Day One:
· We started out the day with Anthony and his hard-working team in the main kitchen sealing meals for delivery and making pot pies for the next day’s meal. Also while we were there we got interview by a local newspaper that Laine Hendricks (the PR Director) had organized to help promote volunteering with the Salvation Army. Click here to see the article.
· Next we were whisked away by Stephanie and learnt about the ‘Meals that Heals’ program. We were assigned to delivering meals by foot to people staying in the Tenderloin district (a low socio-economic area right in downtown).
· We spent the rest of the day in the warehouse with Larry and his team making up boxes for a thanksgiving food drive coming up. There were a lot of boxes!
Day Two:
· We spent the first few hours of the day in the District Headquarters office (not looking so professional) preparing a mail out and also doing some poster work for the Marketing team. While we were there we met so many friendly staff members – thank you to everyone that said hello and made us feel welcome.
· Next we met Kathy who gave us an introduction to the ARC (Adult Rehabilitation Center) where donations are sorted. There were several containers filled with single shoes that needed pairing in preparation for being sent to third world countries. It was actually surprising how many we were about to marry up.
· Finally, we went to the KROC Center that is a community center donated by the founders of McDonalds. We were given a tour of this beautiful and functional building by Candy and her capable team. We were asked to speak with some kids that participated in the After School Program. It was super fun hanging out with them and showing them a little bit of what we’ve been up to so far on our trip.
All in all, we had a great time volunteering in San Franciso and really appreciated the enthusiasm and time many of the staff spent with us amongst their demanding work schedule. It truly was a pleasure.