First UU Church of San Diego
  • Home
  • Worship
    • Messages
    • Online Worship
    • Participate in a Service
    • Principles & Sources
  • Connections
    • Welcome Newcomers! > >
      • Visiting First UU
      • What is UUism?
      • Become a Member
    • Groups from A-Z > >
      • Affinity Groups
      • Archives
      • Art Guild
      • Christian Study Group
      • Earth Centered Spirituality Circle
      • Looking Glass Theatre
      • Meditation
      • Men's Fellowship
      • Neighborhood Groups
      • UU Seniors
      • Wisdom Circles
    • Member Networking
    • Listening Circles
    • Restorative Process
  • Music
    • Vocal Ensembles
    • Handbell Ensemble
    • Children and Youth Music Program
    • About Our Music Team
  • Education
    • Children's RE > >
      • Family Ministry Library
      • Children's RE Registration
    • Adult Faith Formation
    • Family Ministry > >
      • All Church Camp
    • Youth Programs
    • Young Adult & Campus Ministry
    • Our Whole Lives (OWL)
    • SD Co-op Preschool
  • Programs
    • Caring
    • Food Pantry
    • Larger UU Connections > >
      • Denominational Relations
      • Friends of De Benneville Pines
      • Philippines Partner Church
      • Transylvania Partner Church
      • UU Service Committee
    • Leadership Development
    • Social Justice > >
      • Social Justice Executive Team
      • Climate Justice
      • Generosity Offerings
      • Organizing for Justice
      • Palestine-Israel Justice Group
      • Rainbow Action
      • Reproductive Justice
      • Sanctuary
      • SOLACE
      • Uptown Community Service Center
    • Ushering
  • Giving
    • Donations > >
      • Pledging
      • Planned Giving
      • Donate Your Vehicle
      • Donate Flowers
    • Dining for Dollars D4$
    • B&B Program > >
      • B&B Guest Registration
      • B&B Hosting > >
        • B&B Host Application
    • Specialty Sale
    • Shop and Support!
  • News
    • Front Street Productions
    • Blog
    • The Window - Weekly Bulletin
    • First Words Magazine
  • About
    • For Members > >
      • Member's Login
      • Board Login
    • Our Ministers
    • Our Staff
    • Calendar
    • Facilities > >
      • Campus Maps
      • Ceremonies
      • Hillcrest Campus
      • South Bay Campus
      • Facilities Use Request Form
    • Forms
    • Governance > >
      • 8th Principle
      • Journey Toward Wholeness > >
        • Black History Month
      • Reopening Team
      • Strategic Planning > >
        • Funding our Future
        • Visioning The Future
    • 150th Celebration
    • Our History
  • Contact
    • Ministers and Staff
    • Website Update Form
    • MAG Contact Form
    • Privacy and Terms

BLOG

A New Gig: Volunteering for Feeding San Diego

10/12/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture“Mosaico de Tres Leches,” a tray of individual desserts on of our South Bay Food Pantry clients brought to volunteers last Saturday as a show of gratitude. Photo: Nina Douglass
by Maureen McNair
​Imagine my surprise earlier this month when Feeding San Diego asked me to train people wanting to start new food pantries. Only two years ago this month, I was a newbie, traipsing around Chula Vista with Rev. Andrea Travers, a facilitator for Beloved Conversations and the South Bay Wisdom Circle. We were gathering information about food insecurity from local social service agencies.
​I have met lots of food pantry managers who have been running pantries for decades. I continue to learn a lot from their expertise. And, our volunteers just started to clean out a closet-sized junk room at our South Bay campus in December 2019 that would be the start of our food pantry. So, we have been operating less than two years.

But, at the request of Feeding San Diego, I have now started to train someone who wants to open a food pantry at her church in Santee. We’ve met on the phone. And, last Saturday, she came to our pantry for a tour of how we have set up our operations. Our volunteers were singing loudly while bagging green beans, so they made the work look fun and easy.
Feeding San Diego, the region’s largest food bank, is the local affiliate of Feeding America. They have done a lot for our pantry during the pandemic and months of severe food shortages. My contact at Feeding San Diego has been a Neighborhood Coordinator. She was promoted to management at the end of September and reached out to me the first week of October. I am really grateful for the opportunity to give back to an organization that has been so supportive to us.
She had another welcome surprise for us last week too. If all goes according to plan, I will share that news with you next week. Meanwhile, thank you all so much for your continued generosity. We would not be living our values the way we do without each of you.
2 Comments
Steve Howard
10/15/2021 11:40:00 am

You are amazing and wonderful Maureen! Do you still have time to paint or draw?

Reply
Maureen
2/27/2022 07:23:37 pm

Hi Steve, Thanks! And that you for your volunteer time at the pantry too. I have my paints out, but am not touching them very often. I want this to change, but I think it'll still take some time. Take care, Maureen

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    What's New?

    The First UU Church of San Diego blog is your resource for upcoming events and past event recaps. Leave us a comment to let us know what you think!

    Categories

    All
    150th Celebration
    Aging
    Announcements
    Black Lives Matter
    Board Of Trustees
    Camp De Benneville Pines
    Careers
    Climate Change
    Climate Justice
    COVID Caring
    Democracy In Action
    Dining For Dollar$
    Events
    First UU History
    First Words Stories
    Food Pantry
    Free Family Friendly Events
    Front Street Productions
    General Assembly
    Gun Violence
    Holiday Events
    Holiday Greetings
    Immigrants Rights
    Intercultural Workshops
    International Women's Day
    Journey Towards Wholeness
    JTW
    Kids Activities
    LGBTQIA
    Marriage Equality
    Meditation Mondays
    Meet A Volunteer
    Minister Letters
    On The Side Of Love
    Pledge Drive
    Press Releases
    Racial Justice
    Religious Education
    Reopening Team
    Rev. Alix Klingenberg
    Rev. Carolyn Owen-Towle
    Rev. Everett Howe
    Rev. Ian Riddell
    Rev. Jennifer Channin
    Rev. Justine Sullivan
    Rev. Kathleen Owens
    Rev. Omega Burckhardt
    Rev. Tania Marquez
    Rev. Tom Owen-Towle
    Sabbatical Notes
    Sanctuary
    Social Justice Actions
    South Bay Campus
    Staying Connected
    Stevie Carmody
    Unitarian Universalism 101
    UU Parenting
    UUs In Action
    UU Women
    Visioning The Future
    Volunteer Opportunities

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    October 2014
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    March 2011
    October 2010
    June 2002

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
(619) 298-9978  |  Staff Directory
Hillcrest campus 4190 Front Street, San Diego, CA. 92103  |  South Bay campus 970 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA. 91911
  For GPS to our Hillcrest Campus, please use 298 W Arbor Dr., San Diego, CA 92103
For directions, parking and more see our Contact page.
Picture
©2004-2019 First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego. All rights reserved. Admin.
  • Home
  • Worship
    • Messages
    • Online Worship
    • Participate in a Service
    • Principles & Sources
  • Connections
    • Welcome Newcomers! > >
      • Visiting First UU
      • What is UUism?
      • Become a Member
    • Groups from A-Z > >
      • Affinity Groups
      • Archives
      • Art Guild
      • Christian Study Group
      • Earth Centered Spirituality Circle
      • Looking Glass Theatre
      • Meditation
      • Men's Fellowship
      • Neighborhood Groups
      • UU Seniors
      • Wisdom Circles
    • Member Networking
    • Listening Circles
    • Restorative Process
  • Music
    • Vocal Ensembles
    • Handbell Ensemble
    • Children and Youth Music Program
    • About Our Music Team
  • Education
    • Children's RE > >
      • Family Ministry Library
      • Children's RE Registration
    • Adult Faith Formation
    • Family Ministry > >
      • All Church Camp
    • Youth Programs
    • Young Adult & Campus Ministry
    • Our Whole Lives (OWL)
    • SD Co-op Preschool
  • Programs
    • Caring
    • Food Pantry
    • Larger UU Connections > >
      • Denominational Relations
      • Friends of De Benneville Pines
      • Philippines Partner Church
      • Transylvania Partner Church
      • UU Service Committee
    • Leadership Development
    • Social Justice > >
      • Social Justice Executive Team
      • Climate Justice
      • Generosity Offerings
      • Organizing for Justice
      • Palestine-Israel Justice Group
      • Rainbow Action
      • Reproductive Justice
      • Sanctuary
      • SOLACE
      • Uptown Community Service Center
    • Ushering
  • Giving
    • Donations > >
      • Pledging
      • Planned Giving
      • Donate Your Vehicle
      • Donate Flowers
    • Dining for Dollars D4$
    • B&B Program > >
      • B&B Guest Registration
      • B&B Hosting > >
        • B&B Host Application
    • Specialty Sale
    • Shop and Support!
  • News
    • Front Street Productions
    • Blog
    • The Window - Weekly Bulletin
    • First Words Magazine
  • About
    • For Members > >
      • Member's Login
      • Board Login
    • Our Ministers
    • Our Staff
    • Calendar
    • Facilities > >
      • Campus Maps
      • Ceremonies
      • Hillcrest Campus
      • South Bay Campus
      • Facilities Use Request Form
    • Forms
    • Governance > >
      • 8th Principle
      • Journey Toward Wholeness > >
        • Black History Month
      • Reopening Team
      • Strategic Planning > >
        • Funding our Future
        • Visioning The Future
    • 150th Celebration
    • Our History
  • Contact
    • Ministers and Staff
    • Website Update Form
    • MAG Contact Form
    • Privacy and Terms