79th Week Update - Miles Neighborhood Food Collection Project

Hi Folks,

The Beginning of the Beginning

At 11:50 am Saturday I was carrying my One Can A Week display table back to the Cabriolet when I noticed a couple in front of the flower shop next door to the Rincon Market walking about 15 feet apart heading for the market’s front entrance. The gentleman was spry but his wife was favoring her right foot and waking in some pain. When I returned to pick up my sign and display box, the gentleman was waiting for me.

“Remember, me? he queried, “I am Anita Fonte’s husband. You were at my house when you first talked about One Can A Week.”

I didn’t remember him but I did have a very clear picture of his home and the first and only meeting I attended for the Community Corps 4 Change. It was one of those organizations formed right after the 2008 election to keep the momentum going on President Obama’s community service initiative. The invitation they sent to me told me to bring an idea, which I did. A bunch of other folks did too, but their ideas needed funding. At the time I was amused that they did not see the nasty recession heading our way. (Read the full story here: http://onecanaweek.blogspot.com/2009/09/mending-broken-link-in-help-chain.html

Mr. Fonte walked me to the salad bar in the back of the market and I said hello to his wife Anita. I remembered her but cut the conversation short because I saw the pain in her face from her sore ankle. I excused myself and left for home.

In thinking about what to write about this week my brain kept returning to that fateful meeting more than 79 weeks ago. Not much happened to Mr. and Mrs. Fonte but my life changed completely. And it changed for thousands of folks on the receiving end of One Can A Week, too.

I did a quick tally of everything we have done since we began collecting food for the Community Food Bank 79 weeks ago. Just think of this:

- 16,950 lbs. of food collected

- That generated 13,039 meals at 1.3 lbs. per meal.

- We fed 4,346 folks 3 meals in one day

- On top of that we collected $2,970.

Not sure how much food that is but the Community Food Bank suggests the amount of food and services it can provide for our cash donation is equal to $26,802 or $9 for every $1 donated.

I’m not fond of going back in time. Class reunions and similar get togethers make me uncomfortable because I am always in the present, planning for my next move into the present. But meeting Mr. and Mrs. Fonte again was a good thing because it reminded me how far we have come and how far we can go.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS HELP TM

Once A Week Wednesdays

with

Bobby Rich

on

94.9 MIXfm

7:50 AM

Don’t miss Wednesdays with Bobby Rich at 7:50 am. He talks about One Can A Week and other Community Service programs.

Escapee Potatoes
Generally one finds potatoes all trussed up in a secure bag but this week we got a quartet of spuds along with a can or two from one of our neighbors. As I said in an earlier week, part of the fun of collecting One Can A Week is the surprise we often find waiting for us on the doorstep. We collected 122 lbs. of food including 4 lbs. from the Axis Food Mart, 1 lb. of dog food, 1 lb. of produce and $21 in cash.
 
See you Sunday,

Peter