FOOD FOR THOUGHT
….by Sue Colson, Cedar Key Food Pantry Director
March 26, 2020
DISTRIBUTION DAY DIFFERS
Wednesday was the Cedar Key Food Pantry’s distribution day. With people out of work due to the coronavirus, the need is far greater for the Pantry’s services. People fed on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, number 151; normally, that number is 75 to 100. The need, indeed, has risen and may be the new norm.
Wednesday was the Cedar Key Food Pantry’s distribution day. With people out of work due to the coronavirus, the need is far greater for the Pantry’s services. People fed on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, number 151; normally, that number is 75 to 100. The need, indeed, has risen and may be the new norm.
The altered, and most successful, process involved:
• a great traffic director, namely Dennis Gill Senior, ushering automobiles on to the property and lining them up;
• a terrific staff, namely Alexis Crumb and Devin Hines, who met and greeted each car, stood at a six-foot distance, and checked each in;
• cooperative and thankful clients who stayed in their cars, away from one another;
• energetic high school volunteers who lugged, toted, and delivered the prepackaged goods to the trunk of each car.
• a great traffic director, namely Dennis Gill Senior, ushering automobiles on to the property and lining them up;
• a terrific staff, namely Alexis Crumb and Devin Hines, who met and greeted each car, stood at a six-foot distance, and checked each in;
• cooperative and thankful clients who stayed in their cars, away from one another;
• energetic high school volunteers who lugged, toted, and delivered the prepackaged goods to the trunk of each car.
All practiced physical distancing; all fully understood the situation. Under normal circumstances, pantry clients sign themselves in, move to a room containing meat, cheese, and milk, and finally move to the last room containing cry goods. This process accommodates some individual choice, but not so today. The prepackaging of goods and personalized, careful delivery to peoples’ trunks assured safe spaces for all, thanks to Colson’s management.
STEAMERS, SECOND STREET CAFÉ DONATE
Dennis Gill, owner of the Second Street Café and Steamers, packaged, sealed, delivered, and donated to the Pantry his complete kitchens’ stores. “A tremendous amount of fresh produce, some meats, and vegetables were personally delivered to us,” exclaimed the nearly giddy Food Pantry Director Sue Colson. “This is such a generous act for such a important purpose, and no one could appreciate it more than this Pantry’s visitors and me.”
Gill further “donated his father for traffic direction,” reported Colson. Dennis Gill Senior, indeed, did the business of managing the traffic flow from State Road 24, through the compound, and back on to SR24.
Dennis Gill, owner of the Second Street Café and Steamers, packaged, sealed, delivered, and donated to the Pantry his complete kitchens’ stores. “A tremendous amount of fresh produce, some meats, and vegetables were personally delivered to us,” exclaimed the nearly giddy Food Pantry Director Sue Colson. “This is such a generous act for such a important purpose, and no one could appreciate it more than this Pantry’s visitors and me.”
Gill further “donated his father for traffic direction,” reported Colson. Dennis Gill Senior, indeed, did the business of managing the traffic flow from State Road 24, through the compound, and back on to SR24.
COMMUNITY GARDEN, TIKI-BAR DONATE
Recognizing the need of nonworking families, the Cedar Key Community Gardeners harvested their greens, and Project Leader Tom Deverin delivered crisp, cold, fresh greens to the Pantry in time for distribution. “I speak for all of us at the Garden, we’re happy to be of help.” Said Deverin when thanked by Colson.
Recognizing the need of nonworking families, the Cedar Key Community Gardeners harvested their greens, and Project Leader Tom Deverin delivered crisp, cold, fresh greens to the Pantry in time for distribution. “I speak for all of us at the Garden, we’re happy to be of help.” Said Deverin when thanked by Colson.The Tiki Bar on State Road 24 donated a five-gallon bucket of dill pickles to the Pantry. Colson explained, “Kids are thrilled by the pickles; they love them. Adults…not as much. But the kids go crazy over dill pickles.” Colson and her volunteers converted the five-gallon bucket into fifty packages for distribution to delighted clients.
VOLUNTEERS ESSENTIAL
Preparation for Wednesdays is always a busy enterprise; however, because of the virus and necessity of physical distancing, prepackaging of all items was necessary. Volunteers Alexis Crumb and Devin Hines helped for two days. The first day, they processed the food items into packages, yellow bags. Different bags were packaged for families of one, two, three, four, or more. The second day, Wednesday, they distributed. High school volunteers helped loading these packages into cars at the direction of Colson.
Preparation for Wednesdays is always a busy enterprise; however, because of the virus and necessity of physical distancing, prepackaging of all items was necessary. Volunteers Alexis Crumb and Devin Hines helped for two days. The first day, they processed the food items into packages, yellow bags. Different bags were packaged for families of one, two, three, four, or more. The second day, Wednesday, they distributed. High school volunteers helped loading these packages into cars at the direction of Colson.
THE FUTURE
When asked about future food delivery, Colson replied that she expected the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) deliveries to continue. Her second source of goods is Gainesville’s Bread of the Mighty. This organization relies on grocery stores for its goods. Therefore, Colson anticipates fewer goods from Bread of the Mighty in the near future.
When asked about future food delivery, Colson replied that she expected the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) deliveries to continue. Her second source of goods is Gainesville’s Bread of the Mighty. This organization relies on grocery stores for its goods. Therefore, Colson anticipates fewer goods from Bread of the Mighty in the near future.
Colson explained that the Cedar Key Food Pantry will continue to operate as long as it possibly can and as long as there are foods to distribute.
THANKS
Many, many thanks to everyone involved in the Pantry. We truly appreciate you, everything you do, and everything you provide. This community is surely one galvanized place.
Many, many thanks to everyone involved in the Pantry. We truly appreciate you, everything you do, and everything you provide. This community is surely one galvanized place.
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