Unlike my experience previously with a school nurse, food pantries are something I am extremely familiar with and had some level of expectations for. I spent many days of my high school and undergraduate life volunteering at various food banks around Cincinnati and Columbus. While the individual institutions may vary, there are similarities to be found everywhere you look.
The lovely All People’s Fresh Market on Parson’s Avenue that we were fortunate enough to spend our day with is a perfect example of the great memories I have working with food pantries and markets in the past. An abundance of fresh fruits, veggies, and bread (all the staple items one can ask for, really) supplied generously from community members and companies were there to meet the abundance of patrons that showed up that day! Arranged in horse-shoe shaped track around the cozy storefront, the entire process that those who came to partake in the supplies of the day was shockingly efficient compared to those I’ve seen in the past. An almost conveyor-belt like approach to registration and shopping kept folks shuffling through, gathering their things, and moving on to allow the next participant in ensured a smooth and timely flow to the day that I was thoroughly impressed by.
My post,as keeper of the corn
My classmates and I all took up different roles for our shift, with some engaging more on the familiar healthcare side, taking blood pressures and providing education, while others (including myself) were enlisted to aid in the flow of the market itself. As the keep of the corn and coolers, I simply watched over these areas to ensure that patrons took only as many of each item as the limits allowed, as well as simply providing a friendly face to chat with them and offer my assistance as needed. So although I may not have taken up traditionally “nursing” duties, I felt entirely fulfilled for the day in helping provide healthy eating options and positivity when many of these folks may not have found otherwise. The day truly flew by with the large amount of clientele funneling through the store that day, and I had a tired (but satisfied) peace at the end of it all. I am grateful for the opportunity that the All People’s Fresh Market provided me in participating in the day’s festivities!
Sustainable Goal 2.1 states, “By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round”. I would venture to say that there is no more pure example of progress toward this goal than the availability of fresh food provided by institutions like the All People’s Fresh Market. Providing daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables to those who may not otherwise have access to these items has an immense impact on the proper nutrition of communities across the country, especially those in food deserts and/or impacted by lower average incomes/high rates of poverty.