Office staff, firefighters, department chiefs all helped
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, many of our thoughts turn to gratitude. It’s easy to be grateful to our firefighters, who willingly put their own lives in danger to protect the rest of us all year long. But that’s not all they do for us.
One of the many things the Alameda Fire Department (AFD) does to serve our community is volunteering at the Alameda Food Bank to make sure our neighbors are able to feed their families.
Over the past several days, AFD office staff, department chiefs, prevention personnel, on-duty crews, and off-duty members all helped the Food Bank organize and box food ahead of the holiday season.
“We are here to serve our amazing community wherever it is needed,” AFD stated in a Facebook post.
A couple of Alameda Police Officers also lent a hand, according to an Alameda City Firefighters Local 689 Instagram post.
“The selflessness I saw today from 689 reinforced the pride I feel to be a part of this organization,” said Local 689 Trustee, Mike DeWindt. “Complete chaos quickly organized into a machine. The warehouse manager said we completed over a month’s worth of work in a little under three hours and the only reason we were stopped was because we ran out of boxes to organize food. Felt really proud of our people today.”
How you can help
Our Alameda Food Bank is currently serving 1,300 families a week. “We always need volunteers for food packing and sorting as well as client check-in, food distribution, traffic control, set-up and clean-up,” the website states.
At this time, they are looking for volunteers who can make an ongoing, weekly commitment. “This makes it easier for us to train a consistent roster of volunteers who will become adept at performing a variety of jobs.”
Shifts are available on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and vary between two and three hours each. If you are interested and are at least 16 years old, please contact the Program Manager to discuss reserving a shift on an ongoing basis.
Financial donations also are crucial for the Food Bank to continue serving our community. For every dollar that is donated, the Food Bank can provide $7 worth of food. Learn more and/or donate online at the Food Bank’s Ways to Give webpage.
