It wasn't the way I planned to spend my Sunday morning. I envisioned something like hunkering down with the Tribune and a warm homemade donut. What I got instead was a 7:00am wake-up call, followed by a forty-five minute drive to Berwyn. What was I doing in Berwyn you might ask? Well, I was part of a wonderful group of people helping to box up 500 cartons of food. A Sunday before Thanksgiving tradition for CIACO (Chicago Italian American Charitable Organization), Baskets of Love is a yearly event bringing together families helping families.
My husband had worked the event before but this was the first year for my daughter and myself. We arrived at nine and started to pitch in wherever we could but it was obvious that this was a well-oiled machine that welcomed us but didn't really need us. Our hosts for the day, Buona Beef, provided the warehouse, boxes, palettes and hand trucks. They also fed us - twice. I should have known any volunteer opportunity sponsored by Italians would not be an occasion to walk away hungry.
The packing started promptly at 10. Children as young as three formed an assembly line through the middle of the warehouse, each dropping an item into an open box as it traveled down the conveyor belt. At the end of the belt, strapping young men were waiting to haul the fifty pound boxes to the holding areas where various organizations would pick them up to deliver them to needy families. Watching the spirit of giving being fostered in all these young kids filled me with hope about the next generation. It also reminded me of a quote I'd heard recently. The actress, Cheryl Hines, said she'd never seen an unhappy volunteer.
I didn't see one in that warehouse either.
No comments:
Post a Comment