I recently had the pleasure of joining Simon on a Saturday home food delivery run. We started the morning bright and early at the CEOC loading dock to pack 50 individual boxes for each recipient. Each box was packed full with a variety of fresh, healthy foods, like mangos, blueberries, oranges, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, meat, bread, UHT milk, and pasta. In the end we estimated that each box weighed about 45 pounds.

Once all the boxes were packed and loaded onto the truck, Simon and I started to maneuver around Cambridge to each recipient’s home. Everyone welcomed us with a smile and knew Simon by name. All of the home delivery recipients are disabled or elderly and are not able to get to the grocery store on their own, so they rely on these deliveries for their month’s supply of food.

After meeting and interacting with several of the recipients, a thought occurred to me that put everything into perspective: Oh, so this is why I woke up early to pack boxes! Of course I had known that from the beginning, but I had not actually experienced it on the ground. I felt a great sense of satisfaction connecting all the work we had put in that morning, and all the work I had been doing in the office, to the individuals who actually benefit from our work. It all suddenly made sense, and I couldn’t wait to deliver the next box.

–Blake