Dear Well Wishers,When I wrote about couple of articles based on Food Pantries, I did get overwhelmed and courteous responses from our IH members. Thanx to them and greatly appreciated…
Mostly IH members do not miss the Food Pantry Day at Satyanarayan Mandir, Woodside,. Last night (May 8) was a ‘Double Grocery Food Pantry..!’ Means supply of more grocery food items with fresh vegetables and canned foods etc. As expected, hundreds of IH members were presented from all the centers. Naturally, more work with pressure was involved for the amazing, dedicated and hard working volunteers…
Before I come to the point, I would like to mention that, organizing a food pantry involves several key logistical aspects: sourcing food, ensuring proper storage, managing distribution, and engaging with the community. Food pantries receive food from various sources, including food banks, local grocery stores, and community drives. They then need to maintain appropriate storage conditions for different food types, such as refrigerated and frozen items, and dry goods. Distribution involves deciding how clients will receive food, whether through fixed packages, choice-based shopping, or a combination. Finally, community engagement is crucial for building support, recruiting volunteers, and promoting the pantry’s services…
So, thanx to Geetha Jamballi and her staff who always planned well in advance logistically above mentioned aspect/facts for the same and for us. Which is definitely not an easy job for sure… In a way, we are truly fortunate…
Now, आंखो देखा हाल…
For some good reason, I went to basement and I could not believe it… I saw all over supply boxes and our Kishanbhai, Chhaya Patel, Kusum, Ms. Pande and Umesh were busy in sorting each and every items with Mandir employees Ramji and Sakharam, non stop… Then, putting them into plastic bags accordingly for IH members under the supervision of Kishanbhai…
For the curiosity, I asked the procedure how it works from the start to finish about the system of Food Pantry to Kishanbhai. Of course not immediately but, he explained it coolly later on with relaxed and as always jolly mood in details…
It was like this:
When the Food Pantry Truck comes, IH’s Umesh check thoroghly each & every ordered supply box with the list. Then, Ramji and Sakharam unload the boxes and bring it downstairs in the basement from carrier one by one. They have to do the same or make a trip up & down with heavy food boxes at least for seven times from that busy-slow elevator, and that process use to take more than one hour….
The most major and time consumed job was to unload or unpacked all the boxes accordingly. After that Kishanbhai, Umesh, Chhaya Patel, Kusum, Ms. Pande, Ramji and Sakharam helped to put them on thefloor/table systematically into under the supervision of Kishanbhai…
1-2-3) Kishanbhai, Chhaya Patel, Kusum, Ms. Pande, Umesh, Ramji and Sakharam working at Double Food Panty in the basement…
While doing that tireless job, their gloves/hands/clothes gets soggy/dirty with some ripe/spoiled food items, which they have throw away in the garbage. Finally, they filled the bags of all the food as much variety as they do have, not knowing who gets what. Also at the end when they start to run out the items, naturally they have to fill less grocery items in the Bags. Then at the rush hour, members start coming for the pantry.At the same time, Kishanbhai has to check each members card number to give the pantry bags, hoping to keep all the members satisfied and happy whatever they get with it…
Proud to mention, this most impossible job goes smoothly just because of above mentioned India Home unselfish team members respectively and and I’m glad to witness the same…
Thanx to Kishanbhai, Umesh, Chhaya Patel, Kusum, Ms. Pande, Ramji and Sakharam for doing incredible, creditable and thankless job regularly for the Food Pantry with smiling face without any expectation…
Last but not the least, thanx to Geetha Jamballi, her staff and India Home as well…
Happy Mother’s Day..!
Take care with regards,Jayant.
Sharing is Caring…____________________________________________________________________________________________
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Shaaranya Pillai (she/her)Deputy DirectorIndia Home, Inc.
Tel: (917) 834-7895www.IndiaHome.org