the name, number of people in the family, and what items on the checklist they would like. They then pin the lists to a clothesline for the next part of the system. The shoppers grab cardboard boxes, paper bags, or use the clients' bags if they supplied some. They read down the checklist and fill the box with food (Figure D) proportionate to the members in the family. As they go through the line rustling in paper bags and inspecting the fruit, they crack a joke with the people behind the table. They might even sing along to the 80's radio blasting on the speaker or share a recipe they learned that uses some of the items they're picking up. As soon as the box fills up, Amy, a hardworking mom and longstanding volunteer, takes them to the car and sends them on their way, but not before she asks how their week has been. 

Relationship Goals

Community relationships make the Cupboard special. Every volunteer strives to welcome and get to know the people who depend on them for food. One of many frequent returners, Foster, arrived late on Sunday. He ran in with his dad bod looking very distressed and out of breath. Lin noticed how flustered he was and checked in on him.

Lin (right) and her son Chris

She calmy asked "how are you doing"

Foster replied hurriedly, mumbling his words "Other than running like hell to get here because I forgot what time it was, I'm doing alright. At least the rain is letting up"

"Yeah, that's true" Lin agreed. Before she handed him his bags full of food, she gave him the choice of a salty or sweet snack.

"We have Oreos, ritz crackers, plantain chips, and gouda flavored pretzels"

"I saw you had candy apples earlier... " Foster muttered

"Oh, did you want some" Lin replied in her calm grandmother voice that makes everyone feel at home.

"Not covered in peanuts unless you want to see me break out in hives"

Lin chuckled at his sarcastic remark and wished him a good rest of his day. Lin remarked later how "the mission is to help people" but that "she enjoys the social aspect that it gives." She delights in the difference she makes in someone's week even if she's the only person they talk to. Many of their clients, especially within the older population don't leave their houses much from week to week. Seeing a smiling face and someone to tell their story to what keeps people coming back. When a volunteer cracks a friendly joke, it echoes you are welcome here, we want to feed you, we want to hear you. Chris, a volunteer of at least ten years by his reckon, remarked how he'd often get his ear talked off in line. "The people always have some great stories, .. but we had to keep them moving" The benefit of having so many volunteers and such a positive environment enables service like that. People hunger for food, but also for community. The Bloomsburg Food Cupboards feeds more than just empty stomachs, they fill hearts with the love they needed, perhaps just as much as a meal.

A Post Blog Invitation

     Bloomsburg Food Cupboard isn't an exclusive club to volunteers. They need people to help on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. To sign up, it's as easy as going to Bloomsburg Food Cupboard - Volunteer and following the instructions to select a time and date that works for you.

Bloomsburg Food Cupboard Building