CIA/ETM - Serving at Ottawa Food Bank Dec 2015

On December 1st CIA/ETM once again travelled to the Ottawa Food Bank to help sort food.  

We gathered in the waiting area.

Once everyone arrived Travis corralled us into the staging area and explained how things were going to work.  

OFB has a new system now using plastic bins.  

Makes for a cleaner and less crowded way of packaging the food.  

The banner at the right lists all the food banks that the OFB serves in the Ottawa area. 

Lots, and Lots, and Lots.  

The demand is always increasing.  

Travis explained what goes into these boxes.  

After sorting the food, the bins are pushed over to this side and people pack the boxes.  

Travis explains how this is supposed to work as well...

and then he lets them loose.  : ) 

At first things are always a bit unorganized.  

People need to get used to what to put where, right Janika?  

hmmmm,  why is that bin on the table Ella......

It's ok Janika...it's only a picture.  : ) 

Ben leading this group that takes the food and sorts in into the bins.   : )  

lots of thinking happens here......good thing Rosy is still in university. Thinking comes natural to her.  : )  

These bins all need to be emptied on to the table.  

Heather and Victor sorting.  

Hey Lucy.  Enjoying yourself? I don't know if Tobie is.  : ) Is she ever.........??????

Humming like a well oiled machine.  

Daniel is having fun!

Nicolette, what's the problem?  

Yep, just grab the cans....

...and fill the box.  : )  

Maddi figuring out what goes where.  

Katrina having fun too. 

The food just keeps coming.  

Three siblings....all look confused....hmmmm  : ) 

Rosy had a hard time getting this box apart.  

A REALLY hard time.  : ) 

Madaliene and Elizabeth figuring out where that can of food should go. : ) 

Yep, those are rice cakes Jeannine.  

Marc loves this job.  : ) 

More sorting.  

And stacking completed boxes in the appropriate place.  

Great Job Miriam.  

Miranda helped put the boxes together.  

Still smiling Heather.  

Nice to see.  

Katrina still hard at work.  

Zoe is really concentrating here.  

That's better.  

Taping those boxes shut can be tricky. 

 Eh Miriam.  :) 

Stop reading the packages Lucy. 

Just put them in the box......

Ben, getting ready to close another box full of food destined for a smaller community food bank.  

Look out.......coming through. 

A full crate to sort through. 

We do it pretty fast. 

In fact we had to stop early because we ran out of food to sort.  

Victor is a hard worker.  

As is Madeleine.  

Rosy told me all about the benefits of this box of Butter and Herb mashed potatoes.  : ) or maybe it was the not so good things about it....hmmmmm

Hey Nicolette....why the scowl ?  : ) 

Having issues with that tape dispenser Janika?  

Yes, lots of stuff ends up in the garbage.  

Too bad eh Christina.  

uh oh...and injury.  Paper cuts...they are the worst.  I wonder who this pinky belongs too.  

Ella took over for a while making boxes.  

But Miranda got jealous and took the job back....  : ) 

and the sorting continues.  

Oh, it was LUCY who hurt her pinky....oh bother  :) 

and the sorting continues......

Apparently Nicolette AND Lucy hurt their fingers while sorting food.  

Looks like Lucy is about to faint....MEDIC  ???  : ) 

awe...amazing the things you find that people donate. 

I'm pretty sure this Olaf is not edible....., but he sure is cute eh Ben and Jeannine.  NO you can't take him home with you either.......

All the cardboard and garbage needed to go outside. 

It was not the nicest weather out there. 

Cold and freezing rain (I know...you'd never know so far this winter).  

Daniel and Zoe.....

...and Heather volunteered to go out and empty the garbage and cardboard.  

Nice work.  

and Marc got to play with the toys.  : ) 

ALL DONE!  

Time to wash the hands...right Pheonix.... 

We had some time to kill, so we took a short tour of the vegetable freezer.  It was cold in there..and smelled like sour milk...yuck.  

Pulling on this cord opened that freezer door.  

We also went into the back storage area to see more food. 

The food in this location is usually purchased, to help supplement the donations that come in. 

Cash donations actually go further for the FB, but they are grateful for anything that comes in. 

A final hand washing, and then it was back to church. 

THANKS again CIA/ETM 'rs for coming out and helping out. 

The FB couldn't function without volunteers like you/us.  : )  

And it was fun too.............   

Till next time.