By Julianah Hicks, Southern Village Wellness Department
I just returned from the community food sort at the Weaver Street Market in Carrboro. More than 33 early risers showed up to participate; it was 7:30 a.m. Considering that it was too early to have eaten breakfast, we were all appreciative of the free coffee which awakened us and the free (and did I say delicious? You MUST try these if you haven’t yet!) Kind bars. Included in the gathering were a few elementary age children, a representative from the Kind Bar Company, several Weaver Street Market employees (along with some of their relatives and significant others), and a representative from Farmer Foodshare.
In contrast to the sky overhead—foreboding, with a blanket of heavy gray clouds just to the north—the atmosphere on the patio was chipper with eager anticipation of something fun. Full cases of food had been unboxed, and the fresh fruit was arriving. The group made a circuit, first taking a co-op shopping bag, double bagged, and then moving down the row of goods, adding a small can of tuna fish, macaroni and cheese from Annie’s, an oatmeal packet, a Kind Bar, a box of tomato soup, organic milk, a granola bar, a packet of ramen, two fresh apples, and two fresh pears. Oatmeal bread, freshly baked, sliced, and bagged at the Food House, and a jar of sunflower butter would be added later.
The bags were counted and sorted into laundry baskets. These were tagged with post-its for their ultimate pick-up destination, and we loaded them in pairs into the large green shopping carts. This formed a great photo-opportunity, as we pushed 20-something shopping carts down the sidewalk to the TABLE headquarters down the street. Yes, we stopped traffic at the traffic light, and allowed the cars and trucks to watch us pass in front of them, like a mother duck and her ducklings. I almost broke a sweat, but surely it wasn’t from exertion, just the thick humidity sticking to my skin. Fortunately, the clouds didn’t break; they just roamed on northward… no rain on this parade.
Another photo-opportunity occurred on the front porch of TABLE, and then we returned the carts, empty now, jostling down the bumpy sidewalk to the Weave. Our work was done, and a fully stocked hot bar awaited us to appease our hungry bellies. Our day could now begin.