In the middle of a cold warehouse lined to the top with cases of food, a group of volunteers held hands and prayed. “Let’s do ordinary things extraordinarily well,” said Jaynee Acevedo, executive director of SHARE Food Network. They then formed an assembly line and began to pack boxes with macaroni, vegetables, pie and a turkey.
“This is one of my favorite days of the year,” said Acevedo.
The normally busy pick-up days for SHARE coordinators are even busier around the holidays, and after Nov. 21-22, the organization, part of the Catholic Charities network, will have distributed 10,000 turkeys and around 17,000 units of food.
“SHARE is an amazing and excellent way for everyone and anyone to save money on food,” said Acevedo.
Because they rely on volunteer manpower and bulk purchasing, SHARE offers food packages once a month at half the retail cost.
“It’s empowering to people because they can purchase in advance, connect with others in their community and double their food budget,” said Acevedo.
The volunteers also are pleased with the quality of the food, including Dorothy Pope, a volunteer from Carmody Hills Baptist Church.
“For the price and quality, you can’t beat it,” said Pope, as she counted out packages of chicken thighs to be put in boxes. “The food is good and everyone’s looking forward to the next month. And the desserts,” she adds, “Can’t leave that out.”
Pope has been volunteering through her church for six years and believes the work she does is a way to follow in Christ’s footsteps. “Jesus came to serve – he didn’t come to be served, so I do it gladly,” she said.
Barbara Thomas first started buying SHARE packages in 2000 when she was recovering from a stroke. “My whole right side from my shoulder down to my foot was paralyzed,” she said. While in rehab she had a hard time getting out to buy food for herself.
“There was a fellow in our block who belonged to St. Michael’s Catholic Church, and he would come over and say, ‘You know, I’m with the SHARE food and you can’t get out, why don’t you let me bring you a menu.’ So he started bringing me SHARE once a month,” Thomas recalled. “I said if I ever get well enough, I’m going to help somebody else.”
Now she has been a coordinator for seven years and delivers food to the Charter House, a senior home in downtown Silver Spring. But for other volunteers like Michael Murphy, it was their first time volunteering at SHARE. He came with a group from his company, Community Counseling and Mentoring Inc.
“We do an outreach each month as part of our founder wanting to do everything he can to serve children and families in the community,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed the work and the perspective that comes from working in places like this.”
