188th Week Update - Miles Neighborhood Food Collection Project

… UPDATE …

Karla Avalos-Soto, Community Outreach Advocate in the Mayor’s office reports that seven Community Food Bank boxes were given to the Youth Task Force and three to Habitat for Humanity this past week. That brings the total to 15 boxes in two weeks. View list of participants in the right column.

 

Giving Just Desserts



Every Saturday Barbara Farragut or her partner in sweets, Lenny Cota-Robles stops by the Busy Bee Bakery at 6781 N. Thornydale to pick up the bakery’s mouth watering goodies donation for the Community Food Bank.

 Barbara Farragut, our 12th Street neighbor and One Can A Week volunteer just does things for people because, well, things just show up in her life. Barbara is a retired Registered Nurse and a business manager. The nurse part let’s her help her family and friends with their medical needs so for all intents and purposes she is really not a retired nurse. Even Lenny, her friend from across the street, benefitted from her medical know how when he came down with a terrible case of the flu a few months ago.

Barbara drives folks to the hospital for tests and treatments and even waits for them until they are ready to go home.

Lenny, also a One Can A Week volunteer helps
Barbara, a long-time neighbor and friend
collect food on 12th Street every Sunday.

That’s comforting for both Barbara and her “patients” as it were. The management part of her personality lets her get so much done while just sitting in medical reception area thinking and reading her favorite books.

When she heard that the Busy Bee Bakery wanted to donate, Barbara eagerly spoke up, “I drive right by there on my way to and from Northwest Hospital every week so I can pick it up.” Now a few of the 250,000 folks the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona serves every month get a special treat from one of the best cake bakeries in town.

A couple of years ago Barbara asked a convenience store she visits every Sunday if she could have their older bananas to donate to the Food Bank. They agreed and since then she has helped them contribute over 500 lbs. of produce a quarter.

As mentioned in the beginning, Barbara does things to help people because the opportunities just present themselves. And apparently, Barbara never met an opportunity she didn’t like.

The next time you see Barbara scoot by in her navy blue PT Cruiser, she is going to or coming from helping somebody. What a world it would be—if like Barbara—we all drove around with love in our hearts.

Pony Express Switcheroo By happenstance I met John from 13th Street in the parallel left turn lanes on Campbell. We were both heading west on Broadway.

Before the light changed, we smiled and I said, “I’m here to pick up you can.”

“Sorry, I don’t have any,” John replied. “No, wait, here you go.” He quickly checked the traffic, set his brake, jumped out of his truck and handed me a can of black beans through my open window.

We laughed, the arrow turned green and we both drove safely through the intersection. Not going to do that again, I promised myself.

We collected a total of 149 lbs. of food. The money we donated amounted to $33.00, a $25.00 check and $8.00 in cash.

Peter

See you Sunday