Cold Sandwiches on Sunday

An inefficient production line
but the labor was cheap.

We used to make hot meals for the people who showed up at the Fair Oaks Community Center in Redwood City. But coronavirus safety protocols have put a stop to all that.

Now they receive a cold brown-bag lunch, which we, appropriately attired in masks and gloves, placed on the tables and stood back for fear of contagion. Up close and personal bonding between the giver and receiver has been suspended.

Lunch preparation has proven more problematic organizationally than simply having cooks prepare seven lasagnas or chicken casseroles. On Saturday eight assemblers gathered in the schoolyard to stuff each brown bag with one meat-and-cheese and one peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, one package of trail-mix, and one orange or apple.

Step away from the table!

Though the shopping list was thorough, we underestimated the quantities, as the volunteers slathered on the ingredients. All told, three trips were made to Costco, which is actually more efficient than the five separate visits to the hardware store that I average for a home repair project.

The final output was 80 bags, which we took down on Sunday. 40 people were waiting in line at 11:45, and 20 more showed up in the next half hour. The excess bags and bottled water were eagerly snapped up.

We have fewer volunteers and less resources, but we're the lucky ones. The need is greater than ever.