Where did you get that food?

I live for unexpected calls. You know, the kind that not just break up the monotony of your day*, but also leave you in awe of how God orchestrates the ordinary times.

(*On the contrary, one would not describe summer days around here as monotonous, though the atypical-ness can become "normal" in its own respect.)

So, when Glenn, the director of the Grundy County Food Bank, called this summer to tell me that he wanted to share food from Bonnaroo*, I was immediately curious. "Food, from Bonnaroo?" Festival organizers were looking for a way to reclaim the left over food that was professionally prepared and served backstage for performers. Basically, the good stuff!

(*We actually warn our churches who come around Bonnaroo time about the traffic jams and unavailability of rental vans. Talk about crazy: they're not kidding when reports go out that the city of Manchester quadruples during Bonnaroo.)

Here is a short video that focuses on Bonnaroo's sustainability projects, including the food that they donated to Grundy County Food Bank. WARNING: there is a dirty word at 0:48, but it doesn't detract from the overall effect!

Most of the food donated from Bonnaroo ended up going to the homes of individual families in Grundy County, families that the food bank works with on a regular basis. I know people who appreciate the donated jar of peanut butter and loaf of bread. Just think how extravagant a prepared dinner of food like you'd get at a nice restaurant would be, especially when you aren't expecting it? Over 40% of children in Grundy County are "food insecure", meaning at times they don't have access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle. 6 of the 7 counties in our service area have moderately high food insecurity rates.

For as much as they throw a kink into our summer logistics, I have to applaud Bonnaroo organizers for re-purposing their resources. For some of us, it's a good meal not gone to waste, for others it's something extraordinary.