
DATE: Monday, September 29, 1997            TAG: 9709290073

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   84 lines

IN FOOD PROGRAM, GIFTS FROM HEART FILL STOMACHS WHILE TOUCHING LIVES, FOODBANK HELPERS SEE THEY, TOO, ARE CHANGED.

One potato, two potato, three potato, four. . .

This is the way some 30 volunteers spent a recent Saturday morning, packing more than 11 tons of the dimpled globes into red net bags.

The potatoes were one of the items in SHARE MID-ATLANTIC's monthly food packages delivered every Saturday. Some 10,000 families in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina pay $14 for a monthly food package, and in return, donate two hours of time to help their communities.

Available to anyone, regardless of income, the food boxes are an 8-year-old project of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.

It was dim and a bit dank in the Foodbank's warehouse, with an earthy smell emanating from the tubers. But the goodwill given off by the volunteers made the cavernous room seem to glow.

While a few of the potato packers were working off hours in return for a low-cost food package, most - like Lauren Gehman, a Norfolk horticulturist - were there because they wanted to reach out to others.

``It's giving back to the community - helping others who can't help themselves,'' she said. ``It makes me feel good.''

The October package included some mouth-watering items: kielbasa, turkey breast, fresh carrots, apples and grapefruit, and gingerbread mix.

One young Norfolk mother, who preferred not to have her name used, said she stretches the SHARE food to feed her family of four for a month.

``It is tremendous,'' she said. The 23-year-old wife also gets WIC supplements and takes advantage of a monthly SHARE package.

To fulfill her volunteer obligation, this woman helps box food packages at her church and baby-sits for neighbors.

Relatively few residents of public housing neighborhoods get SHARE packages, said Loretta Grant, development director for the project. She hopes that more will take advantage of the bargain food when changes in the welfare system go into effect next month. Setting aside money can be an obstacle for the poor, she added.

Juanita Erickson, volunteer coordinator for the project, stressed that people of all income levels can participate. In fact, she said, when more join, the price of the bulk food is reduced, making more food available for less money.

``It's not a handout,'' said Grant. ``You're working for it.''

Dolores Marshall is an Ocean View senior who has encouraged at least 40 other people to sign up for SHARE food during the eight years she's been involved. She can't say enough good about the project. ``The steaks are delicious,'' says Marshall, who packs and delivers the boxes as her volunteer service.

Navy First Class Petty Officer Jeff Albert directed the potato packing as volunteer team captain.

``It's awesome,'' said Albert, taking a break from spud sorting. ``You have to buy a few other things at the store, but it's a good base.''

Albert has brought others into the project, too.

Joan Whitted of Portsmouth was overseeing eight youngsters who were working off community service hours given them by the courts.

``They seem to like to come over here,'' she said. ``Some come back on their own.''

Randy Born, a Norfolk civil engineer, was packaging bulk oatmeal for SHARE's holiday baking package that also costs $14.

``It's always been potatoes, before,'' said the Tidewater Catholic Alumni Club member.

``I'm not going to look at oatmeal again,'' said Nan Watson of Hampton. She is also in the Catholic singles organization.

Born and Watson, assisted by Jim Mack, a 33-year-old aerospace engineer and singles club member from Hampton, had divvied up 4,000 pounds of the cooky ingredient. But they weren't done yet. Nearby, more 50-pound bags of oatmeal lay waiting for them.

The Foodbank, a United Way agency, has launched a capital campaign to fund the purchase and renovation of a building on Tidewater Drive where all of its operations can be consolidated. MEMO: For more information about SHARE or the Foodbank, call

627-6599. To contact United Way, call 629-0500. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

GARY C. KNAPP

Tim White, left, of Norfolk, and Bryant Olsen, 8, of Virginia

Beach, bag potatoes Saturday morning. They were among the volunteers

from various cities who spent several hours dividing large bags of

potatoes for distribution through SHARE MID-ATLANTIC's food program.

The food boxes, available to anyone who helps, are a project of the

Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.