Reported by Adora Xiao:
On Thursday, July 20th, Murrieta AYLUS members lended a hand to the Community Mission of Hope food bank.
The volunteers eagerly welcomed a new face to the facility, beginning the day with assisting her in signing up with the food bank. After all paperwork was completed, they got to work sorting and inspecting different household and beauty products to be distributed. Bottles were checked for leaks and pumps were tested, all to prevent leaks and spills after the products were boxed for later use. Deodorants, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and more were sorted into appropriate boxes while broken and slimy bottles were set aside to clean.
After sorting, the volunteers moved to the pastry area. They unloaded carts of different breads, rolls, and desserts to sort and stack onto the racks. Only after the filling of the racks did they start filling boxes that were to be distributed. Foods such as deli meats, frozen meats, vegetables, and fruits filled the boxes. All were topped off with different breads, loaves, and desserts. Each box included a flier about a survey opportunity pertaining to mothers in need.
When the demand for boxes slowed, they split into groups. While one set stayed behind, another set of volunteers began assisting with cleaning signs used in sorting and storing food. The heavy amounts of gunk stuck to the laminated paper, requiring a great deal of scrubbing. A razor was used to scrape the remainder off until the signs were no longer sticky.
Upon reconvening, all the volunteers took a short break, before helping to unload a cart of newly delivered food. After weighing each cart separately, the volunteers returned to making boxes with the newly received vegetables. As the strawberries were sorted for quality, fruits and vegetables were added. Afterwards, they helped clean the area, empty the trash, and take the recyclable bottles to be recycled and later raise money.
Volunteers :
Wei Liu / Adora Xiao : 4.5 hrs ea
Aiying Lu / Hsin Chen (Julie) Lu / Jessica Lu / Chelsea Choi : 4 hrs ea
