“I can’t do this any longer.”
He was deadly serious as he shared his frustration – and determination – with
the staff at Crossroads Ministry of Estes Park.
He knew us from our food
pantry’s partnership through the years with Estes Park Center YMCA of the
Rockies, where he worked in the food service department. He also knew firsthand
from having lived in Africa what severe hunger looks like.
“I just threw away 180
steaks.”
It is a painful reality for
most caterers. When preparing to feed a large group, reputable food service
professionals will almost always prepare at least 5% to 10% “extra” to avoid
the embarrassment of running out of food and to ensure customers are getting
their money’s worth.
On the other hand, not
everyone who plans to attend a catered event is able to make it – especially
when inclement weather or other unavoidable circumstances intervene. The
challenges are multiplied when preparing meals in a large dining hall where it
is impossible to determine with precision the number of persons who may drop in
to eat on any given day.
As the largest food service
operation in the Estes Valley, YMCA of the Rockies regularly prepares meals for
hundreds of persons at a time. In this painful instance back in 2013, only
about 120 out of 300 anticipated guests were able to attend and enjoy the fine
steak dinner.
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| Volunteers repackaging YMCA food. |
No one wants to throw away
food – especially freshly-prepared high-quality meals. But the obstacles are
formidable. The essential need to ensure food safety and comply with all
applicable health regulations, plus the logistics of storage, packaging,
transportation, and distribution, complicate even the most noble intentions.
Crossroads Ministry of Estes
Park had struggled in the past to find a practical way to repackage food from
the YMCA. “The traumatic experience of having to throw away those 180 steaks
was what finally changed things,” says Virgil Good, who was serving as
Executive Director of Crossroads Ministry at the time. In response to an appeal
from the aptly named Mr. Good, in 2013 the San Antonio Area Foundation generously
provided $15,000 toward the $20,000 cost for a commercial-grade repackaging
room and refrigerator, coolers for transportation, and other necessities.
 |
| Volunteers pick up YMCA food for transport to Crossroads. |
Since completion of the repackaging room in 2014, Crossroads Ministry volunteers have picked up tasty
and nutritious food about three times per week from Estes Park Center YMCA of
the Rockies.
Upon delivery to Crossroads, another team of volunteers spends
several hours repackaging the much-needed food – often high-quality protein
like beef, chicken, and pork, that can be especially difficult for food
pantries to obtain – in preparation for immediate freezing and subsequent
distribution to persons in need.
In 2015, Crossroads Ministry of Estes Park distributed more than 120,000 pounds of food in our community. Of that total amount distributed, some 14,000 pounds of prepared food went to persons in need – instead of the landfill, thanks to our vital partners and friends at Estes Park Center YMCA of the Rockies.
In 2015, Crossroads Ministry of Estes Park distributed more than 120,000 pounds of food in our community. Of that total amount distributed, some 14,000 pounds of prepared food went to persons in need – instead of the landfill, thanks to our vital partners and friends at Estes Park Center YMCA of the Rockies.
–from Psalm 107:9
