Dispatch - 3-01-07

Working Together

Food Runners volunteer James rises out of the ground to a full six feet, five inches tall. He stands as solid and rooted as an oak tree. His body exudes strength while his shiny brown eyes reflect a startling, soft openness. James smiles frequently but speaks with reserve. Although understanding James is easy, he feels shy about his gently muffled speech. James comes to Food Runners through The Arc of San Francisco.* The Arc of San Francisco is a non-profit organization founded in 1951 to serve, support and advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities. The Arc provides a variety of services and currently supports over 460 people on a daily basis. It’s hard to say whether James found Food Runners or Food Runners found James, but it all began with James’ ability to move and lift heavy items.

When presented by The Arc with volunteer opportunities, volunteerism being a component of The Arc program in which James participates, the only thing James wanted to do was work with Food Runners. Every Monday morning at 9:15, Food Runners truck driver Edwin P. picks up James from in front of The Arc’s headquarters south of Market. Every Monday morning, James and Edwin stop by my office to retrieve the route rosters for the week. Every Monday morning, James beams from the cab of the Food Runners truck when I greet him. Edwin smiles too knowing that when he pulls up to his first stop of the day at Trader Joe’s on Masonic, James will be there to help him load shopping cart full after shopping cart full(10-12 cart loads is average!!) of edible, perishable and prepared foods that would otherwise be thrown away, into the Food Runners truck. James lifts one hundred pound bags of bananas as if they were air. What a joy to witness the joy on James’ face as he works and makes a meaningful contribution. With James on board, Food Runners picks up 30% more food on Mondays than it could without him, including another 10-12 shopping cart loads from the Trader Joe’s in North Beach. Food Runners mission is to help feed the hungry of San Francisco. Thank you James for being an important part of the mission. Thank you for being such a dedicated Food Runners volunteer. By joining our collective hands, Food Runners, The Arc of San Francisco and James are making a difference. Food Runners picked up and delivered 102,800 pounds of food this past month. Volunteers performed 625 runs and the truck did 195. Please welcome new donors Escape from New York Pizza onb Polk St., Smart and Final on South Van Ness, Moonstruck Café, La Boulange on Union and Starbuck’s on Van Ness at Bush. Starbuck’s, La Boulange and Escape from New York are donating on a daily basis. If you’ve never been to La Boulange, I highly recommend you stop by when in the neighborhood to sample their delights at which time you can get an idea of the quality of food they donate to Food Runners. Unbelievable!! Also welcome new recipient, Hayes Valley Playground Afterschool Program to which pizza from Escape from New York, sandwiches and sundries from La Boulange as well as pastries from Starbuck’s on Van Ness are being donated every Monday. Food Runners is proud to be serving this frequently underserved part of the city. The program director, Fidel Joshua and the kids are loving it.

Do you see a shelter or food program in need in your neighborhood? Do you see food being thrown away from a market or business nearby?

Tell a Friend About Food Runners

A simple call to Food Runners at 415-929-1866 can change everything. Don’t forget to spread the word!

Nancy

* for more information on The Arc of San Francisco and their programs, visit www.thearcsanfrancisco.org

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