Wednesday, October 28, 2020

volunteering and giving the people the finger


Miracle of miracles, Rocky showed up Sunday and the shop sink is finally hooked up and no leaks and the cold water line is hooked up to the cold water faucet handle. The last thing that had to be replaced was the male end of the hose. So have I been over there since to finish setting up the room? No, no I have not. I thought I would go over there Sunday afternoon but I was still worn out from Saturday and Monday I did another section of the front fence and another section of the side fence and that was enough. I was going to do another section on both fences yesterday especially because another front came through but I had a meeting at SHARE in the morning and then my weekly grocery store run and then did the dishes which had once again piled up and then lunch and then I couldn't take the floors one more day so swept and vacuumed and that was enough. By the time it was time to walk the dog it was drizzling so we power walked to the end of the street and back and it started raining a little harder before we got back and today it is cold and windy and wet. Currently (as in when I wrote this) 44˚ out there (real feel 33˚) with a high of 59˚ and possibly more rain so it's a good bet I won't be out there today either.

The meeting at SHARE was to get the input of the volunteers and board members about re-opening fully starting in December. I think I mentioned that SHARE not only distributes food but also clothing and household goods and in some cases financial aid. They have only been distributing food since they closed because of the pandemic and not nearly as much of that as when they were open. They were serving 30 – 50 families a week (only being open one day a week 9 - 2) before covid. But food is piling up, storage space is limited, there are two grants that have to be used for food during a certain time limit or the remaining funds have to be returned, and with the cold weather moving in they are getting requests for sweaters and jackets and blankets. So a plan was formed, plastic shields are being erected, only two in at a time with a ten minute time limit, masks, gloves, hand sanitizer all required and available, everyone else will have to wait outside or in their cars til it's their turn, food will still be picked up by vehicle by the back alley door as it is now keeping the clients restricted to the front of the building. We'll try it for December and see how it goes. If any of the volunteers get sick (and they are older folk who have the time to volunteer), then SHARE will have to close again for two weeks.

I've been asked if I would train to be an interviewer. I've been working in the back refilling the white baskets which I like doing.

the food station I work/ed, mostly canned and some packaged foods (it's a panorama hence the distortion, the counters aren't really curved)

Interviewing happens in the front and while they have been closed it's all been being done over the phone but when they reopen in December it will be done in person albeit with a plastic shields in place and masks. I'm not sure why I was asked or if I was the only one or if others were asked and declined, maybe because I'm the newest volunteer and the 15 others already have their niche. To be perfectly honest, I would not like to do that but I guess they really need more help with that especially when they reopen in December. Plus, the time commitment will increase. I've been spending an hour and a half to two hours, until all those picking up food had come and gone but when they reopen it will be four or five hours and if I'm interviewing that's a lot of time for possible exposure even with all the precautions. So the question is, am I doing this to make myself feel good or am I doing this to help. The answer is I'm going in today at 12:30 to start training for interviewing.

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Well, now that McConnell has rammed through Barrett for the Supreme Court ensuring, they hope/think, that the ACA, legal abortion, and same gender marriage will be overturned and that they will be able to steal the election which they
will contest unless it's an overwhelming landslide for Biden and maybe even then, McConnell has sent the Senate into recess without taking up relief for common Americans because he wants Biden, if when he wins, to have the worst possible mess to clean up and if Trump wins, well, there will never be another relief bill unless it goes to big business. If we don't take the Senate as well as the presidency, nothing will change. McConnell will block everything just as he has been doing.

And Trump? On the campaign trail whining about all his grievances, threatening violence against Democrat governors and 'predicting' Biden will be assassinated within 3 weeks and leaving his supporters to freeze in the dark after his rally in Omaha. Literally. Supporters parked in one lot at the airport after getting the runaround, were bussed four miles away for the rally after which Trump got on his plane and left with no buses to return the mostly older people to their cars in 30˚ weather with a much lower wind chill factor. You can read the story here
but you know what the real pisser is about this? They will all probably still vote for him, even the ones who ended up in the hospital.

Six more days of uncertainty.



12 comments:

  1. I usually don’t take the time to read your blogs, but I always enjoy them when I do. SHARE provides a great service. I had a good friend who volunteered there 20 years ago. I guess reality t.v. has brought us the cult that has gripped our country in its pathetic claws. I’m so worried there won’t be enough unbrainwashed people to vote us back to normal. Guess we are about to find out. Sure would be nice to sleep well at night again.

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  2. Good for you volunteering for SHARE and being flexible about your duties. I'm sure they need the assistance. Your ARE having a cold snap! We're not even that cold yet.

    Wouldn't it be incredible to elect Biden AND get the Senate back and get rid of McConnell? Honestly. I'd have a socially distanced party!

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  3. It really is so good of you to volunteer for SHARE and to take on an even more challenging position. I hope it all works out.
    The political situation in our country is driving me crazy. I can't wait for this nightmare to be over. I don't know what I'm going to do if the worst thing happens. Ugh. I can't do four more years of this.

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  4. I end up doing all kinds of things like that that I later wonder what I was thinking. I guess I was thinking that people need help and I can help, so I should.

    I've started giving Trump signs the finger when I drive by them. Not so anyone can see though - I'm not insane.

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  5. Good for you and your work with SHARE. I need to get involved in something like that but I am still mostly staying at home due to COVID. I can't wait for the election to be over. Biden must win and the Democrats must take the Senate and House.

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  6. Good that you work for SHARE. I hear your wondering about replacing a volunteer job you like for one you don't. It looks as if you're giving it a try anyway. You may find you can navigate the exposure and the tasks very well. I wonder if there's an option to rotate on and off heavy exposure work, too.

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  7. Here at the beach we're just waiting for the waves to calm down and the wind to die a bit but of course, that's going to happen when it gets chilly. Oh well. A day at the beach is pretty great no matter what.
    You bet those assholes are still going to vote for Trump. The ones who ended up in the hospital are probably going to wear that fact like a badge of honor.
    Hurray for your sink!

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  8. Please be careful and extra safe. You are no good to them if you get sick!!

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  9. How good that you can do this work with SHARE. I keep making lists of where and how I want to get involved in/with when I retire.
    I just went downstairs to ask the English native speaker and handyman about male and female ends of a hose. Yet again, we discovered how much we don't know about each other after only 41 years together. Because I laughed at the idea of gender in plumbing descriptive and all he could do was turn his head in open disgust at my lack of expert knowledge. Sigh.

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  10. Well, you're no stranger to hard work, and this will be hard work. Best wishes with it, and wear your mask please, and stay behind your screen. And wash your hands and wipe down your desk and chairs. I'm sure they will tell you much more, in an organized fashion.

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  11. I applaud your willingness to work with the public. I'm too chicken.

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  12. It's good of you to agree to help out a bit more. I'm sure you'll be fine, and as cold weather sets in, a lot of people are going to need assistance with clothing and such, as well as food. I've managed to keep the heat off so far, although I did think about it. It's about time to turn it on to get past the blaring smoke detector. They always go off because of the collected dust and such in the ducts (or whatever), and I want to get that over with at 2 in the afternoon rather than 2 a.m.
    The last thing I need is a smoke detector going off in the middle of the night.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.