Woodstock Pantry News Brief December 24

This weekend, we experienced our first Cold Weather Crisis. Thanks to everyone for helping us through it! Despite the crisis, we served 287 neighbors!

We will serve New Year’s Eve weekend. Please check the December sign-up sheet. We are short people for the two distribution shifts. If you have some time, join us!

New Volunteers

Last week, a number of our neighbors expressed interest in joining our outreach programs. They joined us right in the middle of a weather extreme and were vital in helping us get through it! Here are some of our new volunteers… Ilka, Sally, Felice, Anne, Thatch, Karen, Richard, Jane, Penny Delcie, Celin, April, Eve, Michael.

Welcome to you all! We are excited to get to know you!

Cold Weather Plan

I wrote the following paragraphs in last week’s E News Brief. Then suddenly, we found ourselves in our first cold weather crisis. Thank you all for your flexibility and for helping on-the-spot to get food to our neighbors!!!If you have ideas, based on this experience about our new Cold Weather Plan, please let me know. Real life is often the best teacher. So, let’s put together a plan!

I’ve been considering what to do should we experience a cold weather extreme .I decided that I’m going to do whatever I can to get to church and serve whoever comes. I make this decision because it occurs to me that when we have a weather crisis, those most vulnerable are hit the worst…and people still need to eat when it’s snowing.

If there are a few of you who live close by and would be willing to walk over, we will help our neighbors the best we can. Let me know if you want to be part of this cold weather emergency response team. On days when a crisis hits, we can talk with each other and make a plan on-the-spot. Thanks!

News from the Shifts

Odd how life happens. We couldn’t access the pantry for three weeks, due to the attempted break-in. Consequently, we couldn’t use the food stored therein. Then we had this storm and couldn’t get food from OFB for this week’s groceries. And…we got access to the pantry, which happened to have all the food needed to build really great grocery bags! You just never know…

Receiving – No Receiving this week. Receiving is great for those who like to lift and carry food and get a workout! And we always need folks.

Packing – We had an impromptu packing team on Thursday, comprised of regulars and new volunteers. They did a fantastic job! Thanks so much! This team is perfect for folks who don’t do heavy lifting and who like a bit slower pace.

Distribution – Our distribution team braved the weather this weekend. We only served on Saturday. Distribution is fast-paced and requires that team members work tightly in sync with each other. It is also the shift wherein we have the closest contact with our neighbors, so customer service is the name of the game!

Please sign up for your January Shifts

Woodstock Pantry January Sign Up Sheet

Hot Meals – New Volunteer Opportunity!

We decided NOT to bring Hot Meals indoors until February. We don’t want to create a super spreader with the triple-demic!

We are putting our teams together now.If you are interested, please contact me right away. Kristen Magis (503) 559-7726 or [email protected] You can also add your name to the January Sign Up Sheet.

A Little Break

I’m taking the week of December 26 off to catch my breath…with the exception of the pantry. I will still coordinate the pantry and we will still serve groceries. So, plan on regular shifts next week. And, if you have questions, etc., please email me. I’ll be watching my email.

Contemplations

I am fascinated with quantum physics. One of the central constructs, ‘Requisite Variety’, teaches that variety is essential to survival and life. You can see Requisite Variety all throughout our society.

The month of December is an interesting exemplar. In our society, we commonly refer to this time of year as the ‘holiday season’. So, I did a quick search and found holidays that are celebrated in December. I’m sure this is an incomplete list.

St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 5 or 6)

Immaculate Conception Day (Dec. 8)

Bodhi Day (Dec. 8)

Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe (Dec. 12)

Hanukkah (Dec. 18-26)

Yule (Dec. 21-Jan.1)

Christmas (Dec. 25)

Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan. 1)

Zarathosht Diso (Dec. 26)

New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31)

Whatever holidays you celebrate, or don’t, I wish you a wonderful December and a fantastic new year.

And I thank you for stepping up and working in community to feed our neighbors.

It Takes a Community, And We Are It!

- Kristen Mägis, Outreach Coordinator