Various poses at the Philabundance Food Bank at 3rd & Berks Sts. in North Philadelphia. (Even the bottom right picture is a pose, soon after I was actually working in a clerical manner as depicted.)
Philabundance, a charity feeding hungry residents of Philadelphia and the surrounding counties, got a, yes, “abundance” of my help. My staff and I volunteered there today. Yes, it’s (volunteer) work, and indeed spent half a workday’s worth (4 hours). But it was quite fun, and indeed as calisthenic as it was charitable (I was even sweating, and it’s December!) I also verified the different counts of items donated by different agencies (e.g., churches, community organizations). Believe it or not, the majority of potential sources were slated for my assigned work, along with a few slots given to other volunteers. Yet due to the time allotted I did not come even close. But again, quality over quantity.
One source of items, by the way, the Quakertown Food Pantry in Quakertown, PA, where I lived for six years, typically only allowed probationers and parolees to contribute as a form of court-ordered community service. Philabundance, on the other hand, is very much about volunteering. It involves the heart (and even the mind), not a mandate by a third party (i.e., a judge or PO). Volunteering after all, is meant to be voluntary. And hence joyous. Especially as we are in the holiday season now. And it may look good on a future resume!
The following blog post will have an analysis on whether a given part (and hence the milieu) of a given building is public or not. Visit the website of this great way to feed your community at philabundance.org, or look for a parallel organization if you do not live in the Philadelphia metro area.
Keep your pantry (Phil)abundant! If you can’t, we’re here for you!
The Adventures of a Christian Bookworm 