The Food Bank

As my name is unusual and is not spelled like it sounds, about weekly,, I explain that my parents were hippies I went through the orientation and ift the Food Bank at the Johnson County Crisis Center. The Center was begun here in 1970 and initially served as a telephone hotline, run by volunteer University of Iowa students who specialized in suicide prevention. Later, a tiny food pantry was added and services for persons dealing with a transitional and homeless experiences. A board of supervisors and a few paid staff offices and govern many situations, but, essentially, the more than 250 volunteers keep the place running.  Issues which are not within the purview of the Crisis Centers are often dealt with in a manner of referral. There is also a collaboration with the government of local cities, the United Way, the University of Iowa, local businesses in this town, and the local religious community.   Thus, although we have an operational structure, no particular governmental agency supervises or dictates. It operates as a NGO (non-governmental organization) and the primary reason I love to give it my time and energy is thqt unlike out tribal and narcissistic government, the only qualification necessary to obtain nourishment is the will to go into the door.

     The building which houses the Crisis Center is divided as to the need. In the front section, trained counselors who operate the suicide prevention hotline are posted and the Food Bank is located in the rear. I am by no means trained in suicide prevention. Hence, I hardly know what happens in the front of the building.  However, unloading boxes and stocking shelves takes coordination I do not have and explaining the procedures and rules of the food bank requires thought, patience and a clear, strong voice. My injury wiped out much of my balance and a partial paralysis of my vocal chords makes me speech soft, low, and difficult to understand. Initially, I was temporarily doubtful of my service in any capacity.  However, on my interview, the manager, Jessica, immediately eliminated my concerns, by suggesting that I could try to work at the register, basically, as a bagger. Instead, I was instantly placed at the end of the blue entrance, the first row after the waiting room.  I have no idea how it came to be that I should work in the blue section, but everything worked out beautifully.  

As this town is not huge, the facility's size mirrors that. Beside the storeroom, the Food Bank is mainly divided into two section; green and blue. Depending upon the size of the household, clients get a said number of points with which to receive goods like meat, milk, or diapers in the blue section. Although this work is not rocket science, it has become quite clear that I need to be attentive and fair. Many people need this service and a week may be a long time to wait for a select item to be restocked.

     Directly after the "blue" section comes the "green section," where breads. cereals, produce, cans of vegetables, soups,and many other less costly items are stocked into one or more carts, depending on household size. If a baby is in the household, the client is given a additional yellow card and items such as diaper wipes and baby food are given.  As Johnson county is located in Iowa and this state is legendary for its rich soil and all it produces, in the summer and fall (optimal seasons for harvest), fruit and fresh vegetables are some favorite choices and seeing someone leave the Crisis Center with leafy stems bursting from the tops of baskets of groceries always gives me a good feeling.

    Like I said, my job is to tally points in the blue section--the first encountered. As the setup goes, I see the clients as they enter.  Not everyone or even most bring infants in carriages and toddlers in strollers, but as our clients are commonly undereducated (many being immigrants), familiarization with birth control and family planning is lacking. Additionally, childcare is rather expensive and parents who rely upon donations and the government to feed their families, are rarely able to afford this.  Thus, from time to time, I see a parent (usually a mother) enter with a stroller or carriage. However, as stated, the Food Bank is small and when pushing the device to transport your child combined with thrusting a cart, often overloaded with food and baskets, the outcome is a terrifically sad scene. Luckily, I am given just enough space at the end of the blue aisle to allow me to offer to keep an eye on and play with the child while the mother shops. Occasionally, someone is teething or having another experience which causes crying and motivates me to cradle them in my arms but usually, a small object, like a mini toothpaste or bottle of sunscreen is nearby and provides twenty minutes or so..enough time for the parent to fill carts and baskets with groceries. The entire experience is a win-win for everyone; while my life is completely full and satisfying without kids, I often, naturally, find them adorable and a great way to work on imagination and patience. The child encounters the new faces off my co-workers and I and is happily occupied, while the parents more easily gets through the aisles to fill the baskets and sacks for the week.

     Speaking of babies and toddlers directly leads me to a subject which has become the topic of a personal mission...diapers.  Although Americans are eligible for dietary aid in the way of food stamps, that supplement does not cover diapers. We cannot provide every item necessary, but no baby or child, regardless of religion, color, or citizenship should be in a diaper for long and the acquisition on an endless supply is a goal. However, I volunteer at the Crisis Center and the help we give should not be customary and it should be sought out only when other options and preventable circumstances are nullified.

Since the Crisis Center is not run by the government, we are non-exclusionary and follow no laws, despite the type of government in place. ------------------------------
         As we do not discriminate on who we serve, the lone requirement for assistance is that the individual currently resides in this governmental district. We don't care about religion or actual citizenship. This is America. There are rules and standards but this isn't some third, lawless world. Many people pay taxes and there are ways of civility to living here. Providing help, like food is what one can expect to find at places in the United States such as the Crisis Center. We live in a democracy but are our brother's keeper. Of course, food is not the only thing which is needed to have a life and clothing vouchers, public transportation assistance, help with getting household items, aid for special needs (like eyeglasses), aid in paying for bills, access to mailboxes, aid in obtaining a birth certificate and birthday bags are also available. The Crisis Center of Johnson County is located near a secondhand, consignment store, the Salvation Army Center, a business constructed to primarily assist veterans and a couple of bus stops. Thus, for many clients needing the services we provide, obtaining relief does not require owning a car.

         Early one afternoon, a client, who appeared to be Muslim entered my area. Unfamiliar with the Food Bank, she adjusted her headscarf, looking completely confused when our patient staff slowly explained the correct procedure to visiting the Food Bank. She also seemed overwhelmed at the fact that this help even existed. As the young child accompanying her translated the staff member's instructions and the pair came toward me, I kept hearing expressions of surprise and joy.  There was also the soft repetition of a word of which I was not familiar. After the pair reached me and I added their points, the girl explained that her aunt kept thanking us. "Tell your aunt 'Welcome to America,' I said to the young girl. 'This is what we do.'"