Blog Stories Food Bank Fun!

Food Bank Fun!

By Alyssa Starelli, December 7, 2022

I usually don’t like the idea of promoting one’s volunteerism, it feels braggy somehow,  but the truth is it does spur others on. So in the vein of spurring others to contribute, I’d like to show what an average shift at the Oregon Food Bank entails.

I started in November and so far I’ve sorted and repackaged onions;  pears; packaged vermicelli bits (I think it was the ends of dry spaghetti?), and my absolute favorite – SALVAGE! Salvage includes going through boxes of foods from grocery stores and sorting them into themed boxes, pulling out certain products, checking for damage, and re-boxing for distribution to Food Banks all over Oregon. It’s a lot like sorting out puzzle pieces and not only is everyone’s favorite, is also a rare event. I’ve also really enjoyed sorting fruit, you never know what strange shape you’re going to find!!

Anyway, beyond enjoying the rote mechanism of the tasks, or more especially the fact that we’re helping to feed thousands of hungry Oregonians in a time that it’s really needed, I’m meeting a lot of nice people and having nice conversations over a bin of dried spaghetti, or boxes of pears.  It’s been something different every week and you can set up your schedule specific to your needs. That said, if you do go online to apply to volunteer and there aren’t seemingly any spots available, you might call or show up at 9am and talk to a team leader. It seems there are lots of opportunities that might not get posted. I’ve been able to go every Tuesday since early Nov, no problem!  They are 2.5 hour shifts morning or afternoon, with a 2 hr lunch break between if you’d like to stack and make a day of it. If you’re not able to do some of the tasks (I’ve since decided my carpal tunnel doesn’t like vermicelli bagging) they’ll find jobs for you that you can do. It’s all-inclusive!

So if you’ve got some spare time this holiday, or because the markets have slowed, check out Oregon Food Bank! https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/get-involved/volunteer

 

 

Alyssa Starelli

Broker | OR

A Portland native, Alyssa started her real estate career in the chaotic market of 2005, and quickly realized she reveled in matching particular clients with their perfect home, no matter how unusual. She then began specializing in mid-century properties - both Modern and Modest. More recently, she has included what she calls "Period-Perfect" homes to her repertoire. Her goal in this is to seek out those hard-to-find, unremodeled original homes of all eras. When I started in real estate, I realized there was a market for ranch homes, from Mid-Century Modern to the more modest Daylight Ranch, but few REALTORS® willing to service it. I started highlighting these 'Picks of the Week' on my website, introducing enthusiasts to the full gamut of midcentury houses of Portland. In 2006, I founded the Mid-Century Modern League in order to educate the public about the importance of preserving these gems. Today I continue to focus on Mid-Mod, but have added vintage, mostly unremodeled houses of earlier eras, which I call 'Period-Perfect', because they have interest to clients and are under-serviced too. Frankly, I enjoy seeking out any unusual or original elements a client might be interested in, it's a challenge to rise to." As Founder of the Mid-century Modern League, Alyssa is considered an authority in the local mid-century architecture scene, and is especially proud to include the Editors of Atomic Ranch Magazine in her past-client list. Often quoted in news and radio, she has been able to bring additional interest to her business, listings, and client's homes - many of which have been featured in magazines such as Atomic Ranch, Oregon Home, The Oregonian and also included on several local home tours. With a background in marketing, and an eye for the unique, Alyssa really enjoys buying and selling properties whose interesting features may be overlooked by other realtors, even (or especially) if those features aren't mentioned in the listing. As a hobby, Alyssa has issued herself a challenge to walk every residential street of Portland proper and document the best architecture specimens of each neighborhood. There are about 3500 square miles of Portland, and it's a big feat. By the time she finishes, she will have seen every house in Portland with her own eyes! You can follow her walks on her blog Portland-by-Foot. http://portlandbyfoot.blogspot.com/ When off duty, you can find Alyssa at estate sales, honky tonks, her friend's cattle ranch, or seeking out ghost towns, roadtripping to the Oregon high-desert. A music fanatic and semi-retired booker/manager, Alyssa is heavily immersed in the western swing, old-school country, and rockabilly music scene, and you'll often find her out at shows, dancing, maybe even sharing her favorites on the radio. Alyssa Starelli alyssa@livingroomre.com 503-888-1362 www.aly-star.com
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