The Food Bank has been serving those facing hunger in 34 NC counties since 1980. When I say it’s a hub, I mean that quite literally. They serve over 800 partner agencies, from soup kitchens to pantries, to shelters, and countless programs for both children and adults. In addition to the primary facility in Raleigh, the Food Bank has warehouses in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Southern Pines and Wilmington. Last year alone, they distributed a staggering 41.5 million pounds of food and non-food essentials. In addition to combating hunger, the Food Bank works in concert with local, state and federal agencies in disaster relief. For example, in the wake of Hurricane Fran, they distributed over 1 million pounds of food and essentials. That’s nothing compared to the effort they launched several years later, after Hurricane Floyd decimated Eastern NC. That year, their total distribution exceeded 18.8 million pounds. That in just a decade since, they’re operating at 41.5 million pounds, is a testament to both the tremendous need they serve and the importance of the role they play in the fight.

I spent my time there breaking down palettes of donated items, and packing orders to be shipped out to partnering agencies. Like so many other places I’ve visited, the Food Bank relies heavily on the help of volunteers to compliment their full-time staff. On this day I was fortunate enough to be in the charge of not just any volunteers. Lisa and Calvin McCommons are volunteers-of-the-year at the Food Bank – they generally spend at least one day a week helping out in any way they can.

As I was wrapping up my time working in the warehouse, a load of donated food arrived, brought in by a group of students from Ligon Middle School in Raleigh, their contribution to the Students Against Hunger holiday food drive. It was all hands on deck to get their donation unloaded, weighed and processed. Not sure how their donation stacked up, but if their excitement at the final weigh-in were any indication, they’d done quite well for themselves!

As the final weights were being tallied for the kids from Ligon, I found myself in a fantastic conversation with Jen Newmeyer, Web Manager at the Food Bank, and Bridget McMinn, Donor Relations Manager. We talked about my week, and all the programs the Food Bank and partner agencies have cranking up for the holiday season. Thinking of me living and eating in my car, Bridget grabbed a self-heating meal from her office to show me. I’ve had my share of MRE’s while backpacking, but I didn’t realize that the self-heating technology was on the market. She spoke of their tremendous value in any situation where an open flame to cook by is either dangerous or not viable, whether in inclement weather or disaster relief efforts. If you’re looking for a great item to donate to the Food Bank, they’d be happy to take them from you – order them at www.heatermeals.com.

One last note on how you can make a difference right now, as you’re reading this. Walmart is putting up 1.5 million dollars this holiday season to fight hunger in the US. Through Facebook, and www.fightinghunger.walmart.com, the region with the most participation in the form of ‘likes’ on Facebook will receive 1 million dollars toward that end. Regions rounding out the top five will each receive $100,000. I’ve added a link on our How to help page to make it very easy to participate. Just click through and cast your vote for the Raleigh/Durham region. And thanks for helping to make a difference.

I just got this note from my friend Megan, owner and massage therapist at Natural Marvels Massage Therapy. If you’re shopping around, consider checking Natural Marvels out – Megan is very good at what she does, and she’s got a heart as big as a mountain.
www.naturalmarvelspa.com

——-
Hope this helps raise a little more awareness, and spreads a little Christmas cheer. Jacque [her daughter] and I will be handing out ten of these this afternoon at the parade:

Merry Christmas! This paper entitles you to one free 30 minute massage at Natural Marvels.

Megan Marvel, Owner, Natural Marvels Massage Therapy
——-
Thanks Megan,
W

A little history for you. From a google search on the subject, and said better than I could ever paraphrase:

In 1891, Captain Joseph McFee wanted to help the poor people in San Francisco; especially for the coming Christmas season, but he didn’t know where to get funding for his project. He remembered, during his early days as a sailor in Liverpool, England, seeing a large kettle called “Simpson’s Pot” where passengers of boats that docked at Stage Landing tossed coins to help the poor.

Captain McFee’s idea spread and in 1897, a nationwide effort was able to fund 150,000 Christmas dinners for the poor. In 1901, donations from New York city funded a sit-down dinner at Madison Square Garden.

Today, red kettles and their bell-ringers can be found all over the world during the season. They represent the very best of humanity and human kindness, hallmarks of the Salvation Army. I’ll be ringing the bell again this season, and hopefully every season from now on.

www.salvationarmyusa.org

www.keepthebellringing.org

Raleigh Rescue was incepted in 1959, when two local businessmen invited some homeless men to revival at their church. Shortly thereafter, a group began meeting weekly to offer food and faith to those without, and RRM was born. 45 years later, they are a powerhouse of help for the local homeless community. They offer a broad swath of services, including emergency overnight shelter, recovery and rehabilitation, medical respite, mental health stabilization, adult education, child development…the list goes on. They are staffed with a small army of caring, spiritual folks who seem to be absolutely tireless in their efforts. I was greeted and briefed by Director of Volunteer Ministry Holly Cook, who took me down to meet those I’d be working with. The first task of the day was to head out to their newly-acquired storage facility and pick up a truckload of Christmas decorations, an especially light-hearted task, given all the hardship I’ve seen this week. Rob, a former IT guy, and I made our introductions, shook hands, and headed out in the mission truck. Needless to say, given his background, Rob and I enjoyed much nerdy conversation. We got back to the mission with those, unloaded, and headed right back with a load of donated canned goods. I spent the rest of my time there helping out in any way I could, with various small tasks and errands. There is always so much to be done – seemed to me that everyone there shared the same interminable work ethic, and drive to maximize every minute of the day.

I had said going into the week that I did not want to take a shelter meal from someone who needed it. But Holly assured me there was enough to go around, so I joined Rob for lunch in their dining hall. It was a warm, filling meal, my first and only for the week, and it was really great to sit and talk with those around me.

Raleigh Rescue Mission has an enormous impact on the community, and they do it day in and day out, with smiles on their faces. The fact is, the community they serve is growing, and so are they. Their facilities are bursting at the seams, but in order to grow, they need our help. If you care to give your time, give Holly a shout or hit the website. If you’d care to help them out with a monetary donation, try here – they’ve made it easy! They’re located on Hargett St., just behind Mo’s Diner. Look them up sometime.

I headed back to the warehouse to find an incredibly organized, well-oiled machine getting fired up for the day. Driving the machine was Dennis Wooten, warehouse manager for IFFS. He gave everyone their routes, their partners, their trucks and their phones for the day and everyone dispersed. I was assigned to Tom, probably one of the most genuinely positive and friendly people I’ve ever met, and we headed out.

The Food Shuttle is very true to its name. Tom and I left the warehouse with a load of reclaimed perishables in the back of the refrigerated truck. We spent the next few hours delivering food to area shelters, picking up food from participating businesses, and repeating the process. We picked up sweet treats from Edible Arts, and baked goods, meats, produce and veggies of all persuasion from, among others, Trader Joes, CostCo and Lowes Foods. The receiving lady at The Salvation Army on Person St. was very happy to see the eggs and sugar that Pam from the IFFS warehouse sent us out with on special order. We also stopped by the Raleigh Rescue Mission, and were able to give them a few things they needed. AME Church Day Shelter on Capital Boulevard saw us a couple of times that morning. All the men there are just outstanding.

Tom and I finished up our route and headed back to the IFFS warehouse. Tom, by the way, embodies a corner-case victim of this protracted recession of ours. He was laid-off at age 63, and has found it impossible to get back in this late in his game. An amateur photographer, he spends his time volunteering like a superhero and shooting whatever he can. In fact, while we were riding around that morning he got a call securing his second ever gallery show of some of his photography. So good luck to you tonight, Tom! His unfailing optimism and congeniality is infectious.

I was about to head out for the day, but Dennis asked if I would help them pick up a load of donated food out past Durant Road, near Wake Forest. Of course I said yes. I rode in the big truck with driver Travis Avery, and we followed Dennis out. What we were picking up was several months’ worth of donated goods, channeled to IFFS via Blue Water Spa. Blue Water Spa co-owners, husband and wife team Michael and Kile Law, have a special bond with IFFS. Michael’s father Tom, after retiring as pastor of St. Paul’s Christian Church in Raleigh, spent 3 years as a food recovery driver for IFFS. Carrying on his work, Michael and Kile have become champions of the Backpack Buddies program. They regularly hold food drives through Blue Water, and offer ongoing discounts on spa services for those patrons who bring in some food when they come. Since they started, Blue Water and the Laws have secured over 100,000 pounds of food for IFFS and the Backpack Buddies program. They rent out a storage unit specifically for the cause. On this day we must have picked up several thousand pounds – though you’d have to ask Dennis for a hard number. He has an uncanny knack for these things, but then I guess that comes with running the show for as long as he has. A special thanks to Blue Water employees Lorenzo, Constance and Amber for helping us out.

I’ll wrap up with a few historical notes on IFFS. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle was founded in 1989 by two ladies, Jill Staton Bullard and Maxine Solomon. They were having breakfast in a fast food restaurant when they noticed employees tossing out perfectly good, untouched sandwiches. They realized that these places, and likely many other local groceries, businesses and restaurants were likely doing the same. IFFS became a recognized 501c3 in 1992, and they’ve been growing ever since. Ready for some staggering numbers? In 1989, the year they began, they were able to collect 750 pounds of food from just three donors. Their projected recovery for 2011 is an amazing 6.7 MILLION pounds of food, from over 220 food donors. It was a pleasure to work with them for one day, and I know I’ll be back for more.

I have to admit, I had a little anxiety rolling in there. I’m a man, this is a place for women in dire straits, run by women who I would consider fierce, in a very good way. Moreover, I’ve still got this crazy face weasel of a trucker handlebar ‘stashe, leftover from Movember, to raise money for mens’ prostate health. So I’m sure I look extra creepy. I walk in and am welcomed by a spitfire of a woman, the Executive Director of the place. First thing she does is offer me a piping hot cup of black go juice, and I am saved. We then have the most amazing, nearly-hour-long convo that I’ve had in a long time. I got seriously educated. I’m not going to give you her name, because their website doesn’t, and their discretion is of the utmost importance to me. If she tells me later it’s cool, I will tell you. We talked about my project, we talked about her place, the WCWC. We talked about the problems, the possible solutions, and the seemingly impossible walls she breaks down on a daily basis, both with the women she has dedicated her life to helping, and with securing the funds and the help she needs to do it. We talked about politics. We talked about how in the hell she finds the strength to do this for now, 18 years. We talked about their old location, and the current, and the changing face of their clientele. In a nutshell, their clientele is growing and expanding demographically, and that is not a good thing.

Then she showed me around the place. Walking down the hall, she shouted the requisite “Man on the hall!”, to alert staff and clients of my presence. Protocol, for a place where women and their children have found themselves, while fending for themselves, by themselves. I spoke with a couple of her clients, and followed her lead as she listened to their problems with the patience of Job. Then I hunkered down in their donated clothes room and spent the afternoon folding, hanging and sorting the sea of clothes they’d recently received. I felt truly honored and humbled to be in the place. Every member of the staff I encountered exuded the same calmness and kindness – surely a shared character trait in those who choose to spend their lives in the trenches, helping people who so desperately need it.

My takeaway for you from my day at the Wake County Women’s Center is the following:

• They are in critical and chronic need of feminine hygiene products. And bras and underwear. Seriously, go get some of these items and take them over there tomorrow.

• Just because a woman has lost nearly everything, that doesn’t mean she has lost all sense of taste and the desire to look presentable. Don’t donate clothes with stains and holes all over. Would you wear that in its current condition? If it belongs in a rag bag, leave it there. Please donate, donate, donate – I’m just suggesting maybe give items a baseline inspection first.

• These women running and staffing this place are complete badasses.

If you feel like helping their cause, check out their donations page: http://www.wcwc.org/donate.htm

If you feel like donating your time, check out http://www.wcwc.org/volunteer.htm, or give them a call at 919.829.3711

I so strongly encourage you to do so.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see in the final analysis. it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
–Mother Teresa

I read it. And felt better immediately. I’m going to go find a spot to sit and do some more writing now.
W

———–

You inspired me.

I read your post about Urban Ministries and their need for certain foods. Immediately, I was compelled to go shopping and fill a basket with peanut butter, tuna and all kinds of beans. As soon as I get a break I’ll drive it over for their food pantry.

I’m doing this because of what you wrote. You deserved to know.

Sure, I could do this anytime. And I should. Fact is, we all get sidetracked worrying about things that matter less. Much less. But when a good friend humbles himself to shine a light on those less fortunate, it gets personal.

My hope is all your friends are moved this week due to your actions. As for me, I’d love to stay nameless. I don’t need credit for doing something I should have already done. We love you man!

Not much else to say about my night. Leaving my last wifi outpost at 1am, and having no destination ahead of me, I began to see how loneliness can start to creep up on you. Once I finally hunkered down for the night, I crawled into my bag and pulled my blanket over my head, to try to look as little as possible like a person, and as much as possible like a lump of…well, stuff. No one bothered me, and my phone alarm did it’s job four hours later. A win for technology at last.

I’ve been saying all along that I wouldn’t take a meal at a shelter, because that meal could go to someone who needs it much more than me. But during a long and enlightening convo with the Executive Director of the Women’s Center (an incredible and driven lady with a PhD and a whole lot of ideas on how to change things), I became convinced that standing in line for a meal might be a great way to interact with and learn more from these folks. Plus, she says, I need to try the food. So I think I’m going to walk over and get in line at the Person St. Salvation Army for dinner. I’ll be writing more tonight about my experience today at the Women’s Center, so stick around.

Will

In working to sort and stock donated food this morning, I gained a great deal of understanding in where the food that I throw in the donation box goes. Here’s the deal: they love and appreciate EVERY can or box of donated food. That said, I’d like to impart a couple of tips for the next time you decide to pick up a few things at the grocery to donate.

1) They have plenty of green beans. And corn. Plenty.

2) They are chronically in need of canned and dry beans, of any sort other than the aforementioned green variety.

3) Canned tuna, peanut butter and other proteins make excellent donations, due to their nutritional punch per volume.

Again, they welcome any and all items you’re willing to donate. These are just a few of my own observations on what they have, and what they need.

Also, I’d like to mention a really fantastic holiday project they have going on. It’s called the Holiday Honor Card, and it allows you to extend holiday greetings to friends, loved ones and co-workers, while making a donation to Urban Ministries on their behalf. The painting that serves as the art on the card was graciously donated by renowned North Carolina artist William Mangum, and the printing cost of these greetings was underwritten by Wells Fargo. Because of these gifts, 100% of the proceeds from these holiday greetings will go toward serving the less fortunate in our community. Pulling directly from their fall newsletter, the greeting inside reads “A Gift Has Been Given in Honor of ________ to Urban Ministries of Wake County. Your gift will help bring comfort to families living in poverty during this season of sharing.”

Contact Kelly Leonhardt at (919) 256-2187 or email kleonhardt@urbanmin.org to place an order for the season. And thanks again to everyone at UrbanMin.org for making me feel welcome, and for doing what you do every day.