Thursday 7/14 1-4 pm:
During my first volunteer shift at Community Servings, I was partnered with Sikai and we were working in the meal production area of the kitchen. The shift began with a quick orientation for new volunteers in the conference room. Shortly after, Sikai and I were portioning various soups into different containers in preparation for delivery. First, I started scooping the soup and placing it in the cup while Sikai would place a cover with the proper sticker on top of the soup container. About halfway through the shift, Sikai and I switched jobs and I was placing the container on top of the soup. During the first shift, other fellow volunteers were very welcoming and super helpful in the kitchen.
Thursday 7/21 4-7 pm:
My second shift was an evening shift, I was apprehensive about it because I had not done an evening shift yet. Upon receiving my assignment for this shift I was greeted by a very nice lady who had been volunteering for over 2 years now at Community Servings. We were both stationed in the meal packaging area where I was tasked with portioning fish and meat for a three-piece meal that quickly made its way through the assembly line. I started by placing quinoa and rice on the bottom layer of the meal container and then passed it down the line for someone else to place the meat and then the beans following the meat.
Thursday 8/4 1-4 pm:
During this shift I found myself stationed with Sikai again in the meal packaging station. During this shift we were both tasked with portioning out individual pieces of fish and meat before they reached the assembly line of meal construction. This process consisted of grabbing a tray of fish and bringing it to our work station. Next, we utilized tongues to place the fish on a petri dish to measure the correct ounces. When the portion was accurate you would then place the fish on an empty tray, leaving space in between each piece of fish so that it would be easily recognizable that one piece was for one meal only. Once we finished all of the portioning we helped place labels on top of meals as they were coming out of the assembly line.
Friday 8/12 1-4 pm:
I arrived at my final shift late after hitting traffic on the route that I take. Upon arriving I was tasked in meal packaging again, where I was tasked with placing one scoop of beans into the meals that reached me at the end of the line. Since I was at the end of the line I had to then place the meal close to the cover machine which automatically placed plastic covers on top of the plastic meal trays.
Reflection:
Community Servings was my first volunteer experience in the Boston area as an undergraduate student. This organization has taught me numerous skills and has expanded my knowledge on what a community is supposed to represent in a Boston neighborhood. I’m very proud that I was able to build relationships with members of the Jamaica Plain community while also serving those suffering from chronic illnesses. I can truly say that I was not frustrated with any aspect of Community Servings. At the onset of my volunteer work, I was hesitant of the organization’s approach to addressing the inequity of the food system. Upon volunteering I have come to the realization that Community Servings employs a productive approach that is not meant to fix the food system, but to serve and mitigate the burden on people of color and those who are chronically ill from food insecurity. If I were to think back to the beginning of the semester in retrospect, I would tell myself to ask more questions about how Community Servings functions. Questions that address their process for delivery and if they source their food locally? In retrospect, Community Servings has taught me to believe in your community and how vital it is to build long-lasting relationships with individuals in your community.