Written by Janice Moore
The past several months has seen an incredible change in our world on a macro level. There is no one in the world that has not been affected by the pandemic that has reached every corner of the globe.
At first, it seemed like the global shutdown might help us to repair some of the damage that we have done to our world. Pollution levels dropped, animals came out and many of the water ways of the world began to clear. How much of this will make a lasting impression remains to be seen.
But what happened to us, as humans at a micro level? What happened when the world basically shut down and sent millions of people on a financial spiral?
During this great shutdown, we as Rotarians felt the burden of this closure. We were unable to meet with each other in person. We could not go out to help the community as we had in the past and felt a helplessness in not being able to work. Our motto, service above self is very personal to each of us. To see others, suffer, and not help, is untenable.
Slowly we have been able to go out in the community and this past week Waterloo Rotary was at the local Food Bank, to help to sort and package food for the community.
It was a new, strange environment. Everyone in masks and physical distancing, as we worked around each other, sorting, packing, and laughing. It felt so good to be out helping again, to know that what we were doing was going to help those in the community who so desperately needed food to be able to feed themselves and their family.
When we were done, we were told we had sorted 8 large bins with over 3500 pounds of food that would provide 2800 meals to the community. What an amazing feeling to achieve this goal.
The community engagement coordinator at the Food Bank said this: “Local hunger continues to be a complex challenge facing our community. The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is entirely community supported and your donations of time, food and funds make it possible for our food assistance network to provide more than 6 million meals each year. These meals are also a link to resources and services necessary to move lives forward.”
Service above self – always.