Keeping Our Shelves Stocked: Part 3
Mike Hallowell drives the Metro Caring truck throughout Denver and beyond to pick up literally tons of nutritious food for our Fresh-Foods Market. Here's Mike's Hunger Action Month tales from the road...
“I’ve Been There”
Hunger has many faces in our community. Every day I visit 8 or more retailers, wholesalers and other community-minded businesses and churches to collect food donations for Metro Caring. I always enjoy talking to the people who work behind the scenes. In addition to asking them where they are from and how their families are doing, I’ll ask why they contribute food to Metro Caring. At least one person at each business will say, “Because I’ve been there.”
Consider Caroline’s story. Six years ago, divorce left Caroline a single mom struggling to make ends meet. Without alimony or child support, the meager paycheck she earned as a secretary was stretched to the limit covering rent and other household expenses. She had little to no money to put food on the table for her two beautiful children. A friend at work suggested Caroline visit Metro Caring.
Once a month for three months, Caroline picked up boxes of our nutritious, fresh food. She no longer worried about feeding her children. Instead, Caroline transitioned to a better-paying job in the warehouse of a local food distributor. While Caroline could now get by without help from Metro Caring, our assistance left an indelible mark on Caroline’s heart….affection she put into action.
When Caroline discovered the distributor had surplus food items it would otherwise destroy, she worked with her employer to donate the perfectly good food to Metro Caring. Her action has helped feed hundreds of families in our community. In the past year alone, this company has donated more than 40,000 pounds of meat, dairy products and packaged goods to our Fresh-Foods Market.
Every time I see Caroline, we share a knowing smile and a fist pump understanding that together we are helping families just like hers to transition from hunger to security.
