Boxing up Some Meds

Samika Hudson of Pontiac sorts through
medications. The box was so big, we had
to have it flipped so we could get through it.

There's nothing better than really enjoying volunteering, because not all volunteer dates are enjoyable. Gleaners never fails, though.

I popped into the warehouse a little after eight in the morning, and started boxing medications that would be sent to Gleaners partners. I spent most of my time checking labels (something that the food drive in Holly prepared me for) and started boxing them up. This wasn't exactly fast packing. At least two garbages were filled with expired medications in the two hours I packed.

While there, I met Samika Hudson of Pontiac who spends twenty hours a week helping out.

"I like it," she said. "It helps out the community, and I'll do anything for that because I'm a part of it. And the staff is wonderful."

A Rochester Adams student who is acquiring hours for National Honor Society was also helping out. In a different area, mothers brought their children to help pack.

The morning went by pretty quickly and was convenient for me to do before work at the OP. While there, I learned that Gleaners is ramping up its efforts. The Detroit Distribution Center is offering bus tours, so people can see where the food goes and who it helps. From soup kitchens to pantries, visitors will get an up-close look at who Gleaners helps.

Gleaners is also hosting a fundraising breakfast Oct. 14 in Troy.

To learn more about tours, visit www.gcfb.org/bustours, call Denise Leduc at 866-GLEANER ext. 404 or e-mail her at dleduc@gcfb.org. Contact Denise regarding the breakfast as well.

Gleaning the Harvest

Students and parents from St. Joseph
Catholic School in Lake Orion pack boxes for Gleaners.

For a "short week" it's been pretty darn long.

I did not want to volunteer this week. A quick trip to visit a friend in need and working some overtime at the OP had left me drained. I was just plain tired and wanted to relax. My husband even kidded that I should "Stephen Glass it." For those of you who don't know, Stephen Glass is a notorious reporter turned author who falsified articles.

"Just make up some organizations and write about what you did," Rob said, laughing.

But I couldn't skip out. It's not that I'm trying to portray myself as a martyr, it's just that I'm anal retentive.

I trudged into Gleaners in Pontiac Thursday morning before work where I met some friendly staff who showed me around the warehouse and set me up. My lame attitude quickly turned around — these are some of the most friendly people I have volunteered with in a long time.

Denise Leduc gave me a tour of the grounds and talked about Gleaners' mission. In one of the warehouse rooms where food is sorted, a colorful mural — painted by a 19-year-old local — depicts a scene of food production and distribution. One scene is a replica of the famous Jean-François Millet production of three peasants who glean a field of stray grains of wheat. It was pretty impressive.

Biblically, it was a custom in Israel for farmers to leave some of the crops for the poorer sects of society to glean the harvest. And thus, the name Gleaners. The organization takes what is left from society and gives it to the less fortunate.

I have never been without food. I may have felt a rumble in my stomach on occasions, but there was always something to eat. It still shocks me how in a society of decadence, we allow our peers to go without. The thought seriously makes me question some useless purchases. Do I really need another pair of peep-toe heels?

Each year, Gleaners distributes millions of pounds of food to those in need. More than two-hundred-and-fifty thousand kids in Southeastern Michigan qualify for free and reduced lunches, said Denise, adding that Gleaners makes sure that these children get food on weekends and during the summer break.

However, even though donations are up, so are requests. People who used to give are now in need.

My task for the day was to sort and pack food. I started out with beverages. Gatorade, juice and even Pellegrino were packed into boxes that would be picked up by Gleaner partners for distribution. Groups that partner with Gleaners cannot make people "work, pay or pray" for their food," Denise said. In some locations, Gleaners even has a store so that customers may choose what they want to eat in a dignified manner.

After a half hour of packing beverages, I moved to snacks, and was met with a cacophony of children laughing and yelling.

Two sixth-grade classes from St. Joseph in Lake Orion were on a field trip — a mission to help others. We set up an assembly line and started packing away. Within another half-hour, the children, parents and teachers had packed about 2,000 pounds of food. The teachers have been participating in this annual field trip for three years, and it's a great way to teach children about helping others.

"We do this so that (students) will one day intrinsically help others," said teacher Sherry Brandon.

I hope these teachers' lessons leave an impression on the youths. Gleaners cannot do it's job without volunteers. The handful of offices employs about 70 people, Leduc said, adding that it has more than 20,000 volunteers. Summertime is a great way to get involved because people tend to volunteer more during the holidays. Hunger is year round.

The Pontiac Gleaners makes it so easy to help. Groups of five or less can drop by without signing up from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. However, it's probably good for first-time volunteers to call ahead. All of the Gleaners locations can use help. If you don't have time, consider donating. To learn more, visit http://www.gcfb.org/site/PageServer

Two Months Down, Ten to Go

Nearly two months into this journey of philanthropy, and I'm still finding plenty of volunteer opportunities to keep me busy once a week. I've logged in more than twenty hours, and have many more to go.

The hardest part, however, hasn't been the actual volunteering, it's been setting up volunteer gigs that will work with my hectic schedule. I live for the weekends (though I try to make every day count), so I don't want to be stuck every Saturday working. Call me lame. Call me a bum. I don't care. I want to be by a lake on the weekends with friends and family enjoying the few warm months Michigan offers.

Luckily, many people have been helpful enough to accommodate my schedule. I have been mainly volunteering after work. My next stop, however, is with Gleaners on Wednesday morning before I hit the cubicle and a day of deadlines.

I figured since I just worked at the garden for DTE, I might as well check out Gleaners as well. Last year, Gleaners distributed more than thirty-million pounds of emergency food to more than four-hundred partner soup kitchens, shelters and pantries in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Monroe counties, according to its website. I'm confident that this will be a worthwhile stint.

On the whole, the experience has been somewhat surprising. I have worked with groups that I would like to continue with after this project, and others that just aren't for me. The hardest part is writing honestly.

It's all perspective and observation on my part. I don't want to portray organizations negatively, but sometimes, aspects of the project have not been all positive.

After one of my earlier volunteer jobs, I had a call from a woman who did not want to be featured, even though she had agreed during the interview. In journalism, this sometimes happens, and we as writers have to decide what is more important — getting the story, or keeping a potential source for future stories.

There have been other times when I just don't feel like volunteering, but because I have made a pact with myself, I go out anyway — even if it means that the laundry continues to pile skyward.
It's also not cheap. I've spent at least fifty dollars on supplies, not including gas.

For now, though, I'm forgetting about deadlines and volunteering. I'm going to focus on enjoying the Memorial Weekend, and I hope you all do the same!