Tuesday, June 23, 2009

It's a Gleaners Life For Me!

As we now find ourselves in the epicenter of summer bliss it is also a time of summer employment for myself. I am currently working for an non-profit organization called the Fraser Valley Gleaners here in Abbotsford. Here we take excess and unwanted produce that is donated (usually for superficial reasons...our grocery stores are so fickle!) and then chop it, dice it, spread it onto trays, dehydrate it in industrial dryers, scrape it into barrels, and then in winter it will be assembled into a soup mix and from here it is taken by reputable and reliable distribution partners to various developing countries to feed the hungry. My role is to assist the plant manager with the daily operations and helping to coordinate the daily volunteers that make this operation possible. Every morning from 8:30-12:30 a host of energetic volunteers descend upon the warehouse, most of whom are a young 65+ whom have retired and now volunteer their time and efforts for a great cause. Although now in summer we will see a host of youth groups coming from near and far. Here are few shots from when I took our Jr Youth here this past year while working at Bakerview.

Here's where the magic happens! Upon these humble tables our product finds itself under the knife to prepare for an encounter with the dicer!

Peppers a plenty...donated from a local greenhouse.

Carolyn and Hannah...out with the bad, in with the good.

Then to the dicer where it is finely diced and spread onto trays.

Take a close look at the warning label. Nothing like a graphic representation of completely severed fingers to get a point across. A little dicey!

Then onto the drying racks and into the dryer for a good 8 or 9 hours at low heat.
I take my job as a Gleaner very seriously...and following in the footsteps of my biblical model, Ruth, I must find myself a "Boaz" at whose feet I shall sleep at to see if he shall be my suitor. Well, maybe that part doesn't translate so well today. I shan't.

So if you are ever free between the hours of 8:30am and noon come hang out with us for a morning! (except Fridays because I'm not there and it would be a pity to miss you!)

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Pomp and Circumstance...


This past weekend I had the honour of hanging out with two of our Bakerview graduating grade 12 students on our annual grad trip. This year we went to Deception Pass in Washington for a little camping, kayaking, photoshooting, and all around good times. In honour of this achievement we let them go to the "restroom", as it is known to the south, unsupervised...it was a big weekend for them.

Congratulations Cory and Keighley on your academic achievements of insurmountable proportions and your good looks.

Check out photos here:

Long exposure shots