Today I Gave Out Fish

I work for and with an amazing group of people. My company was generous enough to let several of us spend a few hours of our work day volunteering at our local Freestore Foodbank yesterday and today. 

Laura and Beth with the Bangal players. Missy and I missed the photo opt, but we took one of ourselves and I will Photoshop us in to this image later. Look for us on the news 5, 9 and 12 were all there.

While several of my colleagues ventured out in the pouring rain, helping folks to their cars or homes carrying bags and boxes of groceries, I was fortunate enough to stay dry indoors, bagging chickens, turkeys and breaking down boxes. The Freestore Foodbank helped over 3,000 families yesterday and anticipated another 3,000 today. It was amazing to see so many people there to volunteer in spite of the weather. I was working with several Bangal players, a few women from Kroger and one who drove in from Columbus but I forget who she was with.

It felt great to do something to help, but I kept thinking of the saying "If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day." Now I try to keep my political views to myself. There is certainly enough arguing and bickering out there on this that my little blog doesn't need to add to the noise but today I will enter the shallow end of that pool.

As I bagged items and watched folks pick up their groceries, I had an overwhelming sensation of sadness. This is what is wrong with our system. I wish instead of handing out fish, I could have been teaching some of these people how to fish. As awesome and amazing as it is that there are so many generous people and organizations who donate all the food so these families have a nice holiday dinner, I believe there must be a better way.

I have no idea what that is, but I am certainly willing to do what I can to make it so there are less families that need to visit the Freestore Foodbank next year.