Grain Systems Blog

 

Volunteering often means that you do something without expecting or receiving payment or compensation. Having done a fair bit of volunteering in my life, I believe that this is a false definition of the word. Every time I volunteer, I seem to gain something from the experience, and this time was no exception.

 

Recently, Flaman employees worked with E4Cs School Lunch Program and helped serve hot lunches to students in inner city schools. I was fortunate enough to get to participate in this, and the feelings of humbleness and pride in what we were helping with was overwhelming. After having gone through school every day as a child with food in my stomach, it was sad to see the faces of children who might just be eating for the first time that day.

 

My partner Braden and I arrived at the school and helped the staff prepare and serve the meals to the students. That day, the kids each received a scoop of a noodle/chicken dish, some orange slices and a container of milk. I can only speak from my own experience, but I loved talking to the children and seeing them smile. Many of them were quick to ask me who I was, what my nose ring was and why I was wearing a hair net.

 

According to the staff members of the program, the cost to feed a child in the School Lunch Program is $80/month, but they only ask parents to pay $30 (which most parents can’t afford).