[Faith-talk] volunteer service to the disadvantaged

Mon May 17 05:53:37 UTC 2010

Yes, but if you are volunteering, you can have a sight-ee reading for 
you and you can be putting things in boxes or on hangers, whatever is demanded.
I helped to do some work in one of those food co-ops. it is not 
terribly blindness friendly, but if you're willing to be a grunt and 
you have some help, why, it can be very rewarding.
BestPen
At 09:35 PM 5/16/2010, you wrote:
>This is good to know.
>
>Anyone volunteer by sorting food and packaging at a food bank? How 
>about at a clothing closet?
>I might want to do that but wondered if you have to read 
>labels.  Actually for the clothing closet where you sort by size and 
>gender I'm pretty sure you have to read labels.
>
>If that's not doable I'm sure I can find something to do to 
>serve.  I feel good about serving and want to reach out to the community.
>Ashley
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg Aikens" <gpaikens at gmail.com>
>To: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>; "Faith-talk, for 
>the discussion of faith and religion" <faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 3:28 PM
>Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] volunteer service to the disadvantaged
>
>
>>When I sorted it was more of a preliminary sort than actually sorting
>>things by item. They just needed us to separate the cans from the
>>bottles and jars. From there someone else sorted them by item. A lot
>>of the larger food pantries do things like an assembly line. If you
>>can find a point in the line where you don't need eyesight you are
>>good to go.
>>
>>I never did serve food at the homeless shelter. I didn't feel
>>comfortable enough that I wouldn't miss their plate or something. I
>>stuck to washing dishes and cleaning but I always had something to do.
>>
>>-Greg
>>
>>On 5/12/10, Ashley  Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>Greg,
>>>Thanks for sharing your experience.
>>>When you did the sorting, did you do it tactually?
>>>I guess you didn't have to have anyone read the labels on the cans and
>>>bottles.  Was everything in boxes and you sorted it out and placed on the
>>>right shelves?  What did the food pantry involve?  Yes I agree being a
>>>regular volunteer will enable me to
>>>be familiar with the way things are done and where items are kept.  If I did
>>>something it would be on a regular basis.  How did you handle the
>>>homeless shelter?  Did you memorize where things were?  If you served food,
>>>how did you know when they came up to get food?  I suppose if everyone spoke
>>>to you and said something like "here's my plate.  I'd like chicken and
>>>potatoes."  or something like that it would work fine since you'd be behind
>>>the counter and serve the appropriate things.
>>>If you didn't serve food, what other tasks did you do?
>>>
>>>Glad it worked out.
>>>Ashley
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Greg Aikens" <gpaikens at gmail.com>
>>>To: "Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion"
>>><faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 10:07 AM
>>>Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] volunteer service to the disadvantaged
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi Ashley,
>>>>I have done quite a bit of volunteering at homeless shelters and food
>>>>pantries and was always able to find something productive to do. I did
>>>>usually go with others who knew me which really helped. Having a
>>>>friend to go with at first might help you discover which jobs they
>>>>have available which are more or less doable. Also, being a regular
>>>>volunteer will help as you can have more time to get familiar with the
>>>>way things are done and where things are kept etc. Even if the staff
>>>>is unsure about how you can help, finding one thing you can do will
>>>>help them warm up to you and maybe give you more opportunities to
>>>>serve.
>>>>
>>>>Some things I found to do are: washing dishes at the homeless shelter,
>>>>sorting cans, bottles, and jars at the food pantry, filling bags in an
>>>>assembly line type set up at the food pantry or just opening up
>>>>plastic grocery bags to give to others going through the assembly
>>>>line.
>>>>
>>>>Hope this helps.
>>>>
>>>>Greg
>>>>
>>>>On 5/10/10, bookwormahb at earthlink.net <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>>>Hi all,
>>>>>
>>>>>I am seeking volunteer service in a number of areas while I look for
>>>>>work.
>>>>>We are called upon to help others, especially the disadvantaged.  I might
>>>>>
>>>>>do
>>>>>two volunteer jobs to keep busy; I doubt one position will give me
>>>>>something
>>>>>full time.  I am applying to the Smithsonian and hospitals for an office
>>>>>position.  I also tried a nonprofit assisting those with mental health
>>>>>issues called Crisis link.
>>>>>
>>>>>Those are my main ideas for an office position.  But on the side I desire
>>>>>
>>>>>to
>>>>>do something to serve as a Christian.
>>>>>Has anyone served at a homeless shelter, food bank, or soup kitchen? If
>>>>>so
>>>>>what did you do and what was it like?  I haven't even been in a soup
>>>>>kitchen
>>>>>but have an idea what it might look like.  I have however, served food
>>>>>with
>>>>>my church group at a women's shelter.
>>>>>Another idea I had and I'm not sure I can do though is to sort and
>>>>>package
>>>>>food items at a warehouse or food pantry or sort clothing donations.  I
>>>>>don't know whether I need to read labels to do this.  Has anyone helped
>>>>>prepare food, even sandwiches, at a soup kitchen?  Since its not my own
>>>>>kitchen and I can't see where things are I'm not sure how doable this is.
>>>>>Then I figured I could memorize things and I'd be in a group so I could
>>>>>work
>>>>>around reading labels by asking people.  I'm not sure though.  Any
>>>>>experiences and advice you have would be great.  What alternative
>>>>>techniques
>>>>>worked for you and what did not?
>>>>>
>>>>>Ashley
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>Faith-talk mailing list
>>>>>Faith-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/faith-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>Faith-talk:
>>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/faith-talk_nfbnet.org/gpaikens%40gmail.com
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>Faith-talk mailing list
>>>>Faith-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/faith-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>Faith-talk:
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/faith-talk_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthlink.net
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Faith-talk mailing list
>>>Faith-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/faith-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>Faith-talk:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/faith-talk_nfbnet.org/gpaikens%40gmail.com
>
>_______________________________________________
>Faith-talk mailing list
>Faith-talk at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/faith-talk_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>for Faith-talk:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/faith-talk_nfbnet.org/goldpen%40frontiernet.net