Charles River Gives Back with the Greater Boston Food Bank

By volunteering 2.5 hours on 3 different Wednesday nights, Charles River Rugby was able to help feed a family of 4 for over 5 years! The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and distributes upwards of 48 million pounds of food per year to local organizations. Their mission distribute 60 million pounds and thus be able to provide one meal a day to every person in need in eastern Massachusetts. To do this, they need over 25,000 volunteers a year.

By volunteering 2.5 hours on 3 different Wednesday nights, Charles River Rugby was able to help feed a family of 4 for over 5 years!

The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and distributes upwards of 48 million pounds of food per year to local organizations. Their mission distribute 60 million pounds and thus be able to provide one meal a day to every person in need in eastern Massachusetts. To do this, they need over 25,000 volunteers a year.

Lugging, weighing and stacking boxes of beef and poultry back and forth between tables, the first and third nights of giving back were bicep building ones. “Retail Rescue” is the practice of sorting donated meat product into ~35lb boxes according to type. “It allows organizations to come in and receive just what they need,” GBFB facilitator Katie explains in the pre-service training. “It is also important that a box meets the weight requirements, as the organizations are counting on 35lbs of poultry or beef, for example.” Charles River women rose to the task and assisted with sorting over 20,000 pounds of meat product, enough to feed a family of 4 for over 4 years.

In the second night, candy was the name of the game. Thanks to a CVS donation, the team of 9 lady and gentlemen Rats helped to sort over a 9,000 pounds of Hersheys, Reeces, and Rolos into individual sized boxes. In addition to candy, hygiene and beauty products, food replacement bars, and beverages were also sorted by the group. Team members worked on every step of the process, from restocking boxes to snagging items off the conveyor belt, to organizing boxes onto pallets in the warehouse. Our very own Jehanne Junguenet led the crusade as she manned the mic, giving encouragement and reminders for the entire group. While the list of items may seem a bit odd and less important than the retail rescue project, Katie explained how candy is particularly helpful for rehabilitation centers and hygiene products are cherished at shelters.

From Snickers to pork chops, it doesn’t matter what is sorted, every minute of aid helps to provide for those in need. It was amazing to see teammates go all out to support our community. The GBFB was so impressed with our work ethic, following our final session, Katie invited the team back to volunteer any time.

For more information on the GBFB, their mission, or to volunteer yourself, please check out their website at http://www.gbfb.org.