Mission Dispatch 5

Staten Island 7-16-09 am

Last day of work – may it be a fulfilling one. Grits for breakfast – yum!

Danika (8:05 am) Yesterday's drop in center was really neat! I understand why you have to be 16 to go to in-- there was a small quarrel between one of the drop-ins and the lady in the kitchen because he took a lunch out of a create. It was kind of surprising because there was some yelling and the man ended up getting kicked out of the drop-in center. The people were so gracious we were there to give them food. One lady I saw at the drop in center I saw again at the BBQ and she came up and said “nice to see you again”. It was pretty neat to be recognized!

7-16-09 pm

Danika (4:30 pm) I have found a new love in moping floors.

Chrisanne (4:30pm) Today I worked at the Food Pantry with the whole group. When we work there, we know we won be standing around just waiting for things to do. We unloaded a HUGE truck and we set in the 85+ degree humid weather! Some people helped out inside stacking, shopping and bagging. We hung out with the friends we met on Tuesday. We also again served in the soup kitchen and it as pretty rockin'. I enjoy helping people, I never thought I would but I do. I have never been so excited to work and willing to do whatever I am asked to do!

Jeff (4:35 pm) I have loaded and unloaded a lot of semi trailers in my time but that was with a fork truck. It is amazing how much is on 15 pallets of food and all of it had to be handled by hand multiple times. Lunch in the soup kitchen was also very busy. It took a long time before we could get far enough ahead so we could start eating. Not complaining – it was a good day and it seems that everyone feels that they accomplished much. At the end we took pictures with all our friends from the pantry – and then off to an hour on South Beach. Tomorrow we hit Lower Manhattan and then on home.

Katie(4:40pm) Today at the Food Pantry I helped with unloading the donation truck in the am. Then after lunch, Kayla, Amanda, Megan, and I made up 100 bags of canned goods and cereal to be given out on the mobile outreach. These were items such as vegetables, juice, milk, and individual cereals. We got a group picture with some of the regular volunteers who make the Food Pantry run as smoothly as it does every day after we were done with our work.