BY CHARLEY WOLFE, COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM MEMBER

This week, a group of us from all different committees came together to volunteer at Food Gatherers, a food rescue and food bank that serves Washtenaw County. Not only did we get to volunteer, we had the chance to meet and bond with other members of the club. What’s better than helping out the community AND making new friends?!

Upon our arrival, James, a volunteer coordinator, greeted us. First, he gave us a tour of their warehouse, which comprised of rows and rows of rescued and purchased food. He also told us all about how Food Gatherers works extremely hard to serve the Washtenaw community. Fun fact—Food Gatherers has 7 refrigerated trucks filled with food on the road to be delivered to pantries and other agencies every day of the week!

Next, we got fully equipped with hairnets and gloves (we all looked dope in our hairnets, if you were wondering). We then got to work sorting and boxing fresh produce. We learned what constitutes good produce, and how to spot bad produce that should be composted. After a few hours of sorting potatoes, grapes, avocados, lettuce, and more—the seven of us who were volunteering had put together a TON of boxed food. We also shared a lot of laughs along the way. Overall, participating in this event was an amazing experience. It felt great to help out the community and spend quality time with fellow MUSIC Matters members.