COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2019 | 7A
Food
from A1
to Cottage Grove for dis-
tribution with a 15-foot
U-Haul truck. The group
is hoping to have the truck
donated to the organization
twice a month for use in the
food shares. The amount of
food distributed to each
person in need is enough
for a few days, and enough
to give a boost to families.
In many cases, people re-
ceiving food bring it back
to a family member or
multiple family members.
That number changes
every month, but most re-
cently, according to Simoc-
hko, “there’s approximate-
ly 60 people that come,
just to this event, and take
home food donations to a
total of 166 people.”
Before the food truck ar-
rives at about 4 p.m., peo-
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ple talk and make jokes.
They all seem to know
each other in some aspect
or another, or at least know
of each other. There’s a
community aspect about
the whole process from be-
ginning to end.
“For a lot of these peo-
ple, this is the only time to
get out of their home. So,
it’s a chance to invigorate
their minds,” said Simoc-
hko.
When the U-Haul pulls
up, people scramble to help
organize and unload. A lot
of these volunteers need
the food, too, and help out
because they are grateful
to receive it. Some aspects
of the organization are still
in the experimental stage,
such as making sure there
aren’t too many people
on one job. Occasionally,
people will overcrowd one
aspect, such as organizing
the food, because they are
newcomers who aren’t fa-
miliar with the process.
“It’s a learning process
because you have new peo-
ple in ... they think they
have to fi ght for [the food]
because they’re not used to
it,” said one volunteer.
Where there is some-
times overcrowding in set
up, there’s also occasion-
al understaffi ng in clean
up. According to a volun-
teer, it can be a struggle to
have enough people on the
clean-up crew.
In the end, all the food
gets distributed as evenly
as possible, taking into ac-
count other family mem-
bers who need food but
couldn’t make it to the
food share.
One woman talked about
helping people who don’t
have the ability to effec-
tively help themselves,
such as those living with
dementia or Alzheimer’s
disease. She spoke of
someone she knew who
couldn’t leave the house
— and how important it
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was to bring them food.
Another woman spoke
of the way she felt accept-
ed in the group and, most
importantly, not looked
down upon.
“[It’s] a camaraderie of
people who could also use
the help. I don’t feel poor
— I feel like I’m part of a
group,” she said.
She mentioned the re-
lief she feels from the food
share as well. “It takes the
pressure off ... of squeez-
ing the food stamps.”
It’s also an idea-sharing
opportunity.
Most of the food distrib-
uted is close to expiring
or right on the cusp be-
cause of SVRA’s status as
a non-emergency group.
This means they give out
food that won’t make it
through the weekend in
FFLC’s storage, saving
a lot of food from going
to waste. Creative ideas
on how to preserve food
for longer periods are ex-
changed among SVRA
volunteers. For example:
Who has the storage for
three gallons of milk and
which foods can be safely
frozen to preserve them.
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PUBLIC MEETINGS,
TRUSTEE NOTICES,
PROBATE,
AUCTION &
FORECLOSURE
NOTICES,
AND MORE.
Published weekly in the
Cottage Grove Sentinel
and online at cgsentinel.com
S entinel
C ottage G rove
541.933.4419
Contact: Meg Fringer
541-942-3325 x1200
2895 Mosby Creek Road
mfringer@cgsentinel.com
One interesting situa-
tion in the past involved
an enormous tub of pea-
nut butter that was too big
for any one person. Ideas
were shared on how to en-
sure everyone who needed
some could retrieve it. The
tub ended up stored in one
person’s house and peo-
ple could come by with a
smaller jar and scoop some
up to take home and use.
With the menagerie
of food coming in, there
seems to be something
new every time, accord-
ing to another woman
there. She said that she’d
tried all kinds of foods
she normally wouldn’t —
or couldn’t — buy at the
grocery store because she
wasn’t sure she’d like it —
and it wasn’t worth the risk
of buying. But SVRA has
been the perfect opportuni-
ty to try something strange
without the fear of wasting
money.
People in need through-
out the community are
getting the help they need
from SVRA, but some who
need the help and qualify
for it still won’t attend the
food shares. One volunteer
thought it could be pride or
embarrassment that keep
some people away. But
given the positive environ-
ment at the food share, it
seems as though the group
would be the last to judge.
Despite some who qual-
ify choosing not to attend
the last food share, held
Aug. 16, the group had ap-
proximately 16 newcom-
ers.
“Every time that we
have one, there’s more new
people. It just keeps grow-
ing as they learn about us,”
said Simochko.
For those looking for
more information or to
donate to South Valley
Resource Alliance visit its
website at www.southval-
leyresourcealliance.org.
Proud Sponsor of the
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