Newsletter - 6-01-08

One Big Mission, One Big Truck

I was nervous. I'd never driven anything larger than my van before. Traffic was a mess and drunken yahoos crawled the streets everywhere in their Bay to Breakers best. I grabbed the handle above the driver's seat and hoisted myself up, way up into the cab. I sat down, latched my seat belt and put my hands on the big wheel. I felt strong. I felt powerful. "I am Food Runner, hear me roar," I wanted to say until I reached up to adjust the rear view mirror only to discover that there wasn't one. "Oh," I mumbled in humility. "This is going to be interesting." I did a test drive around the parking lot to acclimate myself to the side mirrors with the embedded, round, convex mirrors that enable you to see vehicles approaching from behind. Hmmm. Not so hard. Not so bad. Just different. I liked riding so high and the truck drove as easily as a car. I pulled out of the parking lot making sure to maneuver a wide turn, the only thing I knew instinctively about driving a truck. "Just remember," my friend Jeanne, who'd driven the truck before told me, "the side mirrors are wider than the box." Jeanne's five foot nutthin'. If she could drive the Food Runners truck without fear, so could I. I turned onto Mariposa and chugged towards Golden Gate Park gaining confidence with every block. By the time I reached the park entrance at Fulton and 30th, I felt like a pro. The barriers to the park were still in place when I arrived. I pulled up to Security and explained my mission. No dice. I was sweating it. I was scheduled to be at the Polo Fields in less than five minutes. Security sent me to more Security at the 43rd street crossover. The guard there hesitated then waived me through when she understood what I was there to do. Once at the Polo Fields, I located my contact who directed me to a tent where all the leftover food provided for the Bay to Breakers After Party by Best Beverage Catering, had been neatly trayed, wrapped and stacked. The party for an 7,000 had finished but fifteen minutes earlier and everything was ready to go. Most impressive. There were over 80 turkey roaster sized pans full of delicious nutritious, fresh food that included sandwiches, quiche, pasta, brownies, cookies and much more. Multiple cases of bananas and oranges awaited pick up as well. Several crew members stacked and loaded the Food Runners truck for me in a jiffy. Food Runners wasn't finished. I climbed back into the cab and headed straight to the Concourse Pavilion to pick up from a little soiree for 2,500 catered by Paula Le Duc Fine Catering. At the Concourse I picked up another 50 or so of the same pan sized pans. I peaked under the lids to find such delights as barbecued chicken, pulled pork, baked beans and other goodies. With the Paula Le Duc spoils on board, the truck was completely full of approximately 2,000 pounds of edible food that would have otherwise been thrown away if not for Food Runners. I had a blast driving around town delivering the haul to five different shelters. The various shelter Chefs high-five'd their kitchen crews and clients who helped haul in the loads got wide eyed at their good fortune. Smiles abounded and over 700 folks in need went to bed less hungry that night. If I had to miss a quiet evening at home with my family this was certainly the way to do it. I never felt prouder of being a Food Runner than I did on Sunday May 18th 2008.

Food Runners picked up and delivered 117,730 pounds of food in the month of May. Volunteers performed 812 runs and the truck did 284. Please welcome new donors, JR Seafood, Ports Seafood, Seller's Market, McKenna Catering and Pollack Architecture. Also welcome new volunteers Jason R. Anne Q. Theresa S. and returning volunteer Lynne J. Many thanks to Chef Lucas Shoemaker and McCall Catering for donating their excess food following the Black and White Ball.

Attending any San Francisco street fairs this summer? Ask the food vendors what they plan to do with their leftover food. Tell them they can donate to Food Runners. We'll be at most of the annual fairs with bags and a smile.

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