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A visit to the food sharing warehouse: A photo essay on giving, kindness and community

Ritche Perez | for CBC | Posted: December 14, 2022 8:26 PM | Last Updated: December 14, 2022

Volunteers lend support to growing need during this holiday season

Image | Loading Bay

Caption: Members of the RCMP veterans were on hand to help load food into vehicles at the Community Food Sharing Association's warehouse in St. John's to be distributed across the province. (Ritche Perez)

It was early morning and I arrived 30 minutes early at the Community Food Sharing Association's warehouse on Pippy Place in St. John's.

There were volunteers already here with the warehouse officials, planning and putting on gloves, ready to lift boxes of food of all sorts into vehicles that were parked in front of the loading bay for deliveries.

Image | Volunteers at food bank

Caption: Volunteer Susan Jenkins of Suncor Energy prepares boxes for delivery to food banks across the province from the Community Food Sharing Association warehouse in St. John's. (Ritche Perez)

Most of the action was at the loading bay. It was tight and I didn't want to interrupt them and embarrassingly get run over by the mini forklift that drops the pallets off. I like to shoot with a wide angle (it makes me get in closer when filling my frame to capture what's happening).

I saw many people donating their time to move food, such as 1,500 turkeys. They were all loaded into vehicles that will drive all over Newfoundland and Labrador to deliver to families in need.

Image | Planning at the food bank

Caption: Warehouse manager Tony Trickett, centre, reviews the deliveries going out from the Pippy Place facility with volunteers Ron Wiggins, left, and Randy Mercer. (Ritche Perez)

Through my lens, I saw many people working together, compassion and hard work. We had quick conversations but I knew they had a job to do and so I was respectful and did my best to be that fly on the wall.

I was focused on their hands, smiles, them communicating and talking with each other, the lifting and passing of boxes, and the collaboration and the tight space these people worked with to get things out the door.
This season is a festive one, but also a stressful time of the year. I see kindness today. I see it in these people's actions. It's not going to fix the world today, but it's making a difference.

Image | Julie Moores

Caption: Julie Moores was among staff members from Suncor Energy who volunteered recently at the warehouse. (Ritche Perez)

Image | Lifting boxes out of food bank

Caption: There was a lot of activity as volunteers helped out at the warehouse this week. (Ritche Perez)



Image | Carbonear

Caption: Volunteer Diane Hooper writes on a box that is bound for a Carbonear food bank. (Ritche Perez)

Image | Two men lifting a box

Caption: Volunteers Jim Skanes, left, and Leo O'Brien, lift a box of food from the warehouse to an awaiting truck in the loading bay. (Ritche Perez)

Image | Darlene Lewis

Caption: Volunteer Darlene Lewis hands over a box of food to be loaded to an awaiting vehicle for distribution to a local food bank. (Ritche Perez)

Image | Volunteers at Food Bank Warehouse

Caption: Volunteers from local businesses and the RCMP veterans association were on hand to help pack up food into trucks for delivery across the province this holiday season. (Ritche Perez)

Image | Randy Mercer

Caption: Volunteer Randy Mercer has his hands filled with turkeys at the warehouse. (Ritche Perez)

Portraits of Kindness is a special series of regional photo essays. CBC Atlantic asked local photographers to visit a food bank and capture acts of kindness through their lens. The project coincides with CBC's Make The Season Kind campaign in support of food banks in Atlantic Canada.

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