i thought i had retired from my short lived career as a blog-ista. my last post had all of the good components of a final entry: it was reflective; it took you on an emotional rollercoaster; but mainly, it described my last day at Fareshare. naturally, it took me by surprise when people kept asking when i'd leave my final markings on the world wide web. so here's one last update on the adventures of hilary o'neil:
i had a wonderful time gallivanting around europe for a couple of weeks. to check out the children's camp brian gordon, krista caballero, and i worked at, click here.
happenstance (and outrageous train tickets) brought me to the edinburgh fareshare depot one balmy tuesday morning. wow, what a difference. the operations are the same across the UK but the traffic's not. i could not believe it took an hour and a half to complete our first route. with traffic, it's at least 40 minutes for our first drop regardless of where we are in the city which really limits who we can deliver to.
my favorite part was the delicious lunch. fareshare edinburgh is unique among the depots because it offers once a week cooking classes for people transitioning into a more permanent living facility. after eight weeks, participants have mastered a variety of basic meals such as spaghetti bolognese, tuna casserole, and chicken with vegetables. with four individual cooking stations, each novice chef prepares their own meal following a simple recipe. at the end of the class, everyone is invited to partake in a scrumptious meal. i completely forgot about the social aspect that comes along with cooking and eating a meal together. a lot of these folks have spent their lives eating in soup kitchens as social outcasts. it's amazing to see how a simple cooking class builds an extraordinary amount of confidence socially and within the kitchen.
of course, i couldn't leave FareShare behind me. its like that catchy 80s song by naked eyes "there's always something there to remind me". i smiled each time i discovered a small connection to fareshare. the conference center we stayed at for the first week at camp made a christmas donation to one of the charities we donate food to in london. at another location, i saw a delivery truck for a produce company that kept us with a constant supply of fresh veggies. i thought i was done once i returned state-side until i exchanged summer stories with a good friend over pokey sticks (which were, and will always remain heavenly in a clog your arteries type of way). she interned in the international auditing department for pricewaterhousecooper. her major client: sodexo, a major corporate donor for fareshare.
lastly, i think the majority of the friends and family reading this will be happy to know i finally found my direction in life on my very last night in london, about twelve hours before i was due at gatwick airport to catch my plane back to the good ol' u.s.a. it was exactly like the cartoon shows where a lightbulb turns on near the character's head. i'm building it up but the majority of you will just shake your head and say "duh!". it was right in front of me the entire time....
this truly was a summer to remember.
thanks for reading.
hilary
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
closure's not just a seven letter word.
it's not always rainbows and butterflies over here, across the pond. i've had my fair share of highs and lows (no pun intended). last friday was a low, oddly enough. i took the day off for a weekend 'holiday' in stockholm. i should have exuded excitement at the opportunity to discover a new city. instead, i spent most of my afternoon on trains, planes, and buses desperately seeking a 'zen moment' to combat a truckload of emotions.
my greatest fear is leaving FareShare without proper closure. this summer has zoomed by at top speed. sometimes i feel as if i'm on autopilot. i've unintentionally made a routine of absorbing as much as i can without really processing it. that's the scary part. i didn't even realize i was doing it until i tried to journal on the way to stockholm. a thousand thoughts and experiences raced through my head, completely overwhelming me.
i failed to mention that fellow serviceshippers krista caballero and brian gordon join up with me in london on thursday to launch part two of my journey, a marathon sprint of children's camps and tourism. the pressure of another month of travel further inundated my mind with emotions. i feared that failing to reflect properly would affect the memories of my experiences in london, something i never ever want to forget. i'd push everything to the back of my mind until i returned home to jacksonville for a week and sort it all out in between visits with family, friends, and doctor appointments.
(i know, i know. i over think. it's a tragic flaw.)
ironically enough, stockholm was perfect for reflection. that weekend, i reunited with an old friend who's interning with a CSR consultant group in hamburg, germany. it was a glorious weekend of food and therapy as we discussed the challenges of beginning a new life in a different country (props to her-- at least the UK speaks english). all of the frustrations i failed to record on paper disappeared. i returned to london proud of my independence, my personal growth, my journey...
after jeredine returned from holiday, i continued to run the depot a couple of mornings a week. this morning was my last time as a shift manager at FareShare. of course, everything went wrong. it always does. i found two unexpected deliveries waiting for me: 10 pallets from M&S, 7 pallets of yoghurt from ASDA. bonus: my fridges were full, i had yet to allocate today's food, and corporate volunteers were arriving in less than an hour. stress levels were high but i survived-- with a huge smile on my face. deep down, i know i'd be disappointed if there wasn't a bit of a challenge on my last day (in charge-- my last day as a volunteer is tomorrow).
i've spent my week committing to memory the faces of the people i work with. i'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that tomorrow is my last day. i don't like goodbyes. each day i say my farewells to a different set of volunteers. i lost count at how many times i teared up today. i think i'll just carry around a box of tissues tomorrow. the waterworks will definitely be flowing. i'm not a sappy, sentimental person but it's those darn warm fuzzies that do me in. a note of praise from a colleague who won't be in tomorrow, a special trip to bring me back a card from a volunteer, and an apple pie from the builders- a tribute to the day i couldn't find a slice in borough market on the 4th of july.
this was truly an experience i will never forget.
my greatest fear is leaving FareShare without proper closure. this summer has zoomed by at top speed. sometimes i feel as if i'm on autopilot. i've unintentionally made a routine of absorbing as much as i can without really processing it. that's the scary part. i didn't even realize i was doing it until i tried to journal on the way to stockholm. a thousand thoughts and experiences raced through my head, completely overwhelming me.
i failed to mention that fellow serviceshippers krista caballero and brian gordon join up with me in london on thursday to launch part two of my journey, a marathon sprint of children's camps and tourism. the pressure of another month of travel further inundated my mind with emotions. i feared that failing to reflect properly would affect the memories of my experiences in london, something i never ever want to forget. i'd push everything to the back of my mind until i returned home to jacksonville for a week and sort it all out in between visits with family, friends, and doctor appointments.
(i know, i know. i over think. it's a tragic flaw.)
ironically enough, stockholm was perfect for reflection. that weekend, i reunited with an old friend who's interning with a CSR consultant group in hamburg, germany. it was a glorious weekend of food and therapy as we discussed the challenges of beginning a new life in a different country (props to her-- at least the UK speaks english). all of the frustrations i failed to record on paper disappeared. i returned to london proud of my independence, my personal growth, my journey...
after jeredine returned from holiday, i continued to run the depot a couple of mornings a week. this morning was my last time as a shift manager at FareShare. of course, everything went wrong. it always does. i found two unexpected deliveries waiting for me: 10 pallets from M&S, 7 pallets of yoghurt from ASDA. bonus: my fridges were full, i had yet to allocate today's food, and corporate volunteers were arriving in less than an hour. stress levels were high but i survived-- with a huge smile on my face. deep down, i know i'd be disappointed if there wasn't a bit of a challenge on my last day (in charge-- my last day as a volunteer is tomorrow).
i've spent my week committing to memory the faces of the people i work with. i'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that tomorrow is my last day. i don't like goodbyes. each day i say my farewells to a different set of volunteers. i lost count at how many times i teared up today. i think i'll just carry around a box of tissues tomorrow. the waterworks will definitely be flowing. i'm not a sappy, sentimental person but it's those darn warm fuzzies that do me in. a note of praise from a colleague who won't be in tomorrow, a special trip to bring me back a card from a volunteer, and an apple pie from the builders- a tribute to the day i couldn't find a slice in borough market on the 4th of july.
this was truly an experience i will never forget.
Monday, July 14, 2008
the future freaks me out.
9 weeks down, less than 4 days to go and i'm left wondering "what's next?"
boy, oh boy, i wish i knew.
i embarked on this journey searching for answers. a direction. a calling, so to say. this fall, i begin my senior year at florida state. senior year. the year everyone expects to hear your impressive life 'plan'. truth is, i don't have one. i chucked my life long desire for med school out the window last summer in australia and haven't looked back since. i've spent the past year directionless, hopping from one impulsive whim to the next.
each time i go abroad, i learn something about myself. i return to the states with a new perspective, a new goal, a new lesson acquired... naturally, my pre-departure mentality equated england with self discovery. i wanted to leave london with a 'purpose'. mission failed. i'm leaving london more confused than ever. thank you, FareShare.
when i applied for a serviceship, i thought i was passionate about alleviating hunger. fareshare helps hungry people, i want to help fareshare. although i was intrigued at the idea of a 'green' food bank, my environmental concern was lacking. aside from a half hearted attempt at composting, my hippie dippie qualities end at recycling, bike rides, and walking around barefoot.
i surprised myself. shocked, is more like it. with FareShare, i've discovered a passion for the environment. i could care less as to who eats the food as long as it doesn't go to the dump. i cringe at the thought of waste of any type. sorry dad, but i've jumped on the sustainability bandwagon.
of course, this returns me to my original million dollar question: what's next?
i've got a head full of information and a new passion. now what do i do with it? your guess is as good as mine.
i guess we'll all just have to wait and find out.
boy, oh boy, i wish i knew.
i embarked on this journey searching for answers. a direction. a calling, so to say. this fall, i begin my senior year at florida state. senior year. the year everyone expects to hear your impressive life 'plan'. truth is, i don't have one. i chucked my life long desire for med school out the window last summer in australia and haven't looked back since. i've spent the past year directionless, hopping from one impulsive whim to the next.
each time i go abroad, i learn something about myself. i return to the states with a new perspective, a new goal, a new lesson acquired... naturally, my pre-departure mentality equated england with self discovery. i wanted to leave london with a 'purpose'. mission failed. i'm leaving london more confused than ever. thank you, FareShare.
when i applied for a serviceship, i thought i was passionate about alleviating hunger. fareshare helps hungry people, i want to help fareshare. although i was intrigued at the idea of a 'green' food bank, my environmental concern was lacking. aside from a half hearted attempt at composting, my hippie dippie qualities end at recycling, bike rides, and walking around barefoot.
i surprised myself. shocked, is more like it. with FareShare, i've discovered a passion for the environment. i could care less as to who eats the food as long as it doesn't go to the dump. i cringe at the thought of waste of any type. sorry dad, but i've jumped on the sustainability bandwagon.
of course, this returns me to my original million dollar question: what's next?
i've got a head full of information and a new passion. now what do i do with it? your guess is as good as mine.
i guess we'll all just have to wait and find out.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
down in the dumps...literally.
yesterday, as many of you know, i became a head hauncho in the realm of warehouse life. my boss is officially 'on holiday' for the week while i remain at FareShare standing in shoes that are much too big for me. i'm holding my breath, crossing my fingers, and asking WWJD-- what would jeredine do?
perhaps i'm overreacting but to paraphrase my father, "if you prepare for the worst, at least you'll have a backup plan." it's unfair to say yesterday was a pearl harbour (aka a complete disaster) but it certainly wasn't smooth sailing (side note to the fam-- unless we're talking about that time we sailed back from the bahamas and woke up in cape canaveral.) i spent most of my day recovering from a rough morning. two volunteers were missing and marks & spencers kindly dropped off a huge, unexpected delivery.
ordinarily, i'd be thrilled. eight pallets of mouth watering stuffed salmon, spiced chicken legs, fruit salads, and lemon meringue pie. tempting enough to make me want to eat meat. except there was one problem: it was all out of date. all of it. everything except for 27 trays of yoghurt (about half a pallet) had to be binned.
and so, i spent my afternoon properly disposing this food because corporate bigwigs are coming to poke around the warehouse today and it would be inappropriate to flaunt their mistakes. i sound a bit bitter. i am- and with good reason, of course. yesterday was the 23rd. the majority of the food had a 'use by' date of friday, june 20th. if marks & spencers would have given us that shipment with thursday's delivery, we could have distributed it to all of our friday projects, thus avoiding yesterday's monstrosity of waste. instead, i threw away 60 pounds of chicken, 56 pounds of fish, 35 pies, 5 pounds of lamb, and 116 pounds of prepared fruit, dated the 18th. i felt like a penny waiting for change. and it gets worse- a 20 pound turkey, a size heavier than the bird most people carve on thanksgiving, went to the landfill because the packaging had been opened.
i was sick to my stomach, not to mention completely disgusted, for the first time in my 6+ weeks at FareShare, even though i realize that none of this is my fault. or is it?
at times, it's overwhelming to stand in the middle of a warehouse completely full of surplus food. this isn't second harvest. there are no schools, churches, or post offices holding canned (or 'tinned') food drives to supplement donations. everything in our possession has been diverted from going to the dump.
when did we, as a society, become so wasteful? i believe there's merit in the mantra 'if you build it they will buy it' but i also believe in the basic principles of economics. if we didn't demand it, they wouldn't supply it. who's to blame? what are the boundaries between corporate and personal responsibility? i struggle with this idea daily.
perhaps i'm overreacting but to paraphrase my father, "if you prepare for the worst, at least you'll have a backup plan." it's unfair to say yesterday was a pearl harbour (aka a complete disaster) but it certainly wasn't smooth sailing (side note to the fam-- unless we're talking about that time we sailed back from the bahamas and woke up in cape canaveral.) i spent most of my day recovering from a rough morning. two volunteers were missing and marks & spencers kindly dropped off a huge, unexpected delivery.
ordinarily, i'd be thrilled. eight pallets of mouth watering stuffed salmon, spiced chicken legs, fruit salads, and lemon meringue pie. tempting enough to make me want to eat meat. except there was one problem: it was all out of date. all of it. everything except for 27 trays of yoghurt (about half a pallet) had to be binned.
and so, i spent my afternoon properly disposing this food because corporate bigwigs are coming to poke around the warehouse today and it would be inappropriate to flaunt their mistakes. i sound a bit bitter. i am- and with good reason, of course. yesterday was the 23rd. the majority of the food had a 'use by' date of friday, june 20th. if marks & spencers would have given us that shipment with thursday's delivery, we could have distributed it to all of our friday projects, thus avoiding yesterday's monstrosity of waste. instead, i threw away 60 pounds of chicken, 56 pounds of fish, 35 pies, 5 pounds of lamb, and 116 pounds of prepared fruit, dated the 18th. i felt like a penny waiting for change. and it gets worse- a 20 pound turkey, a size heavier than the bird most people carve on thanksgiving, went to the landfill because the packaging had been opened.
i was sick to my stomach, not to mention completely disgusted, for the first time in my 6+ weeks at FareShare, even though i realize that none of this is my fault. or is it?
at times, it's overwhelming to stand in the middle of a warehouse completely full of surplus food. this isn't second harvest. there are no schools, churches, or post offices holding canned (or 'tinned') food drives to supplement donations. everything in our possession has been diverted from going to the dump.
when did we, as a society, become so wasteful? i believe there's merit in the mantra 'if you build it they will buy it' but i also believe in the basic principles of economics. if we didn't demand it, they wouldn't supply it. who's to blame? what are the boundaries between corporate and personal responsibility? i struggle with this idea daily.
Monday, June 16, 2008
free autographs
you can find a blurb about me and my work in the fareshare newsletter. too bad you have to work here/donate lots of money/be a board member to see it.
so much for my 15 seconds of fame.
so much for my 15 seconds of fame.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
moving up in the world of food salvaging.
jeredine is going 'on holiday' in a week.
i'm taking over.
lord, help me.
heck, forget me-- send your prayers to FareShare! an entire week of being in charge. needless to say, i'm shadowing her every move, frantically noting every detail. and stressing, slightly. sometimes more than slightly (i am my mother's daughter, after all. no offense, mom.). so many things could go wrong. plus, we send a route out to southampton that week (a once a month delivery of mostly ambient product) which further complicates the situation. last month, the van broke down mid-route and we couldn't deliver the food.
this is the ultimate final exam.
i'm taking over.
lord, help me.
heck, forget me-- send your prayers to FareShare! an entire week of being in charge. needless to say, i'm shadowing her every move, frantically noting every detail. and stressing, slightly. sometimes more than slightly (i am my mother's daughter, after all. no offense, mom.). so many things could go wrong. plus, we send a route out to southampton that week (a once a month delivery of mostly ambient product) which further complicates the situation. last month, the van broke down mid-route and we couldn't deliver the food.
this is the ultimate final exam.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
