Instead, they had us sorting toiletries (food banks are not just all about the food you know) and repackaging beans (so much better). Our first job was kind of strange. There are these boxes that are packed with the toiletries at random. The people at the food bank want the boxes to weigh 15 pounds before they are shipped out. Our job was to grab a box and place it on a scale. If it weighed less than 15 pounds (every box did), we had to cut it open and add more stuff until it did weigh that much. We then had to re-tape it and re-stack it. Basically it was about quantity, not quality.
My work station.
This is where classes like Business Process Management (which I hated with a passion last term) come into play. Clearly, it would have been a better use of time and resources to pack the boxes correctly the first time (ie at 15 pounds). It was quite a chore to try and jam and extra 5 pounds into practically every box as it was already full. I was really concerned at one point when I stuffed five lice kits into one box (they are heavy) that the boxes were going to individual families (who needs 5 lice kits). No worries though. The boxes are going out to different agencies in bulk and then being re-distributed to families.
It did not take us very long to complete the task. MacAdam, Alex, Jenny and I weighed, opened and added product to the boxes. Willen taped them back up and re-stacked them. At one point, something was hissing and Willen and I tore through a box to find aerosol hairspray going off. We laughed hysterically until we found out that everything was sticky and we had to rearrange it. EW.
Jenny and MacAdam rearranging the goods.
I imagine people needing the basics; shampoo, conditioner (maybe), soap, razor, and deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste. That is not really how it works though. All of the toiletries are donated. Most come from stores and a defective in some way. The label is crooked or the product is no longer in style. There is nothing wrong with any of the actual soap or anything but it can still not be sold to the public. Hence, there are some really weird things.
In an hour alone I packaged shampoo, razors, hairspray, conditioner, soap, hand soap, bubble bath, mouth wash, floss, electric toothbrushes, eyeliner, wart remover, barrettes, hair ties, blush, eye shadow, bug spray, shaving gel, Q-tips, cotton balls, perfume, toothbrushes, post-its (no idea), tweezers, deodorant, lice kits, toothpaste, tampons, men’s hair color, fake eyelashes, eye drops, nose spray, lotion, hair gel, nail polish, and powder.
The boys were pretty tired and took a quick nap during our break.
Job two was repacking beans. This again seemed like bad business process management to me. The beans had previously been sorted into 5lb bags and then put two bags to a box. Our job was to open the boxes, open the bags and repackage them into one pound portions for family boxes. Basically, we were re-doing work that someone had already done previously. There was only four stations set-up so Willen and I double teamed it. A few hours later, we re-packaged 25,000 pounds of dried beans.
Willen and I may have monkeyed around but we still packed the most beans.
The High Plains Food Bank was significantly smaller than the Albuquerque Road Runner Food Bank. They did not carry fresh produce nor did they ever have us in sterile environments (because I doubt there were any). Overall the food bank appeared to operate on a much more local level than the Road Runner Food Bank in Albuquerque.
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