Reported by Adora Xiao:
On Thursday, July 13, Murrieta AYLUS members lended a hand to the Community Mission of Hope food bank.
They eagerly began at the vegetable and fruit sorting station, going through boxes of fresh produce. Hunting for rotted or spoiled food, they disposed of food that couldn’t be eaten, discovering occasional patches of mold or spoilage. Wiping the fruit and vegetables down came after, as the spoiled parts were disposed of to become feed. The fresh produce was rebagged and sorted onto the shelves to be distributed.
After the boxes of produce were sorted, they moved outside to dispose of cardboard boxes. They flattened the boxes, then tore them apart so they’d lie flat within the dumpster. Many rounds of cardboard boxes arrived to be disposed of, before they took a short break with fresh drinks. Wrapping up the produce area, they moved on to sorting different baked goods to be displayed on the shelves. They then began to box various packages, loading malt in an assembly line. The process got faster and faster with practice, and they finished quickly. Returning to their drinks, they received a few shipments of produce, baked goods, and dairy, weighing the carts before delivering them to the refrigerating area. They took a quick break with some snacks before moving to sort nonperishable foods into crates: separating the foods into food groups and categories to then be stored. As the work slowly wound down, they then collected some of the food bank’s empty plastic bottles and cans to later recycle and earn money for a local animal shelter.
Volunteers:
Wei Liu / Adora Xiao : 4.5 hrs
Aiying Lu / Jessica Lu / LingXuan (Justin) Zhang : 4 hrs ea
