As missionaries, we’re encouraged to be involved in service work in the community. When we arrived, we were told there was a local food bank who distributed boxes of food to people in need, and we attended a couple of their projects. It was a good opportunity to serve, and after seeing the need for more help, Pepper shifted into high gear. She talked with the volunteer coordinator at the food bank and said we have a group of young adults who are eager and willing to help… what could we do? Now, a few months later, our little missionary group attends food distributions multiple times a week, in locations all over the Valley.
Our mission leaders heard about our work here, and asked us to coordinate service efforts throughout the mission. That includes all of San Diego and its surrounding communities, and over 200 missionaries. We used the magic of delegation by asking various senior missionary couples to find organizations in their areas, then figure out how to put the young missionaries to work. They’re at food banks, thrift stores, churches, soup kitchens, senior centers, city parks, and a dozen other good causes. It’s been a rousing success, with those 200 missionaries contributing many hours of volunteer service every month.
For us, our morning begins when a trailer full of food is unloaded in a parking lot. There are boxes that volunteers have packed (in a central warehouse), pre-packaged food, frozen food, vegetables, canned goods, milk, juice, and on and on. It’s always slightly different– depending on what’s been donated or purchased by the food bank– and it’s an impressive setup when it’s all ready to go.
Volunteers stand on both sides of these piles as the recipients pull up in their cars. We load the food into their trunks or back seats. They move along, and another car comes through the line. It’s actually quite efficient, and I love talking (briefly) with the recipients as they come to my station.
Here’s our hard-working crew this morning:
Today we had a record distribution: nearly 600 cars came through our location! That means we fed at least 600 families (actually probably more like 800, since some cars receive double or triple portions because they’re collecting for other families). It’s a good feeling.