I spent yesterday morning in our first excercize of assembling loads of food for pickup by orphanages, churches and other feeding ministries in Mexico. We get tons of food in by the truckload on pallets. One pallet might have half a ton of cases of green beans with potatoes, another 2,000 pounds of rice which have been packed into 30# bags by volunteers from a partner church, and so forth. When a pickup or van arrives driven by a volunteer to take the food to a mission, we need to provide an assortment, based on what we have available and the population being fed, enough to fill the pickup, but not so much that we have to re-stock. And we have to get the pickup loaded expeditiously so we're not interfering with the 18-wheelers which are coming and going during this process. So how to assemble manageable loads?
In the past, Miramar Transportation has been donating the time of warehousemen to assemble loads for us - I would compile a list of what we needed, and they would - presto/changeo - have a pallet ready for the driver to pick up. But our success has gotten in the way. Our volume has become so large, and the demand on the resources of Miramar Transportation has gotten so great, that we are changing our M.O.
Our generous sponsor has given us a warehouse space that is dedicated solely to our mission. Along with that comes the responsibility of assembling loads. Miramar Transport is still donating forklift drivers, a computerized inventory system, pallets and packing, (not to mention free cartage to get the stuff to San Diego). But the task of serving the drivers who pick up food for the kids is now ours.
The first big test came yesterday. Calls for volunteers were sent out, plans for assembling loads were made, and energy was wasted in useless anxiety in an appropriate measure. When I arrived in the parking lot at our new warehouse, I was greeted by a small crowd of enthusiastic men, all ready to get to work. We got the warehouse opened, discussed the plan, made some last-minute adjustments (Thanks, Mark!), and got to work.
It turned out that we had just the right number of volunteers. I am always surprised at how Hilarious Givers is always provided with exactly what we need to fulfil our mission. If a few more had shown up, we would have been getting in each other's way. A few less, and we would not have been able to finish. I don't know why I worry about this stuff.
The result is a full measure of loads, ready to be put in the trucks and vans of volunteers, and sufficient to meet the demand of January pickups. Space is cleared and ready to receive incoming loads for the rest of the month. We have 'a system' for accomplishing this task in the long chain of getting food from donors to kids.
Maybe as important as all of this, several of our adolescent and young adult kids spent a few hours in selfless labor, meeting the urgent needs of needy children in our community - kids that they will never meet, but who, nonetheless, will have a bond with their brothers in Estados Unitas - the most fortunate society in the history of mankind. These volunteers set aside basketball and video games for a few hours and made a difference. And their dads had a chance to show real leadership and serve as examples of what Christian manhood is all about.
And so, at the end of the day, I received the gift of being able to relax and reflect on the events of the morning. I am so blessed to have the support of volunteers, contributors, and my life partner, Debra, in fulfilling this mission.
Thank you, each and all!
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