Sunday, July 01, 2007
“I couldn’t describe my life in Japan without mentioning 2HJ”
Four-year Volunteer Coordinator Jason Kueh
2HJ’s Saturday Soup Kitchen in Ueno Park, from preparation to cleanup, involves a total of 30 to 50 volunteers every week. Jason Kueh, along with Patricia Decker, has been working as the coordinator of this large number of volunteers. I had a chance to ask Jason a few questions before he returned to the US in July for graduate school.
What do you do as a volunteer coordinator?
“Our job is to arrange for the number of people we need to arrive where we need them, when we need them. First of all, every Tuesday we send out a weekly announcement of upcoming volunteering needs to the 600 or so people on our e-mail list. Then, as we wait for people to respond, we consider things like the amount of food coming in that week and whether a group is signed up to volunteer. Based on that we decide how to allocate the volunteers and tasks. On Saturday we also have other volunteer leaders, so we work with them to make sure the volunteers do the tasks properly and according to schedule. We carefully think through the menu—‘Should we make more rice next time?’ ‘Since we’ve got extra vegetables this time, let’s put them in the soup’—and keep an eye on the big picture so the activities go smoothly.”
How did you get started with 2HJ?
“It was four years ago, when I was working as a consultant at a software company. Work was all-consuming—I sometimes had to take the last train home—and it hit me that something was missing. I wanted to be more involved in the community. I wanted to do something useful. I asked around, and a group that worked as an intermediary between individuals and NPOs introduced me to 2HJ.”
That was still in 2HJ’s early days, wasn’t it?
“Right. At that time, the organization was called “Food Bank Japan” and we didn’t even have a warehouse. At the beginning we were just lining up bread and vegetables in Sumida Park and handing them out to the people living in the park. Even so, I felt it was really worthwhile to be involved in saving perfectly edible food from being thrown away and providing it to those in need.”
What made you want to become a volunteer coordinator?
“I hadn’t been volunteering long when (Executive Director) Charles announced he was looking for someone to organize the volunteers, so I thought I’d give it a shot and see what I could do. I didn’t expect at that time that I’d end up coming out almost every week, though!”
2HJ has come a long way in the four years since you joined.
“Now there’s an office and a warehouse, and the Harvest Pantry is up and running. The Saturday distribution has moved from Sumida Park to Ueno Park, and now we serve rice and miso soup, salad and cooked items—we’re able to provide a hot meal to 400–500 people every week. I’m surprised at how far we’ve come. The number of volunteers is also on the rise. Sometimes so many people want to sign up that we have to turn some away. I’m also happy that we’re now seeing more Japanese participants.”
What have these four years meant for you?
“I was fortunate to make many good friends through 2HJ’s activities, and I’ve made personal progress as well. Before, I preferred working alone, but after being a coordinator, I came to know the fun and importance of working with others for a good cause. I couldn’t describe my life in Japan without mentioning 2HJ—that’s how big a part of my life it’s been. I’m truly impressed by the enthusiasm and efforts of Charles and the staff and volunteers.”
What’s your message to volunteers?
“I think there are a lot of people who are busy and can rarely volunteer. I also had many times when I thought, ‘It’s Saturday—I don’t want to get up early.’ I’d like volunteers to try to push themselves a little. You may have to sacrifice something, but if you can increase your participation by even just one time, I think you’ll find some kind of reward or discovery.”
Jason, thanks for all your work!
Writer: Etsuko Ohara
Photo: Vivian Chan
Friday, April 06, 2007
Food drives feed Harvest Pantry
Every week, Second Harvest Japan’s Harvest Pantry feeds close to 100 individuals, including 47 children. The majority of critically needed non-perishable foods come to us through food drives held by schools, businesses, and associations. With over 650,000 people in Japan lacking food security, food drives—no matter how big or how small—play an important role in helping to alleviate hunger.
Mark Valens, an English teacher at the Tokyo Korean School, helped to organize a food drive with his students, grades one through six. Approximately 450 students participated in the five-day drive. To motivate and build enthusiasm, the teachers put forth a challenge. If the students collected over 500 items, the teachers would sing a Japanese song in front of the student body. If the school fell short of the target, the sixth grade students would have to sing an English song on stage.
In the end, the students collected over 1,100 items and “everyone involved with the food drive agreed that it was a great success,” said Valens. “Donating food showed students how they could make a difference in people’s lives as well as educated them about the fact that many people go to bed hungry each night, even in a wealthy developed country.” Most of the teachers also spoke about the need some have for food and why they felt it was important to help others.
Many food drives are organized around World Food Day (October 16), which was established in 1979 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to increase international awareness of the issues behind hunger and poverty around the world. World Food Day is an excellent occasion to run a food drive for 2HJ and help spread awareness about hunger in Japan.
But since hunger is a year-round problem, there’s no need to wait until autumn to plan a food drive. See below for some pointers for organizing a food drive and contact 2HJ today to get started!
Be sure to contact Harvest Pantry Coordinator Michelle Ryan before you start collecting food.
Download this printer-friendly PDF of the above pointers.
Writer: Michelle Ryan
Link to News story »Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Nu Skin Japan Shares Time and Money
“I first heard of Second Harvest Japan about three years ago when I was having a meal at Fujimamas restaurant,” recalls Robert S. Conlee, president of Nu Skin Japan, part of an international company specializing in personal care products and nutritional supplements. In 2004, Fujimamas—a long-time 2HJ supporter—was giving patrons a little meal-time education with chopstick wrappers featuring information about hunger in Japan and 2HJ. “I thought, ‘What a great idea!’ I took my wrapper with me and looked at it from time to time as it sat on my desk. So I was already familiar with 2HJ when I met Charles [McJilton, 2HJ Executive Director] while doing a service project with my kids through the American School in Japan.”
“Our social contribution activities focus on creating a better world for children, and 2HJ fits that profile well,” said Conlee one Saturday afternoon in Ueno Park after lending a hand at the soup kitchen with some colleagues. He noted the majority of 2HJ’s food goes to women’s shelters, orphanages, and families, with only around 20 percent going to the homeless. “2HJ is one of three groups we work with here, the other major one being Hokkaido University for research on a genetically-transmitted skin disorder that afflicts children,” explained Conlee.
“Being involved with Nu Skin, I’ve come to feel that charitable activities are part of daily life,” says Nu Skin Japan’s Mika Yamada, who coordinates the company’s relations with 2HJ and has volunteered several times. “That’s because such a great number of the people I deal with are making sincere efforts every day to practice the ‘Force for Good’ philosophy of enriching the lives of people connected to our company and its products.” Nu Skin Japan’s Force for Good Fund recently provided 2HJ a grant of 18 million yen (monthly 1.5 million yen).
In addition to making financial contributions, employees and distributors are encouraged to contribute their time to help 2HJ provide food to those who need it in Japan. After helping to serve over 500 meals one Saturday in February, Courtland Pearson, another Nu Skin Japan volunteer, said the experience “makes you feel grateful for people who care, and makes you realize the world needs more people who care.” Companies like Nu Skin Japan make a positive impact in their communities. As Yamada says, every contribution is important: “Each person has only a limited power, but when you combine that power, you can make a big difference. Since learning about Second Harvest Japan’s activities, I feel that just by knowing the current situation, you can make the first step.”
A group from Nu Skin Japan provided service with a smile for Ueno Park distribution. “Even though I live in Tokyo, this was the first time I’ve done something like this. It was a great experience,” said Akemi Yoshida, a Nu Skin Japan distributor.
Friday, December 29, 2006
2HJ Board Member: Kousaku Shibata
“If someone needs food, wherever they are, I’ll deliver it imagining the smile it will bring to their face.”
In his role as a long-time 2HJ driver, board member Kousaku Shibata plays an important role in linking companies who donate food and people who need it. Three times a week, he spends about an hour to drive his minivan from his house in Ichikawa city, Chiba, up to Costco Wholesale supermarket in Makuhari. From Costco, Kousaku receives donations of food that is still edible but is about to be disposed of because of overstocking or label misprints.
He receives various kinds of food, including vegetables, fruit, bread, and sweets. After carefully loading the donated food, which sometimes exceeds 500 kilograms, on some days Kousaku brings the load to the 2HJ warehouse in Asakusabashi, Tokyo. On other days, he distributes the food to agencies such as churches, orphanages, and elderly care centers, which support people who have difficulty in obtaining food in a socially acceptable manner.
“If someone needs me, I will go anywhere,” says Kousaku. With his contribution, 2HJ has visited more than 100 agencies in the past four years.
“People think Japan is a rich country,” he continues, “but actually there are many people who have serious trouble in securing meals. Many of them really cannot live without food from 2HJ. I do all I can to avoid skipping deliveries for any reason.”
People applying for asylum as refugees in Japan have a particularly tough time. Every week Kousaku makes 20-kilo food packages and sends them by courier service to 12 families that are struggling to get by.
Kousaku says he always imagines their smiles when they receive the packages, thinking, “What kind of food would that family like?” or “I bet he’ll like this fruit.”
Kousaku volunteered at the soup kitchen of Mother Teresa’s convent in Nagoya when he lived there 10 years ago. He saw the waste of huge amounts of useable food being disposed of at supermarkets and convenience stores every day. They made hundreds of servings at the soup kitchen by salvaging this food.
Four years ago, a friend of his in Tokyo, Charles McJilton, was establishing a food bank. Kousaku encouraged him, saying, “That’s very important. You’ve got to do it!” Since Charles didn’t have a valid Japanese driver’s license at that time, Kousaku volunteered to drive for him and quickly became an indispensable driver for 2HJ.
As a part-time postal worker, Kousaku spends his evenings from 18:00 to 22:00 at the post office and volunteers for 2HJ during the day. 2HJ reimburses him for expenses such as gasoline fees and courier service fees, but he receives no salary for himself. “I’m just doing what I can do,” he says as if his work is no big deal. But his first two years of volunteering were difficult for him both physically and mentally.
“Once I went through that time, it became my custom and my body adjusted. Now I can enjoy the activity and look forward to seeing what kind of food we get from donors.”
Seisei and Kousaku Shibata have been with 2HJ since its earliest days.
Kousaku’s wife, Seisei, chose a minivan when they bought a new car because she knew the car could be useful for 2HJ activities. Since the Nagoya days and through the beginning of 2HJ establishment, Seisei has been Kousaku’s ideal partner.
They both recall, “We’ve met so many people and heard their stories. When we hear the miserable stories of refugees we feel sad, but also sometimes we can see a family loving and helping each other. Sometimes the recipients welcome us with singing and dancing. They make us spiritually rich.”
About the future of 2HJ, Kousaku says, “We shouldn’t rush and try to increase the volume too rapidly.”
“Since we give people food, we as volunteers need to be sensitive to the subtleties of recipients’ feelings. We’re not just delivering food. We should value the process of building relationships with recipients slowly but steadily.”
Writer/Photo: Etusko Ohara
Link to News story »Friday, December 22, 2006
Drivers Wanted: Apply Within
Life has taught me that everything happens for a reason, and some things pop up at the moment we least expect it.
I was visiting Tokyo Union Church not long after the New Year’s holiday of 2006 when Charles McJilton and I happened to brush shoulders during the fellowship held in the basement following the service. I had just resigned my full-time job after growing weary of working for a very traditional Japanese company. I’d just signed a marriage license a few months before, and faced the stress of planning a wedding ceremony and re-thinking my future. I’d also just begun the process of applying for a scholarship that would allow me to take my lovely new wife abroad and continue my education. Yeah, it certainly was not a stretch of the truth to say that I was going through a transitional phase (chuckle). Everything was “up in the air” for me. The only constant was that I felt a need to be a part of something, to have purpose; I had a truly sincere desire to turn over a new leaf in my life, making the most of the ensuing months, which I calculated to be possibly the end of a wonderful and rewarding 10+ years in Japan. It was time to give something back. I can say that with ease because in retrospect, our meeting was not coincidence, it was providence.
Charles and I sat down and had our first meeting in a Chinese restaurant just down the street from 2HJ’s warehouse and office, which are located between Akihabara and Asakusabashi stations. There was something about the genuineness and sincerity of his character. I suddenly found myself saying, “I want to volunteer as a driver for as long as I can.” I’m so glad I did.
Second Harvest Japan was and is continually growing and making a name for itself as a non-profit organization food bank in Japan. Now I’m a part of it.
In the coming weeks and months, I gave one day per week of my time on average to ride the subway in the morning to the warehouse, where I’d drive of 2HJ’s vehicles to one of the frozen food giant Nichirei’s warehouses in Funabashi City and pick up anywhere from a few hundred kilos to a ton or so of frozen vegetables, in frost-covered cardboard boxes of varying size and shape. Then, on to Costco in Makuhari where literally crates of bread, fruits, vegetables, etc. were waiting for me. I have joked with another volunteer that sometimes I felt like I was playing a game of Tetris, because the donations are often so generous that it was challenging to fit everything inside the van. After the food was packed up, it was taken back to the warehouse to be divided up and re-distributed to the refugees, the homeless, shelters, and orphanages that 2HJ provides with much needed food. From the first day onward, it never felt like I was putting in time as a volunteer at all. As a driver and now occasional weekend volunteer, I’ve got to say that there’s something captivating about 2HJ and the purpose we serve. The atmosphere is fun and family-like. Every day is a little bit different from the next, and nothing is ever boring. If you have a little bit of free time, a valid driver’s license, and the courage to selflessly put the needs of others before your own, I challenge you to come on board and be a part of something great.
Writer: David Adams
Photo: Carin Smolinski
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