Today we headed out at 7:00 am to serve with Second Harvest
for the second day. Different from our first day there, today we spent 2 shifts
(9-12 and 1-4) completing two separate tasks at hand. The first role that I was
a part of was preparing food boxes for families in the community that need
them. This task required a lot of group dynamics and communication. Each box
contained two cans of pickles, three canned goods and an assortment of dry
goods, coming out to about 17 pounds per box. It was difficult to estimate the
weight of each box. We were all compelled to try and box as much food as
possible into each one to meet the family needs. However, we bounced back and
forth between having the boxes being under or over weight. We also found that
we struggled with boxing the goods in random combinations. The group
communicated to try and make sensible combinations that were substantial, but
we often ran out of certain items and were left with only sugary, unhealthy
options that wouldn’t effectively aid the families. At one point, the only
canned goods we had left were tomato paste, which was hard to put in each box
without some other option. That being said, we did a great job of working
together and communicating to fill the over 200-300 boxes of food that were
completed! Chuck, a member of the management staff at Second Harvest,
reiterated that every unit of food counts, even if it doesn’t seem like a
sensible combination to us. The families that they serve are thankful, and with
such a small staff at the second harvest warehouse, volunteers are mandatory for
the continuation of their services.
During
our second shift, we worked together to fill bags that are passed out to
students bi-weekly that contain a specific menu of items. They showed us how to
fill the bags and tie them, and then we placed them all into bins that were
stored until used. This was particularly fast paced and different from the
experience on the conveyor belt. Each person would double a bag and then place
each item in an organized manner into the bag. While most of the group did
this, a few focused on opening new boxes of food and another person counted
them. Over the course of the day, we completed nearly 400 or so bags that will
be passed out to kids at their schools! This was an exciting experience because
most of us naturally began to make a game out of it, racing the person across
the table from us, turning it into a game. Working with the other members of
our team at this pace truly demonstrated a level of teamwork separate from
other experiences I have had. Many times we didn’t even have to say anything to
one another to efficiently communicate.
One
thing that stuck out to me about this service was when Chuck shared with us how
hard it is to keep a food bank up and running. All staff and management are
underpaid, but they return each day to serve their community. Financially,
Second Harvest is not a government program, and they rely heavily on donations
and grants. They are a part of the Feeding America umbrella organization that
covers all Second Harvest nonprofits. Their dedication and hard work reflected
the key components of servant leadership that our organization, The Center for
Leadership and Service, stands for. Serving with them was truly an educational
and blessed experience.
Tonight during reflection, we
talked about how food access and food deserts are also critical social problems
in Knoxville as well. We talked about our visions for a more just society,
coming to the conclusion that everyone’s image of justice is different, but
that equality and access to resources trumps all. It was inspiring to listen to other’s ideas
of a just society and ways in which we can better advocate for this social
problem. I think the most meaningful part of reflection was listening to the
highs and lows of the team. Many of them didn’t have lows, but we all saw
today’s service as a window of opportunity for future service and movements.
