Thursdays at the Food Bank

The Dalhousie Food Cupboard is a distribution point for the Ottawa Food Bank. It's open Wednesdays and Thursdays 10:30 to 1:00 in the Bronson Centre. During the pandemic clients have lined up outside and been served either outside or inside depending on the weather. People who live in the geographical area of the DFC are eligible to receive three days worth of perishable and non-perishable food items per month. In pre-covid times volunteers interviewed clients to help better meet their individual needs. 

In March, the COVID-19 Pandemic reached Ottawa. I suddenly had to switch to teaching and working from home in my small one-bedroom apartment. These conditions were not what I had imagined when I moved in. 

Despite the fact I was still working about sixty hour weeks at the beginning of the pandemic, I was struck by a feeling of needing to do something to help. With training in peacebuilding and some limited experience in public health and emergency management I felt like I should have something to offer, but I didn't know what. 

So, I became what seemed like one of hundreds of people in Ottawa scrolling through volunteer postings. I imagined that I wanted to support the foodbank in some way, but whenever I looked their volunteer positions were all full. I was visiting the site often enough that I eventually realized when the postings were being made, so I logged on one Friday night and jumped at an opportunity at the Dalhousie Food Cupboard which happened to be in the same building my day-job had been in until we were locked-down. 

When I attended my first volunteer shift the following week I wasn't sure what to expect. No one was wearing face masks yet but we were trying to physically distance. After the coordinator and one of the regular volunteers sized up the new recruits, I was asked to help with the filing. It took some time to build trust that I was going to do an adequate job. 

Over the subsequent weeks I gradually transitioned into performing data entry, ensuring that each client's visit to the DFC was recorded. This helps to track visits and to ensure that the DFC has enough food to distribute on a weekly basis. I liked this job because it let me get to know the other volunteers and observe the other roles they were playing. They're all great and I hope I've made some long-term friends here.

Concurrently, I started baking at home. I initially picked this up because I was worried that the first lockdown would prevent me the tasty sweets that I knew would get me through this difficult period. I quickly realized that the recipes I was using yielded much more than I could eat, and so I needed to find someone to share my treats with. The other volunteers at the foodbank during our shared lunches seemed like the perfect choice. 

I initially started making bundt cakes but then I branched out and tried layer cakes. These baking adventures helped me to develop a new skill that I don't think I would otherwise  have, as well as building my relationship with the other volunteers. When I shared this effort on twitter one night under #createtogether, I even got a shout out from Joseph Gordon Levitt for my efforts *swoon*. 

As the summer went on the number of clients using the food bank started to increase along with the number of positive COVID test results in Ottawa. Many of the volunteers at the DFC are seniors and the increased case load caused some volunteers to suspend their work or take on different roles. As a result, I've had the chance to start conducting intake, which involves verifying people's identities and their eligibility to use the foodbank. 

I have really enjoyed this role because it has given me an opportunity to meet clients and hear their stories. I've shared excitement with people who have recently been released from prison or regained access to their children, and sorrow with people suffering from unimaginable losses, including sometimes losing their groceries at the hand of neighbours, from already precarious positions. I always felt that I was a relatively empathetic person, but I feel like this experience has really helped me to better understand the range of lived experiences of people in my own community. 

Working at the front door I also get to observe many of the stories being lived-out in the foodbank line. Some days are more interesting than others. We had a couple of weeks where several clients had trouble containing their emotions, leading to angry outbursts. The hardest part of this role for me is having to turn clients away when they have consistently failed to provide proper identification.  For the most part though, people are friendly and curious. The DFC's clients seem to have some of the gentlest, well-trained dogs around and it's always a pleasure when they come to visit with their owners. (The dog in the picture belongs to one of the employees of the Bronson Centre. I am her favourite foodbank volunteer :D) 

The best story from the foodbank line to date was by far the Christmas miracle of December 17, 2020. When I approached a single mom and her daughter to collect their ID, the mom leaned in and explained that a man had just handed her an envelope, said "Merry Christmas" and walked away. When I asked what was in the envelope she said "$400!". She was actually in line to pick-up a gift for her daughter. I hope the special gift made both of their holidays a little bit brighter. 

I didn't accomplish any of the things that I had hoped for in 2020. I didn't find a permanent job, academic or otherwise. I didn't get to go on planned trips to Toronto, New York or the Philippines or move to Halifax. I didn't buy a dog or make any progress towards finding love. I could drone on. 

I did however, find another piece of the puzzle that I have been searching for, for a long time. Community. 

Wishing everyone a brighter 2021. Let's get through the rest of the pandemic together.