IT'S COMMUNITY FRIDGE DAY AGAIN!

I think the fact that I was thanking God for "mucky jobs" a few weeks ago has meant that if there is one to do, then those around think of me immediately.  However, I am happy to do whatever needs doing and someone has to do these jobs and why not me?

Today, there were lots of lettuces that were in need of some “sprucing up” and it was definitely a “rubber gloves” job as you can see, but it didn’t take too long - and then it was time to peel some carrots, with Tony’s help, which in turn helped Sue, the lady who will be cooking tomorrow at Lunch Club.  I did ask both ladies in my collage if they were OK with being part of my Blip today and they graciously agreed.  You can see that Debs is happy in her work sorting out the bread and Hilary is “almost up to her neck” in potato peelings, again helping out for Lunch Club tomorrow.  Tony did a grand job bagging up all the peelings, ready for them to be put into someone’s compost bin.  It was great teamwork this morning - isn’t it great when everyone works together?

I met some lovely people in the café and it was good to chat to them again.  The two Ukrainian ladies visited again and I remembered their names and they beamed when I spoke to them by name!  In fact, they also remembered my name, so I was happy too.  I met several new people as well as some from last week and it’s good to have the time to sit down and share with them over a cup of coffee. Names are so important and it’s good to remember that we are all individuals and not just "another cog in the wheel" or a number.

As I was typing this, I was reminded of a verse from the Bible :  Isaiah 49:16:

“The Lord says, "I have written your name on the palms of my hands."

This then made me think of one of my Sunday School teachers - Mary - who always used to say, when we were memorising Scripture, "If you never read it and commit it to memory, you won't be able to bring it back to your mind when you need to."  Wise words and they have stood me in good stead all my life.

The Community Fridge is a place where anyone can come and find not only food, but also friendship and fellowship - a “Churchy” sort of word, I know, but it sums up what we are all trying to do there from those behind the scenes, those who are on the door, weigh the produce or are just “around” and those in the back room making up the Bags of Hope.  We want those who come to feel loved and valued and the way to do this is to form relationships with them.

In fact, two of the ladies who help in the kitchen, are happy to go out and chat to people in the café, and actually started off by coming to the Community Fridge as customers but are now very helpful in many ways, both in the kitchen, doing other jobs and talking to people. We all need to find our niche in life and they obviously wanted to “give something back” after being on the receiving end of receiving food and friendship at the Community Fridge.  We are all very grateful to the various supermarkets around the town who are happy for us to collect their surplus food, which would otherwise go into landfill, and give it freely to those who come each week.  

I can definitely relate to this quote - in fact, until I got home, I had hardly thought about my neck, but now I have stopped working, it’s aching a little - so for the rest of the afternoon, I will be sitting with my feet up and taking it easy. 

'Volunteering is a great way
     to look outside your own problems;
          giving back makes you happier
by both giving you a sense of purpose
     and helping to put your problems
          in perspective.'
Karen Salmansohn