Janet's "Work"

Bronwyn insists that Janets volunteer job is called "work", and  never fails to mention it without the official "air quotes".  Janet goes three times a week,  Tuesday and Wednesday from 12:30PM - 4PM and Thursday from 7AM - 8:30AM, she goes to the Nutrition Bar, shown below.

The wooden shutter opens up to the common room area.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, Janet makes coffee and tea, replenishes sugar and cream, serves whatever food they have and does dishes.....lots of dishes!  The Nutrition Bar closes and then from 3:30PM-4PM, Janet and whatever other volunteers are there clean up.  The man who opens the Nutrition Bar up the next morning always tells Janet what a great job she does....that's because Janet has "Mommy style" cleaning standards!  Ask any of her children.

This photo is from breakfast this morning.  On the left is Elaine, who started two weeks ago.  On the right, is Brenda(in real life a very attractive person - bad photo)  who started the Breakfast shift at it's inception, with Janet two years ago....this was before Janet had her lobotomy and sadly, didn't know better than to commit to a 7AM arrival anywhere!  At first, the menu varied - porridge, French toast, eggs, etc.  Then budget cuts came hard and fast and now breakfast is usually porridge.  This morning was unusual in that a man who went to First United Church passed away.  Apparently, he had pancakes and sausage for breakfast every day.  In memory of this man, his family purchased this mornings breakfast of his favourite food, plus orange juice.

 On Thursdays, after Janet finishes the breakfast shift, she goes upstairs to the dining room to help make and serve lunch.

These are three of Janet's great volunteer friends.  On the left in green is Doreen.  On the opposite side of the table at top is Mariem and then Katherine.  Janet has been with this shift for three years, and Mariem for two years, and they are the newcomers!  Most of the women have been together for almost 10 years.  Three women are missing from the photo.  Seriously, even though Janet hasn't read the camera instruction booklet, couldn't she have simply asked Doreen to turn around so back of her head wasn't in the photo?

Lunch is, almost always, sandwich and soup.  Depending on the time of the month, they make three to five trays of sandwiches.  Each tray holds 80 sandwiches.  People who come for lunch can have one sandwich and as much soup as they like.  Todays soup was Split Pea with Ham and Bacon.  Janet told Phil it was delicious.

Janets' reward for getting up at 5:45AM on Thursdays and pasting a happy face on for breakfast is lunch out.  Today, they went to sushi.  Janet says she could eat sushi every day, without fail.  She said it was delicious!  Curious about what we doggies are up to?  Just hanging out at home!

This is one of Janets' favourites....tuna with spicy sauce.  Phil normally has them put the sauce on the side, but he forgot today.