There’s Always More…The Refrigerator, Cont’d
“Hunger is not an issue of charity. It’s an issue of justice.” – Jacques Diouf
The refrigerator in the barn worked fine. We brought eggs into the pantry, put them on the shelves and served the food to the shoppers.
Slowly, over the months, other refrigerators and freezers appeared. We finally ended up with four. They came from Barry Motzkin, Barry Greco, Rite Aid, and Ralph Goneau. They were filled to the max with food all the time…except right after a pantry day when they were totally empty.
More and more shoppers came to the pantry. The census kept rising and rising. FINALLY, we reached the point where we had outgrown the small storage closet in the hallway which served as our storeroom. We needed a real storeroom, couldn’t function anymore without one.
I went to Pastor Bode, “I need space Pastor Bode. If you can’t spare a room for the pantry, I’ll just have to ask the caravan guys to bring the next shipment to my home. That’s it. I have no choice. The food is coming in.”
Pastor Bode, God bless him, went to his Consistory, and the building committee. Many meetings followed and I finally got, somehow, permission, maybe, to use the room at the end of the hall for the storeroom. I got provisional permission for this room because a large monthly shipment was coming in. This was our biggest shipment yet: 3,000 pounds.
Everything coming into the pantry up to this point had totaled less than 2000 pounds per shipment.
The monthly shipment arrived and the men put the food in the room at the end of the hall.
While they were bringing the food into the storeroom, I looked around. There was no one else in the building. “The universe is on my side”, I thought.
This event will be concluded in tomorrow’s blog post.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Food Pantry Blog – The Weekly Trip With Prasida, Roseann, Gene, and Earl the Pearl
When you’re feeding the people, you’re feeding God.” – Desmond Tutu
Every Wednesday morning at exactly 11:30, two vans, each filled with about 1000 pounds of fresh produce pulled up to the pantry door. In order to get enough produce to feed the 500 or so shoppers coming to the pantry, one vehicle was driven North to the Food Bank of Northeastern New York in Latham. The other van was driven south to Cornwall-on-Hudson to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley.
Each Wednesday, I waited outside the Woodstock Reformed Church building with three utility hand trucks to get a head start loading so we could get the food in the pantry room in the time allowed.
We loaded the carts with onions, potatoes, corn, peppers, salad greens, apples, lemons, baked breads and pastries, and, occasionally mushrooms, goat cheese, yogurt and vegetables donated by a farm, restaurant or grocery store. Much of the produce was organic. The Food Banks owned a farm which produced only organic foods and Hudson Valley farmers donated all they could.
Sunflower Natural Foods Market also donated boxes of produce and bread which was brought into the pantry at this time.
Smells of the fresh food immediately filled the pantry, turning the tiny space into a very inviting environment for the shoppers.
As we all worked furiously to get the food placed in the pantry within the time allowed, there were always the same sounds: Gene, a volunteer shouted “Wait! Wait!” to everyone as the carts were rolled into the building too quickly.
Prasida repeatedly yelled out “HaYAH” as she lifted bags or boxes weighing over 100 pounds.
While this happened, Roseann Castaldo reminded us of the time with “Tick Tock – 23 minutes remaining”.
One quiet person in this whole chaotic hour was Earl the Pearl, a homeless man who managed to hitch hike to the building every Wednesday morning about 10:00. Rain, shine, sleet, snow, 100 degree weather, whatever. Earl the Pearl would be propped up on the little bridge rail outside the building waiting for us to get to the pantry at 11:30.
Earl was a very slight man who, until we found a coat for him, didn’t have enough clothes to keep warm in the cold Upstate New York winters. But, no matter. Earl the Pearl was on hand to help get the food into the pantry. He had a positive attitude and loved being useful if even for a few minutes each week.
After being a pantry volunteer for several months, we noticed that his back was straighter, his voice stronger, and his smile bigger. On our way out of the door at 12:29 p.m., we always made sure he had something to eat for lunch as he sat on the bridge until the pantry opened at 3:00.
One of the regular shoppers got to know Earl and they became friendly. The other guy had a shed and Earl moved in!
The pantry room, a small 12′ x 16′ space lined with industrial shelving, was kept as cold as we could make it to keep the produce and pastries as fresh as possible. From April to November, the air conditioner was set at 60 degrees. After that, the room was cold all on its own because there was no heat. Some of the more outspoken volunteers wore two hats in the winter.
I was always cold to my bones with all my fingers frozen in the winter. Never once did I complain for fear one of the shivery volunteers would quit.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Leaving the Past Behind – Karen
Sometimes, leaving the past behind meant leaving the pantry. Karen was a regular volunteer in the pantry.
“Hi. Welcome to the pantry. How’re you doing today? Can you please sign your name here?”
She was always punctual, She was courteous, professional, friendly.
“The line is going fast this afternoon. Also, we’ve got a lot of green beans and organic spinach salad.”
She remembered peoples’ names. In short, Karen was pretty close to being a perfect volunteer. She was a strong supporter of the pantry.
Then, in the fall, I taught a series of Reiki therapy classes to the pantry volunteers. I tried to do this yearly because I felt the Reiki therapy helped the pantry, the volunteers, and me. Besides, I loved teaching Reiki therapy and I loved being with the volunteers as they learned it.
I knew 15 minutes after the Reiki 1 class started that things were going to be dramatically different for her forever.
Everyone who takes a Reiki therapy class experiences a life change. For most Reiki practitioners the change is slow, subtle, gentle. Some aren’t even aware of what’s happening. Karen took the Reiki 1 class. She took the Reiki 2 class. She took the Reiki 3 class. Several months went by and she took one of my advanced classes. Well, Karen could have taught that class hands down. Every subject that I brought up was one that she had experienced.
One afternoon Karen came to say good-bye to the pantry. Her life had been changed by both the pantry and the Reiki therapy. What more could we ask for?
We still occasionally see her. She drops by to volunteer in the pantry when she has a lull in her Reiki therapy sessions with clients.
Thank you Karen for all you give to those around you.
Peace and food for all.
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Thurman Greco
Food Pantry Blog: Leaving the Past Behind – Thurman
In addition to working in the pantry, I was an active democrat and belonged to the Woodstock Democratic Committee. Later I joined the board of Hunger Action Network of New York State (HANNYS).
One afternoon, I interviewed Joel Tyner, a popular political candidate, on Channel 23, our local public access TV station. I was a guest interviewer along with Jeff Moran, Paula Gloria, Randy and Felicia Steel, and a few other local TV celebrities.
Personally, I was flattered that others in the public access TV community felt my skills were good enough to be a guest interviewer.
As it turned out, the interview was not well received by our pantry board’s treasurer, Jim Dougherty. And, to make a point, Jim sent out a letter to many area people about this and resigned. There were several other issues, of course, but the main problem was this interview and the fact that I kept voter registration forms available in the pantry hallway.
He argued that I was threatening the safety of our board and its 501(c)3 designation. Well, Jim was correct that I was threatening the safety of our board designation. He was just incorrect about the details.
Interviewing Joel Tyner, Terrie Rosenblum, his friend Mike Lourenso, Cathy Magarelli, Bill McKnight, Ralph Goneau, Jeff Moran, Jackie Earley, Bill McKenna, Rennie Cantine, or anyone else for that matter, was no threat to the designation. Public access television programs are considered to be public information, nothing more.
Neither was having voter registration forms available in the pantry hallway a political event. In this, Jim simply had not taken the time to distinguish the difference between civic activities and political activities. After all, everyone who applies for a New York State Drivers License is offered the opportunity to register to vote.
If he had looked a bit closer, he would’ve realized that by being a member of the Woodstock Democratic Committee, I was in violation of the political activity section of our designation. As a member of the WDC, I supported and opposed candidates in political campaigns. When I realized this activity was not approved for board members of non-profits, I resigned from the WDC. It took about 2 years before I realized this. Too bad for Jim. If he had been more accurate, I would have resigned a lot sooner.
The truth was there always. I just needed to open my eyes to see the reality.
For me, it was the WDC. For others, it was giving up anger, or drugs, or a whole lifestyle that changed when the house was foreclosed upon, for example.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Leaving the Past Behind…so we can Heal
“Nothing goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.”
– Pema Chodon
All of us, whether we come to the pantry as shoppers or volunteers, or both, are asked by the pantry to leave our past behind. And, of course, that’s different for everyone. But, think about it, how can we move forward into our new lives if we never give anything up?
For some, giving up the past means letting go of the job that was lost, the home, maybe the family, self-esteem, the car, good health, money, insurance, etc.
As we release our past, our baggage weighs less and less. Our prejudices become fewer and fewer. Our fears are often diminished.
Then…we can heal.
Everyone coming to the pantry heals on some level. The community offered by the pantry gives support and approval to people as they climb back on the road to wellness and something offering normalcy.
In many instances, the shoppers become the volunteers or…the volunteers become the shoppers.
The shoppers come to get food and then find out they can volunteer. Volunteering changes them. As a person gives out food, the volunteer makes contact with another person, and is able to smile. The person is drawn out of his/her own problems. In offering a sense of community, the volunteer receives so much more.
Some of these things are very physical, some emotional, and some mental. But, whether the “giving up” experiences are physical, mental, emotional, one thing is certain. All of these experiences have a spiritual aspect.
One of my “giving up” experiences was also very public.
In tomorrow’s post, we’ll continue with the stories of volunteers illustrating the “leaving the past behind” concept.
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Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Food Pantry Blog: The Silver Tongued Devil of the Food Pantry
Bob Otto came to volunteering through the back door. He worked as the sexton of the Woodstock Reformed Church, a job he took very seriously. It was, however, a parttime position and he volunteered at the pantry when he wasn’t working in the building.
Bob unloaded food when we had deliveries.
Bob worked to keep the line together in the hallway.
Bob distributed frozen food in the barn.
Bob raised funds for the pantry one summer at the entrance of the Mower’s Meadow Flea Market. He stood there every Saturday and Sunday selling raffle tickets. Singlehandedly, Box raised over $3,000.
Bob worked at our monthly food drives at the Sunflower Natural Foods Market. He stood at the entrance of the Sunflower with a large milk pitcher and asked everyone who came to the door to make a donation. The people loved it. They walked right up to him with their wallets and purses open.
As volunteers we all had our jobs cut out for us. We called Bob our “Silver Tongued Devil.”
Beyond the work we gave, the pantry encouraged us to leave the past behind. Events in the pantry seemed to demand that we interact closely with people we didn’t even know. Further, the pantry activities orchestrated healing on some level. Then, as this happened, this transformation resulted in a new person.
And, for Bob, this was very real. One day we heard an announcement. The building committee members were unhappy with his performance. Nobody ever determined whether he quit or was dismissed. But what we did determine, however, was that his participation in food pantry activities was smack dab in the middle of the event.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Food Pantry Blog: Tuesdays with the Anderson Center Crew
Tuesday mornings were very special in the pantry. That was when we stocked the shelves for the coming week and also prepared the take out packages for the homebound shoppers.
The Anderson Center for Autism has Community Integration Outings which they operate out of their Lifelong Learning Center in Saugerties. Every Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m. sharp Nathan drove a large green van with Gary, Jai, Marcos, Mattie, Jonah, Robert, and Isaac to the pantry. They came to stock our shelves with as much food as humanly possible. These young men were always enthusiastic about stocking the shelves, breaking down the boxes, and hauling the food out of the storeroom. They took to their jobs like ducks on a junebug. They finished up what Leticia was unable to complete in the hour from 9:00 to 10:00.
Their job began with Jai bringing out case after case of food from the storeroom.
“What food does the pantry need today Thurman?”
“Jai, let’s start with 10 cases of jelly, 10 cases of peanut butter, all the cases of cereal you can find, and 15 cases of beans.”
After Jai got the cases of food into the pantry, the guys stocked the shelves under Nathan’s direction. Nathan enthusiastically offered individual supervision to each team member.
Marcos and Mattie tore down boxes in the yard outside the pantry. Tony Cannistra always helped with this project. They loaded all the cardboard into Vanessa, the Grand Caravan, to be carried to the dump. Vanessa was always totally packed with flattened boxes at the end of the job on Tuesday mornings.
Everyone worked as quickly as possible. Our job had to be completed by noon because we were required to vacate the building then. At noon the take out volunteers were allowed to pack the canned goods for next week’s bags.
As soon as the shelves were totally stuffed with canned and boxed goods and as soon as all the boxes were broken down, Nathan drove the van around to the building and loaded up a half dozen or so take out bags in the back of the vehicle. Then, off the Anderson crew would go to deliver food to homebound households.
Thank you for reading this post.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Family of Woodstock Comes to the Pantry’s Rescue Two Years in a Row
Family of Woodstock was a real lifesaver for our pantry those first two Decembers I was the coordinator. The first year word spread that our shelves were empty. I got a call from Tamara Cooper.
“Thurman, can you come over here immediately? We just got a donation of food from someone and we have no place to put it. If you come over right now, you can have it all.”
Can I come over immediately? WOW I was there! It was glorious! I stuffed my car with grocery bags filled with canned and boxed goods of every kind. Thank you Tamara Cooper.
In October of the following year, I saw Michael Berg at a meeting at Mohonk Mountain House. I went over to him, introduced myself, and told him that Decembers were grim in our pantry. In December I got another call from Family. This time we were given a large number of Hannaford’s holiday gift boxes filled with pasta, tomato sauce, tuna fish, chicken noodle soup, etc. Thank you Michael Berg. Thank you to everyone at Family of Woodstock. Thank you to Hannaford’s. And, thank you to everyone who buys a gift box of food for the hungry at Hannaford’s.
By 2010, I was ready for August and December. I finagled a storeroom out of the building committee of the Woodstock Reformed Church. I even got permission for a refrigerator to go in it. The storeroom effort was a total scene – especially the refrigerator. I got permission from the pastor’s secretary who gave me the go ahead because everyone was out of the building.
Looking back at the whole event, I realize that Divine Guidance removed everyone from the building that morning. If anyone had been there the pantry would never have gotten even the storeroom…much less the refrigerator. Thank you God.
Except for the stress that my presence in this space (which was severe) caused the building committee and church members, the storeroom was a wonderful addition to the pantry. We were now able to order food for advance needs during lean months and the refrigerator, even though small, stored eggs.
The storeroom made all the difference. As my grandmother would have said “We were cooking with gas over at the Good Neighbor Food Pantry”.
Thank you for reading this blog post.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock
Bonnie, Michelle, Nora and the Salvage Food Order at The Food Bank
In yesterday’s post, I started the monthly order.
In a good month, I ordered 16 cases each of a large variety of canned/boxed goods: peanut butter, canned beans, canned refried beans, canned green beans, pasta, and oatmeal for example.
In a bad month, I would only be able to get my allotment of a couple of things: tomato sauce, and dried plums, for example.
Bonnie, my primary contact for the Food Bank food orders, spent time telling me politely on Monday and Tuesday that most of what I wanted was already out of stock. As the week progressed, the outlook usually improved. By Friday, some of the stock had been replenished, new merchandise was on the shelves and the order was as good as it was going to get. Michelle and Nora were also available when Bonnie’s line was busy.
These 3 women, Bonnie, Michelle, and Nora, spent their work days on the phone listening to desperate pantry coordinators, soup kitchen managers, shelter directors, ordering food. While they were assisting an agency person on the phone there was always a list of people waiting for their turn to add their needs to the day’s list.
Generally, food items were depleted as fast as they came on the computer screen. That’s why we called throughout the week. Nothing was ever available for more than a day or 2.
“We just got in a shipment of USDA” was music to my ears.
Then would come the order for salvage bulk food categories. These were banana boxes filled with 40 pounds of canned/boxed/bottled foods in specific categories such as fruits and vegetables, condiments, juices, pantry, soup, etc. As a pantry, I was able to get this food at 16 cents per pound. These boxes were wonderful. They were wonderful to me, anyway.
In reality, they were something else altogether.
Salvage food is made up of the dented cans and crumpled boxes that are pushed aside at the grocery store.
They are either collected at the store and brought over by the store itself to the Food Bank or a Food Bank truck drives around picking the food up and taking it to the Food Bank. Food Bank volunteers clean and sort these items. Salvage boxes offer variety to pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. This is where we get the occasional spice or herb, can of olive oil, box of cooking chocolate, jar of pickles.
Another favorite refrain I liked to hear from Bonnie or Michelle was “I can let you have 5 boxes of pantry today.” Once I was able to order 24 boxes of salvage products. I felt like I was being rewarded by the universe for something I must’ve done right. I never quite figured out what it was that I did. But this I know: life was beautiful that week.
Thanks for reading this post.
There is absolutely no excuse for anyone in our country to go hungry.
Peace and Food for all.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
