Megan Guthrie, Miles neighbor creates spot-on One Can A Week news video
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| Click on links or photo link to view video. |
On a Sunday last fall, Megan
Guthrie’s dad stopped me at his front door to tell me how proud he was that
his daughter just got accepted into the graduate program at Arizona State
University
To
help her sell the idea, I sent Megan a bullet point fact sheet filled with “new
and different” things about One Can A
Week. That did the trick and a few weeks ago Megan shot the video that also
included appearances by Richard Rodriguez , the Store Director at Sprouts – Oracle and Jack Parris, the Public Relations
Manager at the Community Food Bank of
Southern Arizona.
Megan
only had one minute and forty-one seconds to tell the story so this is what
she did. From our different vantage points in the One Can A Week program, Richard, Jack and I come to the same
conclusion. One Can A Week is easy
on everyone who gets involved and it helps people help. Although none of our
dialog was scripted our similar assessments highlighted what motivates neighbors,
supermarket shoppers and corporate managers to help feed the hungry … a charity
program that is simple, quick and easy. Now that’s new … and really different,
isn’t it?
Sprouts - River Road opening sets new record
Only the Store Director and
assistant manger knew One Can A Week
was going to appear Thursday morning in the Sprouts - River Road store.
Within minutes after setting up the display table near the front
entrance several cashiers and baggers asked for an explanation. They were
delighted I was collecting donations for the Community Food Bank.
About twenty minutes into the
morning a gentleman walked up to the table, took two dollars from his wallet
and placed them in the wicker basket. This was a very good sign. I thanked him
and told him he was the very first person to donate in the River Road store. He appreciated the news
and smiled widely as he pushed his shopping cart out of the store.
About mid way through the morning,
Carrie, the assistant manager stepped up to the bin and stooped a bit to pear
in. Her face took on a disappointed look as she walked away. I was touched by
her interested even though the bin was still empty. That soon changed when two
gentlemen dropped off some expensive olive oil and cooking sauce.
The wicker basket was beginning to
fill with lots of dollar bills and a most welcomed $5 bill. Then James , a well liked cashier—whose regular customers
greeted him with boisterous salutations—walked up to the table while on break
and dropped a $20 bill on top of all those $1s. “I’m retired and this job makes
that possible,” he said.
With James ’
$20 bill along with 18 other folks’ $1 bills I was able to purchase ten
10-pound bags of potatoes. That many potato bags in a shopping cart always
piques nearby shoppers’ interest and they have to say something. “How many
fries are you going to make?” Or “You’re having a party?”
This time the woman in front of me
in line just asked, “What are those for?” After I told her I was purchasing the
potatoes for the Community Food Bank’s Agency
Market she dug into her purse and handed me a $10 bill. “You can use that for next week,” she
suggested.
As I maneuvered out of line I
replied, “No, I’m going back for more. Thank you very much.”
Now I had $48 which purchased 132
lbs. of potatoes. In addition people donated 8 pounds of food. The total weight
of 140 lbs. set a record. Speedway ’s
first donation was 50 lbs. and Oracle’s, 26 lbs. In those days I used to
purchase cans that cost about 89 cents per pound. After recalculating for the
potato price of 35 cents a pound, both Speedway
and Oracle were still lower. So its official, River Road is the new first day leader.
When I checked out I got back into James ’ line because I wanted him to see what his
generosity produced. His cash stayed in the store and helped his company’s
bottom line while at the same time he helped provide a great many people with
Sprouts-quality food. James experienced
One Can A Week’s win-win situation. Bet
he’ll do it again … soon.
11th Truck Load - 2014
Now that we are supplying the Community Food Bank’s Agency Market with
fresh Sprouts potatoes I make two runs (Monday and Friday) to keep the produce
really fresh. It’s only eight miles to the food bank and back which costs $1.28
in gas. Think about it, for $1.28 more a week we get to donate many hundreds of
pounds more of fresh potatoes. It is so worth it.
This week’s donations amounted to 638 lbs. and included River View Estates, 48 lbs.; Sprouts (Speedway), 194 lbs.; Sprouts (Oracle), 120 lbs.; Sprouts (River Road), 140 lbs.; Ward 6, 20 lbs. and Miles Neighborhood, 116
lbs.
Volunteer Appreciation Day
Anna and her family took a much needed and fun day trip.
Kym took a sick day, I’m sorry to say, so Sunday was a reminder of what it was
like in the old days when I first started One
Can A Week. Lots of stops and lots of chit chat with the neighbors.
Chit chat is always the fun part.
It was a little tired when I finished at 3 pm but not
too burned out to think about Anna and her family and Kym. Their help each
Sunday is really important to me and One Can
A Week. However, I do feel more appreciation for their contribution
whenever they have to take a little time off … that’s for
sure.
See you Sunday,
Peter
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