Every summer I attempt volunteering with our family. We all have different schedules, especially my teenagers, but we make an attempt and we finally served at Manna Food Bank on two different occasions. Packing potatoes will keep a family humble. The rotten potato smell will surround you when you enter and cause you to become lightheaded at times. Just a few or a dozen rotten potatoes will make the warehouse smell pretty bad.
Our first week with the teens was sweet potato packing with a few rotten ones in the bunch.
Gloves are a must when packing ten sweet potatoes.
The following week was red potatoes and there were many more rotten ones in these bins. The smell knocked was almost too much for my weak stomach. Let’s just say it made me appreciate freshly picked vegetables. My kiddos were appreciative we didn’t have to gather our harvest this way. It also made us think about the less fortunate and hoped they would be able to use the good potatoes in some resourceful way.
I sort of wished I was there to help show them how to cook these potatoes in a delicious way. We had a discussion how cooking education was a missing link when giving out free produce. So many times, folks don’t know how to cook vegetables.
Both potato packing times turned out to be a meaningful serving experience and we hope to do it again a couple more times before school starts back in three weeks. Yikes! Are you ready?
We’re getting there. I’m finished my summer professional development and started some online coursework. I’ve applied for graduate school starting August 21. I much to do prepare my classroom.
Have you taken time to serve the less fortunate this summer? I’d love to know what opportunities you’ve found.