The first week in May is a feel good week. The days are brighter. Summer is near. Even better is we get to go out in the community and give back. This year we returned to TABLE’s new location in Carrboro, North Carolina.
Prior to our visit, we learn that not every child comes to school with a breakfast and a lunch. Furthermore, they often go home to a bare pantry. TABLE volunteers provide food to some students in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School on Friday so they will have food for the weekend.
We loaded up Mrs. Donnelly’s car with suggested donations and headed to our destination. After learning a bit more from Laura, we began to unload her car with food purchased that day. Yes, a ton of it. Literally.
Our next task was to unpack the food and clearly label the expiration date. There was spaghetti for days. Everyone worked efficiently and collaboratively, stepping into leadership roles as they arose.
The final stage was an assembly line effort to fill each bag for each student with the necessary items so they have nutritious food for the weekend. Once again, everyone worked at lightning speed with a huge smile. We began with a bag and some crackers.
Next, tuna and soup were added.
Following that, we included oatmeal, a granola bar, a fruit cup, macaroni, and then juice boxes.
At the end of the line, it was important to have our quality control team to make sure we had the correct number of items.
Nothing is wasted. We made sure that the boxes were recycled before we headed back to school.
So proud of this crew! They worked nonstop for almost two hours that afternoon. Children helping children. Thank you TABLE and Laura for allowing us to give back in such a meaningful way. We are grateful for the parents who coordinated and came on this adventure with us as well as donating even more food. It was an all around feel good day.
If you have plastic bags you want to recycle, 1,100 were used for that Friday’s delivery. You can drop them off in the white box near the back door of TABLE. If you’d like to donate food or your time, please contact Laura for specifics. There is always more to do.
This is such an amazing idea!! Community service is awesome. Do you do something like this every year?
I love how table has a place to put plastic bags to be recycled. Does 6th grade still go to table?
That looks cool and fun. Do you still do it?
I’ve been going to TABLE for ten years now. I think we are doing something different in the spring this year. Some students volunteer at TABLE during the summer too. Would you be interested in doing that?
We’ve done it every spring for the past ten years. I hope we can do it again this year. What other community service activity have you enjoyed in the past?
We do this and sweet potato gleaning. Did you do community service at your previous school?