One word can describe this week: boxes. Emptying boxes, filling boxes, moving boxes, you name it. While this week was one of our most relaxing because of the holiday, the rest of the week was busy with organizational work.
On one day, we volunteered at the Project Hope Food Pantry. Project Hope is a private nonprofit that services homeless children, giving them shelter, food, and necessary items. We helped organize their food pantry, logging and sorting new donations and discarding expired items. While we emptied donation boxes and filled the shelves of the pantry, I also noticed small boxes set aside, filled with an assortment of foods and everyday items. These boxes were for the children in their program. Seeing the stocked shelves and boxes ready, I realized how valuable a resource like this was for people who needed it. Not only do they repurpose foods and items that some people no longer need, but also, they give other people a chance to live a dignified life again.
Phase two of boxing week brought us back to our home nonprofit. This week at Girls Inc. was our last week before Eureka, so we were in frantic last-minute-packing mode. Throughout the week, final revisions and touch-ups were made to our lesson plans, and boxes with each lesson’s materials were packed. Friday was our last work day before camp, so we moved all our boxes of supplies to the site of the camp. However, Friday also happened to be the hottest day of the summer so far, and we started moving at the hottest time of day. After a super-hot afternoon of moving four weeks’ worth of lesson supplies, we were ready for the beginning of Eureka, and ready to pass out (moving heavy boxes in 111-degree heat was not one of our better ideas at Girls Inc.).
Despite the week of physical demanding tasks, I am still looking forward to camp. We’ll be tired, for sure, but it should be super fun and rewarding. I can’t wait!