From the Desk of Belt Drive Betty:
On December 16th I got a call at 6:30 am that our second shipment of food from Second Harvest/Food Rescue was being delivered in 20 minutes to Veterans Memorial Gardens + Interpretive Centre.
With no ability to get volunteers at that time of the day, I warmed up my truck and headed down to the Gardens and began opening and putting away 25 cases of potatoes and meat.
Once that task was accomplished, I went home and grabbed the non perishables bags (40 of them) that Zack, my stellar 16-17 year old volunteer had helped me create from the generous donations of so many regional businesses.
I then headed back to start making the perishable hampers.
We had purchased every thermal bag in town in advance of this delivery!
We had gotten a whole ton of potato wedges and french fries from a PEI farm that was destined for the Japanese market. (The packaging was written in Japanese and the Product of Canada Logo proudly displayed!) Thanks to COVID, this shipment of potatoes that was supposed to go overseas went to thousands of nonprofits across the country!
Each perishable hamper includes 3 – 1 KG bags of potato wedges, three – 1 KG bags of shoestring fries, a 2 pound bag of shrimp and 10 – 12 chicken legs and it was coupled with a bag of non perishables that has a tin of home baking, cookies, candies, coffee, tea, chocolates, all sorts of coupons for a variety of discounts and free services, some hand soap, sanitizer, bath bombs, chapstick etc.
There is not enough Rub A535 in the world to take the ache out of my muscles. I tossed and turned so much the night of the 16th. I keep forgetting I am not 30 anymore!
But the pain can’t wipe the smile off my face or dim the light in my soul either.
In a day and age when smiles are hidden and hearts are sore…
Yesterday’s experience with the first round of hampers that went out to 17 spectacular volunteers in one organization and two spectacular volunteers in our own organization for Veterans Memorial Gardens moved my soul in a big way.
To see the tears in the eyes of the volunteer coordinator, knowing full well what the pick up truck full of thank you meant to her and her team, knowing I got to see that same look on the faces of two of our Veterans Memorial Gardens Volunteers and that I will see it again on the face of the Volunteer Coordinator for the nonprofit picking up on Friday.
It feels good to say “Thank You”.
