January 4, 2010 @ 10:21 pm
Hungry For Life
Harvest Hope Food Bank, Columbia, SC (1)
When I was young my grandmother, Meme, spent several days a week in our church office preparing for the upcoming Sunday service. I loved during my summer vacation that I was able to go to the church and help her with the many tasks that needed to be accomplished. She typed the program while I listened to the click, clank sound the typewriter made (keep in mind this was over 20 years ago), I sent the programs through the folding machine while she completed monthly calendars and together we walked the papers to the sanctuary, choir room and any other necessary locations. I loved feeling as though I was a major contributor to the completion of the process. I remember one afternoon quite vividly as we were about to begin our daily tasks when a lady and her child appeared in my grandmother’s office. The lady was in need of some canned goods from our church pantry. My grandmother wasn’t someone who normally dealt with the food pantry and quite honestly, wasn’t sure about the rules and regulations that surrounded it. As she explained the situation to the people in front of us the lady seemed troubled. Clearly my grandmother read her reaction as well and stopped speaking. As she looked at me and then back at the mother she told me to come along and asked the two to follow. We walked into the pantry and my Meme began filling an empty bag with as many canned goods as possible. I watched as the woman’s eyes filled with relief and while I was happy her worries had faded, I was so very sad that a person, I had met, may possibly have gone a night without being able to feed herself or her child.
Obviously now, I’m much older and I realize that life is not perfect, nor is it always fair. Sometimes it’s sad, things don’t end as we thought they would originally and always, very bad things happen to very good people. Unfortunately over 35 million people today experience the same situation the lady and her child experienced so many years ago.
I knew that I wanted to work at a food bank sometime during this journey, I just wasn’t sure when. I came upon the Harvest Hope Food Bank accidentally as I was choosing organizations and I knew it was a place I had to visit. Erin, the Director of Volunteers, welcomed me, gave me a tour and introduced me to people I know I will remember for the rest of my life. As I filled bags with water, produce and grains I thought about the people who would truly benefit from this time. While I wasn’t able to see the faces of those who would someday taste the foods I had prepared, the not knowing is almost as exciting. For all I know people will be receiving my bags for days and days. My time at Harvest Hope will continue to be known, even if only by me.
The work accomplished at Harvest Hope provides meals for, in some cases, 200 families a day. Currently, they serve “five of the top ten counties in South Carolina suffering from unemployment.” What this food bank is able to do is nothing short of extraordinary, and I am so happy I was able to contribute in a very small way to this phenomenal organization.
I met a man today, by the name of Fred. Although I was with him only briefly I could tell that he was something very special. As he finished his work for the day, he told me goodbye and then so eloquently said, “As you make these travels remember, there are [millions] of people living below the poverty level who you are helping.” If I hear only those words during the remainder of my journey, it will have all served its’ purpose and possibly, I would have served mine.
January 3, 2010 @ 8:59 pm
South Carolina welcomes me!
Well, well, well-I have arrived safely in South Carolina much to the dismay of Pete, my new GPS contraption (I name everything electronic Pete-Pete 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-it just sounds so right when you yell at him). He did such a tremendous job until my arrival in downtown Columbia and then he went crazy. I ended up in a parking lot on the campus of the University of South Carolina. For those of you from Kentucky this parking lot is seriously like Hamburg. I was forever trying to make my way out of it. Attendants were waving me through, I ran over one of those mid-lot islands and then I went the wrong way down a one way. Seriously, it was crazy! And…to boot the students aren’t even on campus! What, is wrong with me? Right now, you really need to try and picture me in this situation. I know, it’s gotta be funny!
Thankfully check-in was quite fantastic and now I’m sitting in bed thinking about how excited I am for this to begin. I’m also thinking about how I’m somewhat sad that this IS beginning. For months I have been anticipating this journey and planning has been so much fun, and in itself, satisfying. Don’t get me wrong I know I have much more to do but the anticipation is a tremendous part of the desire. So many people I know yearn for the ending that is definitely in sight-the light at the end of the tunnel if you will. I’m totally the opposite. So many times I feel like I miss out on the fun of the present, because I’m so worried about the ending that inevitably exists. Does anyone else do this? You know Prince said, “Today, today is the first day of the rest of my life ’cause today, today is the best day of the rest of my life.” Although I know this will be difficult I’ve decided that in starting this adventure I will try so very hard to live minute to minute, sometimes second to second.
So that’s it for the night I believe. Tomorrow will be a new day with new people, new roads and new experiences. Good night and safe travels to all!
PS. As for the photo above I didn’t have anyone with me to take my picture by the South Carolina Welcome Sign so I just put my shoes and handbag next to the sign. That way at a later day I would have actual record of my being at the SC border. I know, I know, a bit unconventional. The people driving by must have thought I was cuh.ray.z, right?