After I retired as a corporate attorney in June, I had retirement all planned out: Work in the yard, see the grandkids, travel, do mediations in lawsuits and relax. After about two months, the yard looked OK, the grandkids were back in day care, the first trip was over, no one was calling for a mediation, and I was bored. So, the volunteer bug came calling when I saw a notice that Just Food was seeking individuals to serve as “drivers.” Since I had been commuting out of town for 37 years, this sounded like a piece of cake. I called the office and was told to come in for a volunteers’ orientation. The day I was to come in was Tuesday, Aug. 11.

When I came down to breakfast that morning, my loving wife gave me the newspaper, saying “You’d better read this.” When I did, I learned (like the rest of Lawrence), that Jeremy Farmer had resigned as head of Just Food. Still, I didn’t see any reason not to go,and I appeared at the appointed time. When I did, I found an office full of people who appeared to be going about their business, whether it was supervising, volunteering or getting food. There was no moaning, no gnashing of teeth, nothing. Encouraged, I filled out the paperwork and decided to come back to shadow drivers as they went out to pick up perishables from local groceries. I signed on for both Wednesday and Thursday, when I would be riding with a different volunteer each day.

Wednesday arrived, and more news — Lawrence likely needed a new mayor. Still, the work goes on, and I dutifully appeared. The route was far more interesting than I had anticipated. On each day, the routine was the same: Check the dairy locker first, then produce, then meat, then the deli in the public area of the store and finally the bread. All of the food which we got on Wednesday (which came to at least 10 grocery carts full) was still within its due date, but would have been pitched but for Just Food. We had massive amounts of milk, pizza, prepared fruit, meats and sandwiches and bread of all kinds. After loading the food in the van, we drove back to Just Food, where it was weighed and then sent to others who would prepare it for the  clients.    

Thursday was the same. By then, it was official: Jeremy Farmer was out as mayor. Again, there was no panic, just a quiet assurance that the needs of the hungry would continue to be met. While each driver’s system was different, they both seemed to know everyone at the two stores and everyone knew them. We received numerous inquiries about what was going on, but no one questioned the need for Just Food’s existence. I felt both relieved and humbled for what I had seen and actually looked forward to Saturday, when I had volunteered to help with a collection barrel at one of the same stores.

As it turned out, Saturday was stressful. I had volunteered to work for two hours, which works out to 7,200 seconds. The first 20 minutes were not so bad, given that members of the Just Food board were there to help. Eventually though, I was on my own.  As a confirmed introvert, it took considerable effort to approach unsuspecting shoppers with my spiel. Amazingly, about 95 percent of the people I asked were receptive, or at least not entirely dismissive. By the time I left, a considerable amount of non-perishable food had been collected. For the uninitiated, this includes things like peanut butter, tuna, cereal, pasta and other things which the daily pickups do not include. But for the generosity of shoppers like those last Saturday, Just Food would have to spend its limited resources for those items. 

While the response of almost everyone I approached was positive, the reaction of one man sticks in my mind. Toward the end of the shift, I approached him with the standard request: “Hi, we’re collecting food for Just Food, the local food pantry, etc.” For whatever reason, he proceeded to denigrate Just Foods, its leadership, volunteers and clients in no uncertain terms. Why he felt moved to do so I have no idea. I can only wish that he will never be in a position where he needs help to feed himself and his family. If he does, I trust he will find that Just Food is there for him, as it has been for thousands of others in Lawrence and Douglas County. As for me, I’ll be back on the truck this week.   

— Jeff Southard is a retired attorney and an aspiring mediator. He lives in Old West Lawrence with his wife, Peggy, and their three dogs.