Another day spent at the food bank. Yesterday I spent 3 hours there, today it was a little over 5. I had nothing pressing to accomplish, so I could stay as long as things were happening. Things were happening too. It was almost nonstop from the time I arrived at 8:45 till the time I left, just before 2:00. I didn't need a bathroom, drink or food break at all, although during the lull at around 11:30 I had thought about getting something to eat. That was only because I was contemplating being there until 4:00. That's one nice thing about volunteering at this place, you can leave whenever you need to.

I stayed though, and was busy the whole time. Even during the 'lull', I took the time to organize some of the card file they have for visitors, so it was only a lull in the sense that I was sitting for an extended period. Basically I wanted to be around when the delivery arrived that everyone was talking about. It wasn't long, and we unloaded boxes of produce, crackers and sweets. It consisted of produce for the most part, but all of it had to be separated and transferred to the plastic crates that they use for storage. I tried to work with this old guy that seemed to know what he was doing, sorting through the produce and getting it rotated in the little walk-in cooler they have, all in the midst of being called up front to get visitors logged in and on their way with the meager offerings they come for. The old guy knew what he was doing, but any leadership I coaxed out of him was reluctantly given up, mainly because, as I found out later, he seemed to know what he was doing only because he's been helping out at the place for years, but just one day a week. So any arrangements he made to this little warehouse could have been counter productive to anything done during the rest of the week. He was hesitant about rotating the produce in the cooler, and also about rotating bread in one of the freezers. I think it was a combination of him being extremely part time, and apprehension of making me do all the work, cause he was just too busy to do it. It wasn't difficult though, and after I sensed he thought it would take too long I quickly showed him it wouldn't take long at all.

All this was accomplished amidst, again, being constantly called up front to handle the influx of visitors looking for sustenance. The lady that was there yesterday when I showed up didn't come in until early afternoon, so there was nobody else to handle these people. There was the director, who, along with an old Mexican dude that speaks no English, is the only paid employee. I will call her the Site Director, cause in essence she runs the place. She was for the most part kept busy with whatever paperwork is required for the place, and she was the one calling me to the front to take care of people. In doing so she assumed quite a bit about me; that I would be able to handle the people appropriately, that I could organize the 'transactions', and that I could handle completing what little front end database entry was needed. Granted, she witnessed the other volunteer showing me everything, but I think there were a lot of assumptions made. For instance, both her and the other lady, I'll call her the Administrative Volunteer, or AV for short, took it for granted that I knew my way around a computer. Sure, the AV had asked me yesterday, but it was put to me more as a statement than a question. It wasn't, "you know much about computers?", but "You understand computers." Now that I think about it, she did question my abilities concerning MS Access, but it was obvious she expected I would be quite capable with it.

I think it highlighted something they were always talking about in my Sociology English classes last year. (I call them that because although they were 'English' 101 & 102, everything discussed had that 'liberal' tone) In American society today, the white adult male has it easier than others when it comes to convincing others of their abilities. If I had been female, Mexican, or African American, any demonstrated ability would have been proof of my ability. But as a caucasian male, my demonstration was just a confirmation of their expectations. It was subtle, but I noticed it. So both these women had no problem showing me the ..... fuck, I hate when I brain fart like that!!! I'm trying to think of the appropriate word, but it just isn't coming ......... routine, then leaving me alone to get it done. It was either that, or they simply didn't care. I don't think that is the case though......

Then there was the visitor that came in who caused me a little consternation. I was obviously judging a book by it's cover with this dude, as will be demonstrated by my description. He was in his early twenties, wore an earring, sported more than a few tattoos, and wasn't even head of the household. He signed in, but then quickly informed me that his name would be included on the card of the woman of the household in which he was staying. So I looked it up, and sure enough his name was added to the bottom of the list of family members. I guess I shouldn't assume the guy was a layabout, but it's hard not to make that assumption due to his appearance coupled with the fact that he didn't have his own place.