Directly in front of my desk sits the HR Department’s coffee station. On most days I bask in my good fortune. My mug is always full, and I get to enjoy that coffee-house aroma while sitting in the office. Put some smooth jazz on my iPod, and I have the full effect. This must be some sort of reward for stellar performance, right? And then comes…snack time.
The coffee station is also the communal snack zone. A box of donuts from a generous manager, leftover bagels from a morning meeting, home-baked goodies from a colleague’s kitchen, a basket of cookies from a grateful vendor. All of this taunts me, right under my nose. You may remember that I listed among my New Year’s Resolutions that I would resist the office snack table. I hate to admit that I have failed spectacularly.
Here at C&S Wholesale Grocers, we are an important piece of the grocery supply chain. We bring food into communities, into the stores and into the food pantries. We supply this basic necessity to our neighbors. In a previous life I recruited hourly staff for a Frito-Lay manufacturing facility. I was surrounded by food on a daily basis, and we were always the most popular table at job fairs because we brought snacks to share.
Do we focus on food because we are in the food industry? Is this why we equate food with caring and community? This is a theory that is mentioned in our office on a regular basis, but this is clearly not the answer. We live in a food culture, a culture that places values on food that have nothing to do with nutrition.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a talented “food family.” I can’t think of a single relative who cannot produce a fabulous meal. Meals are always a family event, all social get-togethers include a carefully crafted menu (no chips and dip in this house), and the presentation shows the amount of care that has gone into the preparation. My mother learned from her mother that good company deserves good food and that flowers on the table make even the most simple weeknight dinner into an important time to come together as a family. And to this day, I cannot walk into my grandmother’s house without hearing “Are you hungry? Let me fix you something.” Through all of this I learned that preparing and sharing a meal with loved ones does more than satisfy a physical need.
In an effort to care for those in our communities, C&S Wholesale Grocers continues to put great focus on eliminating hunger. Through extensive donations and volunteerism, C&S and its employees work side-by-side with Feeding America, Share Our Strength and the Congressional Hunger Center, as well as numerous local food pantries and kitchens. In a time when 37 million Americans are relying heavily on these organizations, these efforts are a vital priority. Organizations such as the Community Kitchen in Keene offer a place for a family to sit together to share a meal. Alleviating food insecurity (not knowing where one’s next meal will come from) does more than fill an empty stomach. Therefore, the meals donated not only provide nourishment; they provide a sense of emotional security and connection to one’s community. This is how we care for our neighbors.
To learn more about our Community Involvement, visit http://community.cswg.com.
