helping

Papa’s World – Our life – volunteering!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Today we are in our “SENIOR” years.

Moving to a warm climate- almost no snow or ice.

Is it “HOT” in the summer? “YES”!

But I would rather live in that than the cold of “WINTER”!

So – you might ask – “What do you do being retired”?

Many things – when asked that question –

I sometimes reply ” I DON’T KNOW – BUT IT TOOK ME ALL DAY TO DO IT”!

In my case – keeping track of what day it is –

I know when the garbage day is – Wednesday – so there for on Tuesday late afternoon –

I put the garbage can to the curb!

Other days I look at my watch and then my calendar on my desk!

Isn’t that wonderful?

I know when Sunday is because it is “GO TO CHURCH DAY”!

Speaking of church – we recently have volunteered for the county FOOD PANTRY!

The second Saturday of every month is when our church volunteers to operate the FOOD PANTRY!

Everything is so well organized –

You know ahead of time what your assignment is.

Sherry is a “SHOPPER”!

I have been “TRAFFIC CONTROL” and “LOADER”!

She gets a form and a cart and inside the building – she goes from station to station-

And shops for what is on the list – much like you see in food stores with employees with a cart!

She then takes the cart out to the front and here is where cars are waiting –

They have a number that corresponds with the “SHOPPERS” cart.

Here is a loader – they ask the person in the car where their number is –

And compare it to the SHOPPERS paperwork.

The loader then asks where to load the food.

The person in the car does not have to get out.

As soon as they are loaded – they can pull out and leave and the next three cars are then

told to move up.

When the cars first come in – they are given a number to be put on the dash.

Then you ask them if they can walk to the table.

Where registration is.

If not –

they are given a colored sticker and someone will come to their car and talk to them and they can sign in.

They are told where to park and to back in.

They must register to receive food from the food bank.

Other people are food stockers –

making sure each station is stocked and the bags with food in them are there.

People at the table outside record all the information on how many families are served-

How many individuals or seniors are served.

In 2022 – 4142 Families and 13701 Individuals were served from just this food pantry.

In 2023 – 5160 Families & 17100 Individuals were served.

In 2024 – 6819 Families & 23,477 Individuals were served.

Total volunteer hours – 8121 – or 203 40-hour work weeks!

You can see the need to feed people is increasing yearly!

It is something we intend to commit to as long as we can do it.

Inside the pantry are volunteers who record everything and enter it into a database.

People are in charge at the table in front to weigh all donations –

People are in charge of buying food from a huge wholesale food bank in Wilmington.

Other people go to local grocery stores to pick up donations.

It is well run and our church – Saint Luke Lutheran Church has the second Saturday of each month.

We also volunteer at Coastal Living for seniors.

I maintain the library while Sherry helps with the monthly “SHOPPING” for residents.

These are shopping set up by donations for residents to spend their vouchers

and give them the feeling of once again some control in their daily living.

Life as a senior – while we still can help others less fortunate than ourselves.

Thank you for reading my daily blog PAPA’S WORLD!

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

PAPA’S WORLD – OUR LIFE – VOLUNTEERING!

Papa’s World – Hurricane Helena-Donations.

/ Tom / Leave a comment

We found a place to donate clothes –

Our neighbor would take them to a local church –

and then they would see that they got to the victims.

Our friends in HICKORY, N.C. continue to purchase and deliver to the airport supplies.

These will be flown by volunteers in Helicopters to areas hard to reach.

Roads into and out of areas were destroyed!

Day after day we continued to get donations and then make purchases!

We continued to reach out on Social Media for places to take donations!

A lot of places had exhausted their trucks and manpower.

The semi was loaded twice –

Other trailers and trucks more than six times!

Now we waited –

a second Hurricane was approaching Florida – A FIVE!

We shall see and continue –

We have faith in what we are doing!

They work tirelessly –

Separating and bagging donations.

This is but a glimpse into helping folks in distress from a distance.

Thanks for reading this blog!

PAPA’S WORLD: HURRICAN HELENA- DONATIONS!

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

Papa’s World – Collecting food for WNC – flood victims.

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Sherry and I started collecting money through posts –

we had to buy items and take them to a

spot on the Sunset Pier in trucks and trailers –

This was in response to a post made by the owners of the Pier –

Who happened to be from the area in WNC MOUNTAINS –

And wanted to help the region –

Collecting water – food – health items clothes and blankets!

We spent over 100.00 dollars of our own money –

But – then after our posts –

other donations started coming in.

Close to $1000.00 and still coming!

Folks who donated staying –

and separating items to be packed onto the trailer and UHAUL!

Sherry is in the top middle!

Our neighbors Patrisha Donna and Pete are friends.

We ran into other friends and neighbors who also donated.

Soon – neighbors were dropping off boxes and bags for us to take over.

These were the first of FOUR TRUCKS and TRAILERS –

They collected for less than Two Days –

and filled them up!

On Wednesday of that week –

arrangements were made by the owners of the pier –

To park a friend’s Semi-tractor trailer-

to park across the street –

and the donations to continue!

Slowly the people came –

and then more and more –

Two more trucks were added –

in less than 48 hours – all four were filled.

A second site was announced –

this one at OIB – a parking lot near the park and museum.

This trailer had a weight limit of 1600 lbs.

The water was transferred to the UHAUL –

The owner of this trailer was a man named Danny –

A retired police officer who lives in Calabash and rides a motorcycle!

Papa and Sherry – we made four trips to the stores –

With the money donated –

we were able to go to the Food Lion twice –

the Dollar Tree once –

Plus neighbors dropping off supplies to our home.

We went to the home of a couple-

who had just purchased it in July –

They had spent this weekend of the storm there-

They were going back to the mountains-

and needed water –

and food to help their neighbors.

We dropped off three cases of water and a large box of food.

On this day –

after we made our fourth delivery –

We went back home with $25.00 left.

I posted the results –

and vowed to continue if donations came in.

That night we went to bed with $375.oo in the account!

The next day –

we will continue –

and go forward –

As long as the donations continue –

we will deliver –

and continue donating ourselves.

PAPA’S WORLD –

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog