Market to HOPE offers sustenance, opportunity to volunteer

 

Market to HOPE (Help Other People Eat) has been making an impact. I’ve heard volunteers share their experiences and organizers speak on how groups around Southeast Texas donate, collect, distribute and accept food for those who need it.

I finally got my chance to serve for a bit of time when my church group had an early Saturday shift. I was impressed with the set up, the offerings and mission of this Catholic Charities project. Miranda Creech, program coordinator, said Port Arthur residents are among those who can fill out paperwork to see if they qualify for this assistance. Sometimes people come in and “shop” through the space, set up a like a store on the grounds of Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church, 3390 Sarah Street in Beaumont. In addition to produce and canned foods, there were sundries from spices to diapers.

It was drive-through service the morning Ladies of St. Jude served. I had cart duty. Cars were lined around the block and volunteers simply loaded food from the carts that continuously rolled out to the sidewalk. Those accepting the food, who had their paperwork handy, didn’t even have to get out of the car.

I got the perfect assignment on a day I had my step counter on. We’d get a little shopping cart and roll it through stations in the store. When I got there the first stop was milk, then a few feet later bags of bread were hooked onto the cart’s side, then came bags of apples, then a roll to peaches. Next came a bag of frozen meat and I’d take the cart to the sidewalk. More boxes of fruit followed and then we lined up for people to unload into cars and trucks. I’d steer the empty cart back and start all over. The supplies would change as, for instance, milk or watermelon would run out and be replaced by something else, like raisins galore or some new surprise.

               Creech says to call her for your chance to volunteer, or if you need food! She’s at (409) 924-4435, mcreech@ccsetx.org

Food Triggers - While I love the notion of generations of women bonding over kitchen experimentation and family recipes, there are other aspects to the love of food. How did you feel about eating as a child? Did anyone try to change your relationship with food? Does food ever make you feel unhappy? These are journal prompts in a new book by Leslie and Lindsey Glass, a mom and daughter who were not in contact for a long stretch. Imagine turning that around in a way that allows a book collaboration to benefit other. Good job. "The Mother-Daughter Relationship Makeover: 4 Steps to Bring Back the Love" covers a variety of topics and situations we've all experienced, in addition to the food thing. It's good to heal at the table. 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to hit all the summer grills. Share your crazy ideas with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com