Jumping Into Action: A Volunteer Shares His Experience on the Food & Friends Delivery Route

By Johnny Pitchford, Food & Friends Volunteer

I have been volunteering at Food & Friends for just 2 years now.  In that time, I have worked mainly in the kitchen and in the development office on special events, but have had occasion to work on projects in most all departments in the building.

A recent email message from Volunteer Services Manager Beth Stewart caught my eye.  It was about a new volunteer position, “Delivery Jumper.”  This assignment involves going out on a daily run with one of the staff drivers, delivering prepared meals and groceries-to-go to the homes of clients.  I was intrigued because very few of my previous volunteer experiences had involved client interaction.  While I had done just about every volunteer task within the building, I hadn’t taken the step of going out on delivery by myself.  So, I decided to give it a try.

Beth assigned me to work with staff driver Antoine Johnson.  We met on the loading dock that morning, loaded up his van, and headed out.  Antoine knew the routes and the clients well, and I was able to help by jumping out of the van and delivering the food to the client, their family member or caregiver, while Antoine called the next home to let them know we were on the way.

We made over 40 deliveries that day to the northeastern and southeastern section of the District.  In some cases, the client asked me to relay a message back to Antoine, like “don’t let him forget my birthday cake next week,” showing the personal connection he has made with the clients on his route.

I must say that having Antoine as my driver and “teacher” that day made the time go by quickly.  His warm and engaging personality, tips about shortcuts to improve his efficiency, and anecdotes from his past experiences as a driver, made for an enjoyable day in itself. 

It was a full day, and my muscles were tired that evening…but a “pleasant” tired.  More importantly, it was an extremely heartwarming yet humbling experience to approach the front door of home after home of individuals you know to be living with a life-challenging illness, and to be met with a warm smile and a “thank you” in each case.

Having spent many hours preparing and packaging food in the kitchen on Riggs Road for clients that have been faceless until now, my day on the road with Antoine brought my Food & Friends experience full circle.  It reinforced in my mind the critical value of what we all do together at Food & Friends day after day, week after week, year after year.

I encourage my fellow volunteers to take advantage of this new opportunity.  I’m doing it again next week.


Note: If you are interested in volunteering as a Delivery Jumper, please contact volunteer@foodandfriends.org or call (202) 269-2277. We'd love to have you!

Healthy Eating on a Budget

With rising interest in organic produce, artisan food products and exotic ingredients, a trip to the grocery store can leave you feeling price-gouged.  Healthy eating doesn’t have to break the bank though, as long as you avoid certain pitfalls.  Read on to learn the mistakes commonly made at the grocery store and at home that undermine your food budget:

AT THE GROCERY STORE

“I didn’t plan ahead”

Did you know about 60% of food purchases are unplanned?*  Not only do these purchases tend to be less healthy, but they also add to your total spending.  Save some money by planning out your shopping trip ahead of time.  By deciding on a few meals in advance, you can take into account what you already have at home and streamline your visit to the grocery store.  If you still need help avoiding those impulse purchases, challenge yourself to get in and out of the store in a certain time limit.

“I didn’t look for the deals”

Competition is fierce among grocery stores, which is why so many of them offer loyalty programs for their “valued customers”.  Loyalty programs usually come with a card you can swipe at check-out for extra discounts.  They also give you access to online coupons that you can’t find in the store.  On top of that, grab a copy of the store’s circular, a weekly printout of in-store sales and specials.  Most are available online, so you can even use the circular to plan out meals before you shop (just remember to avoid the junk food).

A cooking class held by one of our registered dietitians

AT HOME

“I didn’t stock up”

Healthful eating is so much easier when the ingredients are at home and ready to use.  Keep your fridge and pantry stocked so you’re not tempted by the convenience of fast food or takeout.  Sometimes it’s helpful to prepare chopped ingredients the day before and refrigerate them in a ziplock bag to save time later.  Big sales can also be a great time to fill your cart with healthy staples like canned fish, dried beans and grains, and frozen veggies.

“I wasted my food”

You may have heard Americans waste a lot of food—specifically, $371 worth of food per person per year.  There are many ways to save your food from a landfill (and save money in the process).  Large cooked dishes can be individually portioned and frozen on standby for your next quick meal.  You can repurpose leftovers and fruit and vegetable scraps.  For example, beet greens can be used just like chard or collards, and carrot tops make a bright pesto.  Even orange zest from discarded peels makes a flavorful addition to salads and baked goods.  Also note that “Best Before”, “Use By” and “Sell By” dates are used to indicate peak freshness and NOT when a packaged food is spoiled, so don’t be too quick to toss it out.  However, regarding perishable foods like meat and dairy, refrigerate or freeze as appropriate and consume before the date specified.  Also, be sure to throw out anything showing signs of mold or off odors.

Healthy eating can be expensive, but it certainly doesn’t have to be.  Use our tips to improve the way you shop and cook.  Small changes in planning ahead, looking for discounts, storing food properly and reducing waste can translate to huge savings.

Reference 

* Inman, J. Jeffrey, Russell S. Winer and Rosellina Ferraro (2009), “The Interplay Between Category Characteristics, Customer Characteristics, And Customer Activities on In-Store Decision Making,” Journal of Marketing, 73 (September), 19-29.