Warehouse Food Delivery - 7/13/13

by John Aldrich

As a sign of progression in the cycle of events that characterize the year at ANE, the food for the fall food runs was delivered to the warehouse yesterday. Again, C.J. Robb coordinated the purchase at Walmart and Boyd Mitchell drove the big truck that was able to get everything to the warehouse in two trips instead of the usual three.

A small but stalwart group of volunteers turned out to help unload the truck, move the pallets, and stack the cases of food around the periphery of the warehouse. This photo, taken towards the end of the morning after most of the food was stacked in place, shows the group.

Oscar Merz, Sam Aloia, C.J. Robb, John Vickery, Rodger Williams, Jake, Jason Robb, Autumn Johnson, and Leroy Arellano were somehow still able to smile after moving tons of goods.

Here is Boyd with the truck which this time was an open bed hauler with what seemed like a bit more square footage than the enclosed trucks we are used to. Also seen here is Jake who is Sam's nephew.

Sam was the master of the pallet jack most of the morning. Responding to "Coach", he was constantly busy unloading and moving the pallets about the warehouse.

Sam is an assistant coach with the Granger High School football team. In the spring he brought a number of his fit charges to the warehouse which made the morning sail along for us older folks. Unfortunately, this time his players were already committed to help at a different volunteer event.

Nevertheless we did have three energetic young people to help with the lifting.

Jason is C.J.'s brother, Jake is Sam's nephew, and Autumn is a student at the Waterford School who has been a regular volunteer at the warehouse this summer. It would have been a much longer morning without these three.

I'd like to add a special tribute to Leroy who always seems to show up when help is needed the most.

Leroy often takes part in the food run to Sanders-Big Mountain-Teesto where he is known to an adoring and clamorous collection of Navajo youngsters as Magic Man.

And also deserving special recognition is our steady and dependable warehouse manager, C.J. Robb.