“Can I volunteer in your pantry tomorrow?”
“If you’ve seen one homeless person, you’ve seen one homeless person.” – Thurman Greco
“Can I volunteer in your pantry tomorrow? I know about food and can help you.” The man standing before me was short and sturdy, with a gray pony tail…a typical homeless person if I ever saw one. He wore secondhand store denim and had not one ounce of extra weight on him. His boots and backpack were in good condition but definitely not new.
HIS REQUEST REEKED OF HUMBLE. This man had humble down sooo well. Humble is important when a person is homeless and mentally together. The police hassle homeless people so they learn skills to stay out of jail.
A very lose friend of mine, Paul Schmeltzer, once explained two important skills a homeless person needs: the ability to be humble and the ability to remember names and dates flawlessly. Paul could tell me what corner of what city he sat on at 2:15 in the afternoon on the last Friday in August, 2010. “These skills are necessary for a homeless person because if s/he can’t be humble and remember details, then jail time is in the near future”.
For those homeless with mental health issues, details like humble, coherency, an exacting memory are extremely challenging.
But, back to the story.
CAN YOU WORK IN MY PANTRY TOMORROW? How did you know all my volunteers have prior commitments tomorrow? I got excited! I’ve fed over 100 people by myself before, many times. But, volunteers help. Help is help. My pay grade is the absolute lowest in town.
“SURE,’ I SAID. “Love to have you. When you say you know food, what do you have in mind?”
“I’m a vegan. I know about produce. I’ll prep all your fresh food tomorrow.”
Sure, whatever that means. “Great. I’ll see you tomorrow. By the way, my name is Thurman.”
“And, I’m Arlen. Pleased to meet you, Thurman.” With that we shook hands and off he went.
The next day, Arlen walked into the pantry just as I finished stuffing two van loads of fresh produce into the tiny room. Pretty well gone was humble. In its place was a person who obviously knows and loves good quality food. He went to work.
First, he hauled all the boxes of produce back outside the building to the sidewalk where most of the pantry shoppers would wait to get into the building. Then, he arranged the food. Just. So. He made a workstation for himself as he assembled a large, black, heavy duty plastic bag for the inedible produce. A box turned upside down became a prep center, and the produce was neatly placed around him.
Starting with the carrots, he picked up a bunch, carefully removed the tops, then arranged them for shoppers to select from.
He divided bananas into 3 groups: rotten bananas to be discarded, bananas to be used for cooking, and those fresh enough to eat raw. And so he continued until he had prepped, graded, and arranged every fruit and vegetable delivered to the pantry in the vans that day. Arlen examined every leaf, stem, item in every box. He discarded the trash, he arranged all edible fruits and vegetables in gorgeous stacks.
Shoppers in the pantry that afternoon went home (to wherever or whatever that was) with perfect produce: no yellow leaves, no soft spots, no bruises, no tops. Everything was ready to prepare…just as if it had been bought in Gracie Balducci’s or Whole Foods. WOW.
Once, during the pantry food distribution, I quickly went outside the building to check on Arlen…just to see how things were going. “Buenas tardes, Senora. Cual frutas necessitas hoy?”
What? I heard Spanish! Arlen was speaking with a shopper in her native tongue. By the end of the pantry day, he spoke with shoppers in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Haitian, Italian, Creole. Arlen was entertaining everyone.
I knew I was going to be taken to the woodshed for allowing the food distribution at the entrance to the building but it was such a gift to the shoppers to receive this beautiful food and to speak their native tongues that I figured early on that I would take the anger and press on.
AND, I DID AND IT WAS WORTH IT. Every bit of it! Months later, they still hadn’t gotten over Arlen’s visit.
Actually, it was visits.
From that point on, whenever Arlen came to town, he worked in the pantry. He made us all feel we were special because our pantry was vegetarian.
Each homeless person is a special personality and has a special situation which s/he deals with.
So, how is Arlen homeless? Well, he moves around a lot and has a selection of friends who host him when he’s in the area. When Arlen arrives, there’s always a flurry of activity because he participates in all the events. Arlen assembled tents and kept the grounds clean when we had our first pantry music festival. .
When Holly Post, his Woodstock hostess, put her house on the market to move to Rosendale, Arlen was upset. “Holly’s got her house on the market and we’re moving to Rosendale” he said with feeling. Wherever Holly goes, Arlen is going too. I’m sure that, although Arlen will miss Woodstock, he and Rosendale will love each other.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reservoir Food Pantry Begins Its Second Year
We’re STILL here! And, we’re doing better than ever.
Monday was a landmark day at the pantry. Last Monday, we moved our tables and chairs away from the parking lot of the Wastewater Treatment Plant and set up in our new shed.
WE’RE IN AN ADORABLE RED SHED WHICH IS PERFECT FOR US. We’re all so excited about this step forward. Our address is the same. The clients are the same. The food is the same. The only thing that’s different is the building. We’re distributing food from the building. We’re now indoors.
We all loved being outdoors last summer and may return there this coming summer. However, it’ll be nice to be working indoors over the winter.
As I opened the door of the shed, my thoughts were filled with trepidation. I had no idea what was going to happen or how the shed would be received by volunteers and shoppers. There was also a real question about whether or not the place would even work or not.
Well, shame on me. I shouldn’t have bothered. The whole pantry shift went off without a hitch:
Everyone was able to find the pantry shed even though it’s totally hidden from the road.
We were all able to get into the shed in spite of the step up. The few shoppers with mobility issues had no problem at all.
I was worried that the food wouldn’t fit. Well, that was a waste of time. The shed totally absorbed our entire monthly shipment as if it was just nothing. We weren’t the least bit overfull.
Sponsors who brought produce to our pantry had absolutely no problem bringing it to the shed. We get food from Migliorelli, Bread Alone, Shandaken Gardens, and Huguenot Street Farm every week. Everyone found us.
And, finally, we didn’t get any complaints about the shed being too small. It’s not too small. It’s perfect!
I send a heartfelt message of gratitude to everyone who worked to make this shed a reality. Bonnie, Sean, and Prasida chose the building after searching “high and lo” for just the right one. The board supported our shed with a unanimous vote. The Town of Olive had no problem with our idea and gave us a permit with no delay.
The only thing we’re missing still is the electricity. But, that’s coming. We didn’t need it Monday but we’ll be needing it when it gets colder.
The Reservoir Food Pantry couldn’t be more perfect. Thank you everyone who has helped make this pantry possible.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Charity, What Charity?
“GIVERS GIVE.” – Kim Klein
“Thank you for being so kind. It really helped to come here. You made my situation seem a little better” the woman said as she left the pantry yesterday. We hear words like this every week…every pantry shift. People are grateful for kind words accompanying a three-day-supply of food. At the pantry, they hear kind words and then go home (wherever and whatever that is) and put food in an empty refrigerator if they have one.
KIND WORDS ARE EASY. The most difficult task I’ve encountered in the pantry since 2005 is to teach people that we’re working with a new paradigm.
In the 20th century, our nation offered government-sponsored welfare programs, and volunteerism. Private charity extended stopgap efforts and emergency assistance feeding programs to deal with hungry people.
Now, in the early 21st century, welfare reform offers cutbacks and reductions in public assistance programs. Wages decline. Housing costs increase. Corporate’s favorite method for boosting stock prices is to lay off employees and downsize to increase profitability. While these techniques may increase the Dow Jones Average, they accompany deteriorating economic security and accelerate inequality. Our hopes for eliminating poverty have been abandoned.
People hold down two and three minimum-wage jobs. Paychecks cover only rent and transportation. Food assistance is no longer emergency. People rely on food pantries and soup kitchens for their food. For members of the Struggling Class, there is no money for food…not last month, not this month, not next month.
So, this wonderful new industry is developing which recycles food rejected from grocery stores, food manufacturers, farms. Food Banks divert food from landfills and distribute it to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters.
THE FALLOUT FROM THIS IS FABULOUS! Money is being saved on dumpsters, composters, compacters, and landfill fees. This responsible method of disposing of unwanted excess food also offers us the opportunity to be kinder to our planet as we improve our environment. Besides, why throw away good food ?
THERE’S ALL THIS FOOD OUT THERE. There’s enough food for everyone. Why can’t we just stop the push back and feed the people? When this happens, our lives (everyone’s lives) will be different.
IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT HUNGRY CHILDREN AND GRANDMOTHERS.
Pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, halfway houses are our tax dollars at work. The food effort is mostly manned by volunteers diverting food headed to the landfill. This recycling effort works to keep people from starving in the streets.
YOU CAN BE COMFORTABLE SHOPPING AT A PANTRY. Just walk up, ride a bicycle up, or drive up to your neighborhood pantry and shop for the food you need. Hold your head high, knowing that by shopping at a food pantry, you are helping reduce landfills and you are visiting a facility where your tax dollars are at work.
If you are still uncomfortable shopping at your neighborhood food pantry after a few visits, either try out another pantry or call up the manager and volunteer. You won’t be hungry anymore. You’ll meet new friends, get good exercise, and become very knowledgeable of food. You’ll be doing wonderful things for our planet too.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Don’t go Away. I need to talk to you.
“WE ALL KNOW ANGER. We also know how it kills our inner peace. And while most of us like the idea of forgiveness, it often seems a difficult thing to practice, especially when the source of our hurt is up close and personal.” – Mike George
“Don’t go away. I need to talk to you” the man aid in an authoritative voice as he walked toward me in the basement hallway of the Woodstock Reformed Church.
As I heard his voice, the hair on my neck began to stand up. I had just walked out of the pantry room for a moment. Stocking shelves in the pantry, I was preparing for the hungry who would be shopping soon. I’d been putting USDA canned green beans on the third shelf down from the top of a unit by a window.
“GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR. What can I do for you?”
“Well, for starters you can stop feeding all those people. Ever since you started working here, more and more people are standing in our halls. You’re feeding the unworthy hungry and I want it to stop. Right. Now.” he said with emphasis.
The man standing over me in the hall was fat, old, angry. His toes pointed outward…a sure sign to me he suffered from a backache. “I’m Ed Jabbs. I’m head of the building committee for this church and I want to see your files on the people who use this pantry.”
“I’m sorry sir. We don’t keep many files on our shoppers. We keep a journal where we record their names and number of people in each household. That’s all.”
WE’RE A PANTRY, NOT THE POLICE, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF.
“Well, you should. No one should be allowed in the pantry who isn’t on food stamps. You’re feeding people who shouldn’t be coming here to get this food. You’re feeding the unworthy hungry.”
“Just last week you gave food to a man who I know shouldn’t be fed. He’s a writer. He published a book a couple of years ago and he shouldn’t even be here. Writers make a lot of money. ”
I’d heard about Ed Jabbs. He was a story in Woodstock. He was head of the building committee, was not a pantry supporter, and was definitely not a Thurman Greco supporter. After all, I reported to the Food Bank, not him. “This man is definitely a threat to the pantry” was the thought going through my mind as he stood over me.
Forever a mystery, I had heard gossip: Some church members were afraid of him. He had once belonged to a church in Saugerties but left after some event when a few members there had had enough. He was reputed to drive an expensive car with Delaware plates, and lived in Saugerties.
Not a secret: He very definitely did not like the way the pantry in the church was being managed now.
And, he had grounds. Before 2008, the pantry served about 25 colorful characters on Thursday mornings and now with the economy in the tank, new hungry people showed up every week. Lines were getting longer and longer.
The Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program changed our nutritional guidelines to include fresh produce, 1% milk, and whole grain breads. Before the guidelines changed, shoppers got a jar of peanut butter, a box of cereal, a can of tuna fish and maybe a can of soup. Now, they received a 3-day-supply of food for everyone in the household. Fresh produce lined the walls of the pantry. Bread Alone sent over bread weekly and pet food was even available.
These changes brought not only hungry people but mountains of cardboard and, according to some church people, vermin. Some felt we were being overrun with vermin. No amount of reasoning convinced them of anything different. It didn’t matter one whit that there was not even one bug or mouse to be found in the pantry.
Meanwhile, here was this angry man staring at me and demanding to see files the State didn’t even require.
“Well, Mr. Jabbs, I can call the Food Bank and find out what files we need. However, the inspector was here only a few weeks ago, looked at all my paperwork and pronounced everything “excellent”. We’ve never done anything like this before. After all, we’re a food pantry…not the police.”
“Check into it NOW”! he said as he turned away, his toes still pointing outward. Mr. Jabbs turned and smiled at me then, displaying a mouthful of large yellow teeth.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
What? You’re STILL Here!
Can you believe it? We’re STILL here!
Reservoir Food Pantry celebrated its first anniversary yesterday with an open house at our pantry shed behind Robert’s Auction in Boiceville. Even with the wet weather, we had more guests than I ever imagined would come by! We celebrated our new shed and now will begin to distribute food from this place beginning Monday afternoon at 2:00.
On September 9, 2013, a band of four people who barely knew each other embarked on an adventure. By the time we had our open house, we had fed 2810 households composed of 1874 adults, 2315 seniors, and 747 children.
THAT SAYS IT ALL.
But, wait! Look at those numbers a bit. We fed more seniors than we did the adults and children combined.
OKAY NOW, THAT SAYS IT ALL.
The 501(c)3 application was a joint effort with Sean putting in about 95% of the work. This was a successful first project. We received our approval!
I guided us through the Food Bank process. We’ve been an agency for several months now and, on July 1, 2014, we became eligible for a HPNAP line of credit offering food for the growing number of hungry shoppers.
Prasida tracked the funds from the very beginning.
Bonnie became the writer for all our activities including taking meeting minutes and writing press releases.
Bonnie, Sean, and Prasida inspected every empty building along Route 28 in the Ashoken Reservoir area. Many were perfect for our needs except for the rent. We simply couldn’t afford what they asked.
FINALLY, TOWNSPEOPLE CAME TO OUR RESCUE:
John Parete is extremely generous with his restaurant. Most of the people on our homebound list are fed from stock kept in the “Bodega”. We have a freezer and refrigerator there also. And, (very importantly), no one minds if we bring in food throughout the week. John always greets us with a smile and is donating the space. The only flaw in this scenario was that we didn’t ask him sooner.
The Wastewater Treatment Plant people in tandem with the Olive Town Board is supportive. We drive up to the parking lot on Mondays as if we own the place. And, for the short time we’re there, we really do own the parking lot. It’s a squatter’s rights kind of thing.
Beecher Smith is generously sharing his property behind the Robert’s Auction so we can have our sheds. We simply cannot distribute food from the parking lot through freezing temperatures and snowfalls.
FRESH FOODS COME FROM FAR AND WIDE:
Bread Alone
Migliorelli Farm
Shandaken Gardens
Huguenot Street Farm
Food Bank of Northeastern New York
Prasida and Francine drive up to the Food Bank every Monday morning for food. We distribute this food as if we’re at the entrance to the Versailles. As far as I’m concerned, we are at the entrance to the Versailles.
Canned, dried, and boxed goods come from the Food Bank. Volunteers have food drives at the Boiceville IGA one Saturday every other month. Monthly food drives are held at the entrance to the Kingston Walmart. Members of the Wesleyan Church had a food drive for us at Christmas.
Esotec beverages is generous with periodic donations of juices and other beverages.
Food from the Food Bank is recycled. The produce, dairy, and bread given to us at Latham is all on its way to the landfill when it gets diverted and sent to the Food Bank, then on to pantries, shelters, half way houses. The canned goods are diverted at the grocery store from the landfill. Cans are dented. Many are outdated. Some have no labels anymore.
As more people find us, 2015 promises to be more eventful than 2014. Each week, people walk, ride bicycles, drive cars to get to our pantry. It’s time to focus on developing systems and procedures given to me by my superiors at the Food Bank.
Most people who shop at our pantry are Resource Poor. They routinely choose between food and rent, food and medical expenses, food and transportation. Resource poor are also food insecure. They lack, at times, enough food for an active, healthy life for the household members. Food insecurity comes in 2 categories:
Food Insecure
Very Low Food Security
When we talk very low food security, we know some have limited access to grocery stores. Their food comes from gas station food markets, and convenience stores. I’m not running down gas stations and convenience stores. But it’s hard to find food that really nourishes there. Vegetables and fruits are scarce. When they are available, they’re expensive. Salt, grease, and sugar are in abundance. Fat is cheap, available, and filling.
The area surrounding the Reservoir Food Pantry is just such a place. A person, for example, living in Shokan is miles from the Boiceville IGA. This trip becomes very challenging if there is no car or other means of transportation.
Lack of transportation in the area makes for a very strong take out department. Many shoppers are unable to get to us. We’re seeking volunteers to pack and deliver food to yet more homebound households.
Disaster preparation looms large in our area – whether we’re ready or not. We’re the strongest pantry in the Reservoir area and may be called upon in the event of a disaster. The aftermath of Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy was difficult for this area. Many lost everything: home, job, car.
We are all grateful for the sponsorship of the Zen Mountain Monastery without which we would never have even gotten to first base. The ripple effect of this generosity is traveling far and wide through both space and time.
So…we’re still here. We hope to be here in the future. We plan to be here in the future.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Pea
We’re
Food Pantry Blog – Get Your Flu Shot
Flu shots are available in Woodstock now. Those of us with enough money or with insurance can hike ourselves over to the CVS or Village Apothecary and get “shot”. I’ve personally been getting flu shots for over 25 years. And, because of the inoculations or because of the luck of the draw, I haven’t had the flu in years.
Have you gotten your flu shot yet?
When I ask people in Woodstock if they’ve gotten their flu shot yet, many of them respond with an enthusiastic “NO!” and then proudly explain that they don’t do inoculations.
Others, however, explain truthfully that they don’t have the money for such frivolities. After all, if they don’t even have any money beyond the gas and rent, how are they going to scare up the funds for such things as health insurance or flu shots?
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
FOOD PANTRY BLOG: They Came Up on Bicycles
“EACH OF US IS PUT HERE IN THIS TIME AND THIS PLACE TO PERSONALLY DECIDE THE FUTURE OF HUMANKIND. DID YOU THINK YOU WERE PUT HERE FOR SOMETHING LESS?” – Chief Arvol Looking Horse
SHE HAD A BACKPACK. He had more of a knapsack. They rode over hesitantly, cautiously, on bicycles.
“Hi” I said in my most inviting tone. “Welcome to the pantry. Have you been here before?” Actually, I knew the answer but wanted to help them feel more at ease.
“No.”
“COME ON OVER TO THE TABLE. Sign in. All we need is your name and the number of people in your household. Then, start shopping at the end of the table here and work yourself down the line of food. Take all the produce you can eat in 3 days. We’ve got onions, carrots, greens, oranges, tomatoes. You’ll notice that much of our produce is labeled “organic.” Take one each of the different canned items. Take a can of crushed tomatoes, juice, green beans, organic vegetable stock. Be sure and take some Bread Alone bread.”
They walked over, gently touched the food as if in a museum store. Quietly, between them, they argued over what they could carry home. It seemed to them we were offering more than they could get home.
“How did you hear about us?” I asked? I didn’t expect an answer. They were too uncomfortable. “We hope you’ll come every week. We open every Monday at 2 p.m. And…don’t forget to tell your friends, relatives, neighbors, enemies. We’re brand new here and trying to spread the word.”
A TYPICAL FIRST FIRST, THEY ACTUALLY MANAGED THE EXPERIENCE QUITE WELL.
They finally agreed on what they could carry and headed off home, wherever and whatever that was.
Most people shopping at our pantry can be labeled resource poor. The resource poor routinely choose between food and other necessities:
food and housing payments,
food and medicine/medical care,
food and transportation,
food and gasoline.
People in the resource poor category are also food insecure. They lack, at times, enough food for an active, health life for the household members.
According to the Feeding America survey (I participated in this survey, by the way), about 75% of those shopping at pantries are food insecure and 80% of those households have one or more children.
Food insecurity comes in 2 categories: food insecurity and very low food security, which is a more serious lack of access to food.
When we discuss very low food security, we know that some have limited access to grocery stores. This means their food comes from gas station food markets, convenience stores, and pharmacy grocery shelves.
Woodstock and Boiceville are such places. In Woodstock, two very upscale stores sell organic foods: Sunflower Natural Foods Market and Sunfrost. Both Sunflower and Sunfrost also offer non organic foods of the fresh, frozen, canned, and bagged variety.
Both claim to offer non GMO foods as well although, for the life of me, I don’t understand how a merchant can claim such a thing. Between the two of these stores, Sunflower has more organic produce and food products than Sunfrost.
Woodstock Meats offers products from local farms which, to me, seems to be a more honest label. No one is ever fooled into thinking s/he is getting organic food when the case is otherwise.
The Bear Cub Market next to the Bearsville Post Office is an upscale market offering what the purveyor considers to be the very best available of whatever it is he sells. He stocks his shelves with canned, boxed, fresh, refrigerated products.
Both Woodstock Meats and Bear Cub are totally honest about their products. No one is fooled into believing that something is what it is not.
For those on limited budgets, food is available at the CVS, Cumberland Farms, and Rite Aid Pharmacy in Woodstock.
Olives and the Citgo Station in Shokan out Boiceville way offer foods also.
Olives offers food for humans as well as pets and a small assortment of toys and household items. Yogurt and cheeses are available in the dairy case. They also sell deli sandwiches.
The food mart at the Citgo station across the street carries more beer, chips, candy, and olives than Olives.
Two grocery stores are in the area: Hurley Ridge Market in West Hurley and the Boiceville IGA in Boiceville. For the person whose transportation is limited , these stores are inaccessible.
After Superstorm Sandy, the Boiceville IGA was closed for a couple of months because it had water damage.
But, back to the couple on the bicycles. They shop at the Reservoir Food Pantry often now. They’re much more comfortable with the experience. And, their extremely limited budget has been eased a bit by our offerings.
Peace and food for all.
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Thurman Greco
Food Pantry Blog – The Fat Lady Sings
“The past, with its pleasures, its rewards, its foolishness, its punishments, is there for each of us forever, and it should be.” – Lillian Hellman
MIRIAM’S WELL, THE PANTRY TRUCK, BECAME A MIRACULOUS EVENT FOR ALL IN THE PANTRY. The shopper census in the building dropped by one third because of the food being distributed in the yard at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, in the parking lot at Woodstock Commons, and outside the Community Center in Woodstock Meadows.
IN THE BIBLE, MIRIAM’S WELL SUSTAINED THE JEWS IN THE DESERT. In the modern day Woodstock food pantry, Miriam’s Well, the pantry truck, sustained both shoppers and volunteers as we fed the people. The environment offered in the back of Miriam’s Well encouraged dignity and community. Volunteers craved the dignity and community as much as the shoppers.
“Today was a day right out of a Bible story. I’ve never experienced anything like this! We were almost traveling back in time to the age old gathering at the well.”
“Today at Woodstock Commons was absolutely fabulous! When that little boy ran around the community telling every one we were here, everyone was so happy.”
“Being at St. Gregory’s was so much fun! That tree we park under seems magical.”
“The people at Woodstock Meadows are so happy to get the produce. Many of these people really can’t make it to the pantry.”
MIRIAM’S WELL, THE PANTRY TRUCK, WAS THE PRODUCT OF VOLUNTEERS WORKING TOGETHER TOWARD A COMMON GOAL. The success was 100%.
WE HAD DONE MUCH FOR THE PEOPLE OF WOODSTOCK. Pantry systems were in place so solidly that they were a “lock”. The pantry was “running on autopilot” and going to function perfectly well without my services.
There were volunteers who wanted to move up in the pantry world.
There were volunteers who wanted to be the coordinator.
There were volunteers who wanted to take over pantry management.
There were volunteers who wanted to make more decisions.
The Building Committee was certainly ready for new management.
I had a book that I’d been putting off for several years. It was calling to be finished. I’d dreamed about taking writing classes.
Peggy was the best take out manager on the planet.
Guy Oddo had been “living” the pantry for several years.
They would make a wonderful foundation team for the new pantry management. They were well known, well liked, and respected by both shoppers and volunteers. They were active in their local congregations so they would represent the Interfaith Council faction well. They were both knowledgeable of Food Bank policies, guidelines, rules. They both believed in following the rules and they were both honest. They would be acceptable to the Food Bank.
The shopper population at the Woodstock Reformed Church was significantly reduced. Pantry deniers were going to have a difficult time complaining about extreme overcrowding in the building with significantly fewer people in the halls.
EVEN WITH THE REDUCED NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WERE BEING SERVED.
A NEW PANTRY OPENED IN BEARSVILLE WHICH WOULD FURTHER REDUCE PANTRY CROWDING IN THE BUILDING. Fr. Nicholas was opening the pantry at the Holy Ascension Monastery 7 days a week. He had a plan for controlling the lines: call ahead to tell him you’re on the way. His number: 845-679-0600. Dignity, caring manners, a smile and the best food Fr. Nicholas could bring to the monastery pantry.
THAT WASN’T THE WHOLE STORY. People from surrounding communities were asking about starting pantries in their communities. Along Route 28 there are no pantries from Phoenicia to Margaretville. People were asking.
One evening, I was taking a rare moment to enjoy a perfect Woodstock evening. The temperature was cool. The sky was indescribably beautiful. I couldn’t help but stop for just a minute to sit on a bench on the Village Green.
A nice young couple came up to me and talked about the need for a pantry in Boiceville. Sean’s pitch was convincing. I bit.
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2013, THE FAT LADY SANG.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Think Globally – Act Locally at the Food Pantry
“It doesn’t solve the problem” she said. “We should be solving the problem.”
WE WERE STANDING IN THE HALLWAY OF THE PANTRY. Hungry people jammed the place. Even with the heat turned off, it was warm, just from the body heat of the crowd. Someone had invited her over in hopes she’d see the people and be motivated to write a generous check to the pantry.
THE WHOLE SCHEME BACKFIRED. “There was an ad in the paper on Sunday” she said. “These people should all be out applying for jobs.”
Yeah. Right. We’ll all line up and apply for the job you saw listed, I thought. Besides that, many of these people have jobs. Some of them have more than one job.
“Well, I can see your point,” I replied. Certainly, on some levels, a pantry does not solve the problem. However, there are many problems to be solved when we talk hunger. “Pantries do solve some of the problems.”
Take, for example, the problem of food waste and landfills.
We need to all understand where the food fed to people in pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters comes from. It’s mostly diverted from the landfill. This diversion can reduce the waste stream, thus saving much money on local, state, and national levels. Currently, the amount of food discarded annually amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars according to the recent Feeding America survey.
FOOD SERVED IN OUR PANTRY IS DONATED FROM GROCERY STORES, FARMS, FOOD MANUFACTURERS. It’s delicious, nutritious, beautiful, mostly organic produce which should never have gone to the landfill to begin with.
For the most part, pantry and soup kitchen workers are volunteers doing a necessary job for no money. This is our tax dollars at work.
THE FOOD IS AVAILABLE. The people are hungry. When people shop at a pantry, they may save money which they can later circulate in the community.
Even though many elected officials are very much against SNAP, the funds spent with this program go directly into the community. This is a financial boost that every town, hamlet, and city can use.
WE ARE A NATION WITH FEW PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS. Our country’s oil industry has powerful lobbyists who leverage enough influence so their clients pay no taxes.
To feed the poor of our nation with surplus food offers them the opportunity to put more gas in their cars and get to more of the low-wage jobs they hold down. The trend is toward a person working 2 or 3 jobs. If we are too rough on the poverty stricken struggling people, they won’t be able to get to their jobs and then where will we all be?
We need more pantries to make more food more available. We need pantries in schools, churches, synagogues, town halls, hospitals, anywhere people congregate.
WE WANT TO AVOID HAVING PEOPLE DYING OF HUNGER.
Peace and food for all.
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Thurman Greco
I Need a Gun in the Food Pantry
“There is nothing that can’t be solved by the use of high explosives.” – Joshua Garner
“I’d like to get an application for a gun permit, please.” I said, the only little old gray haired lady in the room. I was finally first in line at the government office at Golden Hill in Kingston.
The counter person, an overweight man in his 50’s, could hardly contain his laughter as he handed me the form. “That’ll be $5 please, miss.”
I handed him the money and started to walk away. Then, I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I turned around to him and said pleasantly “Will you sell me 3 more applications, please? I forgot the girls in my Senior Yoga class asked me to get applications for them, too.”
I pulled out $15 more and put the money on the counter. The man gave me three more applications and then I walked away. I had no idea who I was going to give the applications to but I remembered the old “Alices Restaurant” song about three people or more people doing something and being a movement.
When I got home in Woodstock, Barry was sitting on the sofa surrounded by his cats as he read the latest thriller. “Hi Thurman. How’re you doing?” he asked without looking up as he took a few grapes from a large fruit filled bowl on a table beside the sofa. .
“I WANT TO LEARN TO SHOOT A GUN. I want a gun.” I replied. “I got the application today and I want you to teach me to shoot a gun.”
“What!?”
“I want you to teach me to shoot a gun. I know you can. You didn’t spend all those years sneaking off to the CIA and NSA without knowing how to use a gun. They even gave you a medal or award or something at the CIA once. For all I know, you’re a damn bazooka expert. Maybe I want to learn that too.”
“YOU CAN’T DO THAT! You might accidentally shoot one of the Chihuahuas.”
“Well, I’m tired of asking pantry volunteers to be bodyguards. It’s not safe when I’m working in the pantry after hours. I haven’t felt safe since that incident with Mike and Mike and the air conditioner. And, I’m not one bit afraid of the shoppers.”
“Listen, I know your job is difficuIt Thurman. Not even a Marine drill sergeant would do what you’re doing. But I don’t know about a gun.”
“I know, I know. I should be more comfortable with everything that’s happening. After all, I did live fifty miles from headhunters in Venezuela but that was all a long time ago. This is the 21st century. That Maglite I bought a while back just isn’t the same as a club. I need something more powerful.
“I’ve lived with guns my whole life.” I continued. “My father wore a pistol every day to work in his law office. Everyone in my family carried guns and had rifles in their cars. My grandmother kept a rifle in her bathroom.”
” TG-YOU’RE JUST NOT THE GUN TYPE. I don’t care what you say about your relatives carrying arms. Besides that, I sold my last gun years ago. What about a knife? Let me teach you to use a knife. A good knife will cost much less and you won’t need a permit. You won’t need bullets. It won’t require maintenance. It’ll be easier to carry and use. I’ll give you lessons. Nobody will ever know. Leash up the Chihuahuas. We’re going to Warren Cutlery right now.”
And, so he did. He took me to Warren Cutlery. I held several different knives to see how they fit in my palm. My first choice didn’t pass muster. “That knife is too big and too heavy” Barry said as he pointed to a smaller model. “You need something small enough that you can open quickly. If you’re too slow, your attacker will have you down before you get it open.”
So, I chose a smaller, lighter model that happened to be on sale.
And, off we went. He taught me to use and carry a knife. He taught me how to open it quickly but never bothered with teaching me to close it fast. “That part’s not important” he said as he helped me practice.
And, he was right. A knife is quiet. It weighs less than a gun. I don’t need a permit. I don’t have to worry about shooting one of the Chihuahuas by accident. And, unless I go through a metal detector before I take it out of my purse, no one has a clue. I’m just a sweet little old gray haired lady in a Prius tootling down the road 5 miles below the speed limit.
Before it was all over, he bought me a second knife…a smaller one which I kept open on the counter in the pantry ostensibly to open cardboard boxes.
Thanks for reading this blog/book.
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Please send a comment.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman
