Volunteers arrived at Nosh Delivers Food Pantry in Glen Cove on Thursday, Dec 26, at 9:00 a.m. The staff and other volunteers greeted us and gave us instructions for the day. Volunteers split up into groups where one group helped other staff and the other group of volunteers took inventory of the new stock that had come in that morning, such as fresh produce, canned foods, grains, and other foodstuffs. They also helped pack the food bags into carts to be given out later, checked expiration dates, and unpack other items that needed to be put on shelves. One volunteer helped to bring the inventory in using dollies and another volunteer help pack the delivery cars that will eventually deliver the bags of food to families in need. There were carts of food outside that had name tags on them, and the volunteers hand carried these bags to each respective driver. This included pre-packed bags of grain, beans, and other canned food, breads, meat and vegetables, and eggs. Volunteers also went to help restock and organize the shelves. Afterward, we went back inside to help “shelf-guide” shoppers where we pointed and handed out foodstuffs to the shoppers. We also kept in mind to restock the inventory as we went.
One of the challenges we faced was that some customers were taking more than allowed. However, this was solved as one of the staff members gave us a thorough explanation on how to properly shelf-guide in order to prevent something like this from happening again. Another challenge was the language barrier between volunteers and shoppers, where most of us did not speak the language (Spanish) that the shoppers spoke. This was solved by either having a Spanish speaking volunteer/staff member assist us, or using general hand gestures to communicate, such as pointing out cans and holding up fingers to represent numbers. We also made sure to be patient and kind towards shoppers, and let them take their time.
Overall, we learned through this experience that the willingness to provide and kindness is a universal language that can be understood by all, and why we must learn to appreciate it in our lives.
Volunteer Members: Kayden Cheng(4 hrs), Jasmine Lin(4 hrs), Leah Chan(4 hrs), Charlotte Wu(4 hrs), Miles Hu(4 hrs)
Reporter: Miles Hu
