"Service Above Self," and Other Good Things Happening in Dunwoody

So I'm returning library books one Saturday morning recently--that one that was so warm after weeks of cold--and I see a group of people working away in the little island across the street on Chamblee Dunwoody by the library. I go over and get to talking and it's Mimi Bounds (pictured), Fred Bounds and other members of the Dunwoody Rotary Club. They've adopted this little piece of the world, as part of the Keep Dekalb Beautiful program, and were fixing it up for the season ahead.

For those who don't know (like me), here's what the Rotary Club of Dunwoody is all about:

Dunwoody Rotary Club Mission

To support the members in fulfilling the Object of Rotary by:

* Fostering friendship among members, partners, communities we serve

* Strengthening and expanding our impact locally and internationally

* Communicating the work of Rotary

* Providing a structure, process and opportunity to maximize value to members and continuity of club impact.

Rotary International is the world's first service club organization. Its more than 1.2 million members volunteer their time and talent to further the Rotary motto, Service Above Self. The Dunwoody Rotary Club has a rich tradition of service - in the metro Atlanta area, our schools and around the world. Fred told me that the club is currently holding a coat drive for the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children. As you are "spring cleaning," please consider passing on coats that no longer fit by dropping them in the bin at Alice Cleaners, right here in Dunwoody Village. Fifty coats have already been donated.

Just a few days later, when I was visiting St. Patrick's Church with the board of the farmers market to determine if that site would work for the relocation of the market this year due to construction planned at Spruill (see here for the farmers market update), I got to talking with Wendy Lauber, the outreach coordinator there, about the food bank the church hosts each week. Who knew? Not me, and I've lived in Dunwoody for 13 years.

Turns out that the food bank, called Malachi’s Storehouse, has been feeding area families for nearly 20 years now. On each Wednesday afternoon from 3:30-5:30 the doors of the parish hall open and upwards of 70 families are served staples, meat, dairy, canned goods and produce. Thanksgiving and Christmas are traditionally very large events which include giving hams, turkeys and holiday trimmings. Also at Christmas, the Sunday School hall becomes a “store” for parents in need of presents for their children. Parents choose gifts which are then freshly wrapped by parishioners. Christmas 2008 saw 230 families served.

Malachi’s Storehouse is funded by the generosity of the parishioners of St. Patrick’s. St. Patrick’s purchases food with those funds at a greatly reduced rate from the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Opportunities to contribute are plenty and growing. You can volunteer on Wednesdays to serve, give money directly to Malachi’s, and transport groceries from the Atlanta Community food bank to Malachi’s. We are also discussing the possibility of setting up a way to give to Malachi's if the farmers market is located there.

* The farmers are talking about donating excess produce at the end of the market hours (which would be at noon).

* If we arrange CSA drops with additional farms (such as Riverview Farms and/or TaylOrganics), boxes that aren't picked up could be donated.

* Market customers could contribute produce purchases as well (or money toward food).

* There is also a program called Plant a Row for the Hungry, where home gardeners grow a portion of their garden specifically for food bank donations. In Atlanta alone, gardeners donated almost 49,000 pounds of fresh garden produce in 2008.

Here are some photos of Malachi's Storehouse in action:














Do you know of more great things happening regarding social sustainability right here in Dunwoody? Please post a comment or email me at freshbakedcopy@mindspring.com. One of the greatest joys I'm experiencing as a result of this local sustainability involvement is getting to know the place I call home so much better--and being continually shocked at all the good things that are going on here about which I had no idea.