The Avenue Road Food Bank 

​Committed Volunteers + Generous Donors  =​ Happy Guests +​ ​Bountiful Hampers 

Community Commitment. 

 TEAM SPIRIT is what shines at The Avenue Road Food Bank, (ARFB)  

The ARFB Volunteers all work together every week like a finely tuned Stradivarius violin! It is a solid team of committed hearts, working at the front of the house, planning, packing, sorting,  some people volunteer both Mondays and Tuesdays, others are behind the scenes buying food, collecting and delivering donations.  They work with their bodies, their minds, hearts, and spirits. Their goal is to create the most bountiful, healthy and tasty hampers each week to offer the guests.  

Long time volunteer, Brenda Taylor is now the newly-minted, Executive Director of the ARFB and she is very proud of the fact that the shelves are stocked and everyone gives of their time and energy from the heart to offer people and families fighting food instability a dignified, nurturing experience each week.

A Happy Guest. 

A Happy  Heart...
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When I was walking home after my "photo shoot" I saw this gentleman walking home too. I stopped to chat, since I have had the opportunity to serve him before, so we knew each other by sight if not by name. 

We officially introduced each other and Erik gave me permission ( via video) to post these pictures for this nomination. (see the  poorly shot "frozen" video below!) 
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My Own Experience: How Volunteering at the Avenue Road Food Bank feels: 

The "​Compassionate Goodness" Sandwich

The Guests The Guests  I drew this canvass for the ARFB during the holidays and it hangs in teh Office - something that warms my heart each time I see it. Here is the visual interpretation:

The Guests + Volunteers + Church of the Messiah Team

​#Adventure - nobody, including the guests, organizer, volunteers, or donors know what adventures in quality, kindness, and giving will happen each week. The adventure for the Volunteer Team is how to prepare, package and store the food each week so that it maintains its optimum freshness. Bob was explaining to me the other day that some fruits/veggies become more "ripe". faster and therefore they can not be bagged with others lest they lose their freshness. 

The Adventure for the guests is that they never know what healthy, awesome, food with dignity will be offered to them each week. That all depends on the Adventure of the donors who I think stretch themselves every week to give more and as much as possible.

#GIVING 360° Giving 
This is how I have chosen to live my life since my "homeless time" ( the best thing that ever happened to me) - I give everything I can with a 360 view on life now and I love LIVING the same way. I see that same concept of giving in the heart of every volunteer there. 
 
Health, Peace, Joy:  - all more generic perhaps, but still all-encompassing in the giving culture of the Avenue Road Food Bank



​The Donors: (my 'compassionate goodness' sandwich experience)

What touched me the most is the SANDWICHES that a community  family makes each week and donates them. I coined my experience with this sandwich 'compassionate goodness' ( even bought the domain)  and I actually created a video about one  of the sandwiches.

You could literally taste the love and respect in the care the way the sandwich was carefully made and the high quality of the ingredients - real cheddar cheese, smoked turkey, whole wheat bread butter and the "live" lettuce ( all made with LOVE).

MPP Jessica Bell and Staff, thank you for accepting my LATE application!