volunteering.

[thoreau]

as many of you know (or might not know) I have been volunteering at the Legion of Honor Museum in Golden Gate Park. I've been frustrated with my lack of shifts - because I only have been put on one shift a month - because there are so many 'retired' folks on their list that have unlimited availability and other factors. It's hard to fit "only saturdays and sundays" into their schedule - apparently because well... other folks with way more time on the list - ask for those shifts. I am really driven to volunteer other places.

I have been pondering burning some air-miles and going and working Thanksgiving kitchens in New Orleans feeding the folks stilllll in trailers after katrina and have been thinking that perhaps I should volunteer in local homeless shelters as well.

Tommy suggested Glide Memorial or the Episcopal Shelter. But my brain first went to volunteering at Project Open Hand.

Project Open Hand has been providing Meals with Love to people living with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco since 1985. The first grassroots nutrition program in response to the AIDS crisis, Project Open Hand's program of nutrition services has been replicated by hundreds of organizations around the country and the world.

They are looking for help in their kitchens with food prep. :)

• Food preparation such as, but not limited to, chopping, slicing, dicing, peeling, grating, and/or mincing of vegetables for the kitchen chefs.
• Labeling meal containers for delivery.
• Packing prepared hot meals in containers.
• Packing desserts for delivery routes.
• Packing frozen meals in groups of seven for delivery.

so - it looks like I'll be heading to their Polk Street offices next Wednesday for a volunteer orientation meeting.

Comments

[delmarmar.livejournal.com]

Do the food prep, it'll help sharpen your knife skills.

*giggle*

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

exactly - which I can really use honestly.

[delmarmar.livejournal.com]

I try to tell myself to make more salads not just for the health of it but for the practice of slicing and dicing. My skills are atrocious, I should mince something daily until I improve.

Funny you mention volunteering today, I just was telling my husband that volunteering is hard work to get. Everyone else has already either taken the task you wanted or the hours you are around aren't needed.

Good for you for moving on to someplace that matches up better.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

I'll still keep the shift at the LEgion - as one can never have too much art in your life...

[sfmini.livejournal.com]

I volunteered at POH for a couple of years. I thought they were doing a very worthwhile thing. Made me feel good to help them

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

thanks for the vote of support. For the grace of god - I'm not needing their services - but volunteering for them will feel great - 'specially around the holidays.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

and I can DICE LIKE A MADMAN!

[sfmini.livejournal.com]

Dice your little heart away, but please, no fingertips in the giblet gravy.

[ursaloco2.livejournal.com]

I'm not much of a cook, but after volunteering at Moveable Feast (which Michael founded) here in Lexington, I can honestly say I haven't done much that was as rewarding as helping prepare something to nourish someone who otherwise would go without, or at least would go without the proper nutrition.
Do POH volunteers deliver meels, or just prepare. Having done both at MFL, I'd recommend delivering too. Probably the most humbling thing I've ever done--besides getting up every day. :-)


*hugs*

[bukephalus.livejournal.com]

That sounds great! And something you would be very good at. You should sneak your laptop into the kitchen and play your "Bob's Kitchen" videos in the background.

[arktos62.livejournal.com]

It's a beautiful museum and a lovely location. I was there a couple of weeks back during my visit to SF. Sorry I didn't get a chance to see you there.

[fogbear.livejournal.com]

I realize that this is probably irrelevant, but were you volunteering at the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, or the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park? Inquiring minds want need to know.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

the legion of honor - out at Lands end. Sorry if I lumped into being part of golden gate park.