Here’s what makes Panera a good place for us to meet:

• Good food
• Free refills on soft drinks
• Free wifi (wireless internet)
• Chance meetings with people we know and people we don’t

It’s that last one that seems to set Panera apart from some other places we’ve met.  It seems like half of Valparaiso comes through Panera between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm.  We usually plant ourselves somewhere near the doors, and it seems like every other time we’re there, we end up talking to someone.  And that’s a really good thing for a couple of church leaders trying to make sure that church connects with ordinary folks where they live!

Of course, if you know someplace else we should try that meets those same criteria, I’m open to suggestions! 

They serve folks from 10:00 am to noon Mondays and Wednesdays, and I’m there two Mondays each month. Just like at most food pantries, people have to meet certain requirements to be served — live in a certain area, provide proof of need, etc. — and can receive food once every two weeks.  They coordinate with the other food pantries in town to make sure people aren’t hopping from pantry to pantry.  It’s not intended to provide all the food a family will need for the entire month, but to provide supplemental help.  (And it seems to be working — scroll to the end for some stats on how many people are served.)

One thing that keeps it interesting for volunteers like me is the variety of tasks that need to be done.  One person works the sign-in table.  Another works in the back storage room, sorting food donations. Another fills paper grocery bags with the basic items.  Another works the window, handing people their food.  And usually there’s another person kind of floating — bringing food up from the back storage room, keeping the table and cart in the lobby area full, etc.  The table and cart are where the food items go that aren’t exactly staples — things like syrup, fruit juice, cake mix, candy, baby food, olives, whatever.  We’re not going to put them in every bag, but some people like them or need them, so we set them out and let people take what they need.

Oh, and somebody gets to drive around to the supporting churches to pick up the food donations.  For the past couple months, I’ve been that guy.  Most of the churches leave a basket or something out, and people drop off food when they come to worship on Sundays.  Then I go pick them up, bring them back, and sort them.  The only church that doesn’t do this, as far as I know, is St. Paul’s.  They do a monthly food drive and drop it off themselves — which is good, because it’s usually 2-3 minivan loads of food, and I’m not about to make that many trips to St. Paul’s in my Mazda 3.

When I first started volunteering there — oh, maybe 2 years ago now — I mainly filled the paper bags.  There’s a list of items that go into each bag, depending on the size of the family: 1 person, 2 people, or 4 people.  A family of 3 is given a “2″ plus some additional items.  A family of 5 or 6 gets a “4″ plus items, etc.  A family of 8 just gets two “4″s — and yes, we have at least two families of 8 that drop in on occasion.

I’ve served at the window a few times, too, and that keeps you hopping, because besides handing them the right pre-filled paper bag, you also ask if they want a whole list of additional items.  Most of these are items that have to be refrigerated — milk, eggs, butter, hamburger, hot dogs, etc — but the list also includes things like peanut butter, rice or noodles, and crackers.  Obviously, the refrigerated items can’t be put into the bags ahead of time, so grabbing them at the window is the only way to do it.  The other items… well, apparently enough people were handing them back that it was decided we’d just wait and ask first.  And enough people say “no thanks” that it seems like a good idea.

I’m glad I have a job that’s flexible enough for me to be able to volunteer here, because a lot of people are being helped.  (Here are those statistics I promised earlier.)  In January, the pantry served 225 families, which meant food for 686 people.  In February, it was 224 families, or 589 people.  (Smaller families, I guess.)  The March numbers aren’t in yet, but I can tell you that this week, on top of everything else, 100 people will receive Easter baskets ingredients to make a special Easter meal for their families, including dessert.  Somewhere I have the annual numbers for 2008, but I can’t put my finger on them just now.  If I find them, I’ll update the post.

And, for the grand finale, here are the churches I visit to pick up donations.  There may be other churches who bring in donations on their own (like St. Paul’s, but on a smaller scale), and I know that some other churches maintain their own food pantries.  We also receive food from individuals and groups (like the recent Banta Feeds projects).  These are just the churches I know about because I have to go pick up their food donations:

• First Christian Church
• First Presbyterian Church
• St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
• First United Methodist Church
• Trinity Lutheran Church
• Living Hope Community Church

If you ever want to make a donation to the pantry — of food, money, or time — let me know!