I’ve been delivering food that stores would throw away to community fridges, organizations that distribute food to people for free, and directly to people for free since the pandemic.
Some people like to connect with others with social media. I prefer volunteering like this way. I meet people face to face. People in the stores appreciate that I’m helping them reduce waste. People at the distribution places appreciate receiving more food to distribute. People who receive food directly appreciate the food.
I still spend about as much time per week as American’s spend on average per day on their screens. Personally, I recommend volunteering over social media.
Over the years, the stores I’ve picked up from have closed or moved. Today was my last time picking up from the last store to close or move away from walking distance. This one is moving to midtown.
I’m talking to other volunteers about coordinating with other stores to pick up from them. Until a new gig starts, I won’t have anything to deliver. I’m considering options for other types of volunteering. Today may be the end of an era of volunteering for me.
The cart and load of food don’t look glamorous:
but if I deliver $100 or so per load twice a week, I deliver about $10,000 per year, saving what would go to a landfill. I’m not sure I hit $100 per load all the time, but some weeks I deliver four loads. Anyway, I don’t keep track. I just volunteer.
After years of delivering many heavy loads, the wagon is nearing the end of its life. The treads on the wheels wore through and fell off. Somehow the frame is still intact. It feels like my Bluesmobile, for Blues Brothers fans, as I posted in The joy and satisfaction of a hand cart falling apart from so much use. Here is what it looks like now:
Another view:
Here it is folded up:
The Bluesmobile, for comparison:
We post pictures of our deliveries on a group chat. I downloaded a few recent images. Nothing glamorous nor details I remember. Just lots of delivered food.
