Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Food banker for a day
It’s 10:00 on a hectic Thursday at Second Harvest Japan, and I am here to see what happens on a typical day at the nation’s first food bank. Executive Director Charles E. McJilton facilitates a delivery of frozen food via e-mail. Harvest Pantry Coordinator Michelle Ryan collates receipts. Resource Coordinator Yusuke Wada taps away on his laptop.
“Every day is different,” Michelle tells me. Tasks include presentations to donors, interviews to the media, and delivering emergency groceries (staples like rice and miso) to “help get people on their feet.”
Yusuke picks up a ringing phone. Someone wants to donate food. Michelle speaks to the caller.
In a flash, David Adams, the part-time driver, is in, out and off to Costco to pick up donated bread and produce. Everyone is upbeat.
Laying out the day’s plan
Charles’s first errand is at the bank, to sort out credit cards, and pay taxes, bills, and salaries. In the afternoon, he’ll make two deliveries to orphanages in Chiba. He’s also scheduled for a photo shoot with a photographer from AERA magazine.
Michelle is making progress with her paperwork. In the afternoon, volunteers from Hands-On Tokyo, a community-based NPO, are coming to help prepare packages: boxes of canned food, juices, and assorted dried goods.
Yusuke will spearhead deliveries in Tokyo.
The staff fills me in as they work. Tokyo TV’s March feature on 2HJ has created a buzz that has stretched the organization to respond to the many new opportunities. “Our first priority is building a relationship,” Charles imparts, “not just getting donations.”
A glamorous, late morning
The photographer from AERA is early. Camera ready, he clicks away.
Etsuko, a freelance writer, is in the neighborhood. She’s a volunteer who’s writing a book on food banking and 2HJ. She checks out the proofs for a new 2HJ brochure.
David is back from Costco. We pile outside to witness Charles posing with the freshly arrived sweets. The photographer coaxes Yusuke into the frame to capture their sincere smiles.
As Charles leaves, Yusuke and David stock the van for afternoon delivery. Inside, Etsuko and Michelle confer. Lunchtime!
Afternoon delivery with Yusuke and David
Yusuke checks the GPS. David rides shotgun. I’m in the back with the goodies. David is learning the route from Akihabara to a women’s shelter 2HJ visits twice a month to deliver food.
In addition to coordinating deliveries, Yusuke works on building 2HJ’s relationship with existing and potential Japanese donors. He says he learned “good goals for [2HJ’s] future” from food banking seminars in the US and media training in Japan (an in-kind donation from Gavin Anderson & Co., a public relations consulting firm).
We arrive and cheerful ladies come out to help unload bread, packs of soup, meat/pasta sauce, and juice. They squeal with delight over the mouth-watering cupcakes and cookies.
The van is half empty in the afternoon traffic back to HQ.
Back at HQ
Charles is still out delivering food to the orphanages. The care packages are good to go. David is organizing the warehouse and listening to music. He admits that working with 2HJ “is a nice pace after seven years of corporate Japan.”
It’s getting late so I thank the staff and promise to help serve food at Ueno Park. I hear the potato salad is famous: it hits the spot.
Photos and story by Damion Mannings
Link to News story »Monday, July 02, 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
Thursday, June 28, 2007
2HJ participates in supporter Nu Skin Japan’s Force for Good Day
On June 13, Second Harvest Japan Executive Director Charles McJilton and Resource Coordinator Yusuke Wada participated in an event called the “Force for Good Day,” held by one of our major financial supporters, Nu Skin Japan. Most of our supporter companies seek not only to contribute funds, but to get their entire organizations involved through social awareness raising and volunteering. The two 2HJ staff members gave presentations to Nu Skin Japan distributors and employees throughout the day, focusing on 2HJ’s daily operations. The presentations were met with enthusiastic questions and received a positive reception. 2HJ gladly visits companies, schools, and other organizations to give presentations on food banking.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
We’re hiring!
Second Harvest Japan is recruiting! Please see details in Japanese.
Link to News story »Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Harvest News: Spring 2007 Issue
Harvest News, Second Harvest Japan’s newsletter, contains stories and information related to 2HJ and food banking in Japan. Download this color version to share with friends, family, and coworkers!
Contents for the 2007 spring issue include:
-5th anniversary message from Executive Director
-Sponsor focus on Nu Skin Japan
-Food donor/volunteer focus on food drives
-Pointers for running a food drive
Click to view Harvest News 2007 Spring [PDF: 330 KB]
Link to News story »RSS
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