Today I got to use my skills as a certified Benefit Bank counselor! A woman came into Shared Harvest wanting to apply for HEAP, and I wasn't too busy so she came back to our office and I went through the application with her. The good news is that she had already used the Benefit Bank before, so a lot of her information was already in the system and it only took about 20 minutes. Still, it was nice to be able to do a little direct service. My counselor certification on the bulletin board isn't just there for decoration (though it does make me feel rather important).
Kaitlyn and I took Gus the Bus out for another spin today. There was a little confusion at first about where we needed to go, because people have been extending their food drive or already had their barrels picked up, etc. But we eventually figured out that we had to drop off two barrels and posters to a place called Siemens in Mason, and drop off two barrels and posters at Indiana Wesleyan University in West Chester. Kaitlyn was going to drive first this time, then we'd do the traditional "rock paper scissors" to see who had to drive to our next destination (I lost this time), and I would drive home. Once we loaded all of our supplies and clamored into the truck, Kaitlyn began to carefully back out of the parking spot, only to be greeted with an unfamiliar noise that sounded a little something like this:
"GGGHHARRRRRRRRNNNNNNNGGGHH."
We looked at each other with identical masks of horror before I peeked out the window and discovered that Kaitlyn had had a little run-in with the picnic table for the warehouse employees. (See below)
I quickly got out of the truck and surveyed the damage. When it was clear that both Gus and the picnic table were still in perfect condition, we let the giggles take over for a few minutes before I dragged the table to a safer location. We backed up the truck again, heard this noise (Gnnnnghghghg), turned off the emergency brake, and finally made it out of Shared Harvest.
Other than that minor glitch, the deliveries went just fine. We're getting pretty good at this.
Something exciting you may have read on Kaitlyn's blog is that today Jason DeParle, a reporter from The New York Times, is checking out Shared Harvest. He's doing a series on food stamps, and because Tina started the first food stamp outreach program in the country, this is a pretty good place for him to be. I'm pretty sure he's looking at how Shared Harvest's outreach program and the Ohio Benefit Bank increase access to food stamps. He also seems interested in our roles as AmeriCorps*VISTAS, so he asked Kaitlyn and me if he could put a link to our blogs on the Times' Web site.
Hmm...yes. Yes, you may.
So it has been pretty intense around here! Tina is organizing a dinner tonight for Jason and the people of Shared Harvest. She said to feel free to bring significant others, so my boyfriend Kyle is driving up as well. We're all pretty excited. Stay tuned for a posting about that!
3 more very important things to mention:
1. TINA TURNED THE HEAT ON TODAY! (Although she turned it right back off as soon as the church ladies left). 
2. I can't seem to stop eating these Mellowcreme Pumpkins.
3. Look for Gus TheBus on Facebook!
3 comments:
This is starting to sound like a really good novel. Well done!
I love that you not only describe my little picnic table incident in detail, complete with sound effects, but that you also posted the picture. Thank you. :)
Congrats on getting your blog linked to the NY Times...WOW! It was fun to read your entries and hear your "voice" (and your mother's!). By the way, we can't leave some candies out around your mom either...she has a tendancy to, well, let's just say "over indulge" in them! Best of luck...jen forren
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