Volunteering, Day 1: Grub Box

Friday morning, six of us from our class woke up at the crack of dawn to help pack "grub boxes" in Oakland. Every week, People's Grocery purchases fresh produce from farms, sorts them into "grub boxes" and sells them to residents in West Oakland, where fresh produce is very difficult to find. These bags, similar to a CSA box, sell for $12 to residents on food stamps, and $24 for other residents.

We met with the grub box leaders, set up 2 "easy-ups" and a few tables, and began preparing the 43 bags to be stuffed with a beautiful array of fresh food. Each of us was in charge of packing certain fruits or vegetables, check out this week's list below. I helped pack: garlic, onions, oranges, celery, baby spinach, and greens.

I was delighted to find that included in each "grub box" is a newsletter from People's Grocery sharing a few recipes that include some of the produce provided this week. A few of these items might be foreign to people, so the recipes and ideas are very important. Here is a crucial aspect of food justice- they aren't simply giving them food, they are also educating the people with ways that they can get the most out of the food provided.

Nikki, from People's Grocery, met us at the site and informed us that Dig Deep Farms, another local organization that is focused on bringing gardens into urban areas, would be meeting us soon to see the "grub box" process. A camera crew that is working on a documentary (I believe about urban gardening?) came along with the Dig Deep group and all of us volunteers were introduced and then filmed in action. :)

With so many helping hands, we finished the "grub boxes" in record timing and packed them all into the van to be taken to different distribution sites. It was such a gorgeous, sunny morning. This was a wonderful way to start the day. Healthy eating is one of my main priorities. We all deserve access to nutritious foods. I believe that the path to a healthier planet is through healthy people. By planting more gardens- not only are we making fresh and healthy produce available to more people- we are taking better care of our earth. I really enjoyed being a part this process that brings food justice to the people of West Oakland and am looking forward volunteering again this upcoming week.