S.P.U.D Patrol...Asheville, North Carolina
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We now have coordinators for a new S.P.U.D. Patrol in Asheville, North Carolina!
Chuck & Annette Hunner at 828-216-1422 or hunner@charter.net
Location in Asheville is Ahope Center, 19 N, Ann Street...we will begin at 11:30 am
Thank you to the Asheville May, June, July 2010 VOLUNTEERS!!
Spud Patrol served spuds to all sorts of Devas in May, June and July, 2010. It's been really hot. But our spuds are still loved! In June, one fellow said, "You're world famous in Asheville! I hoped you'd be here today!" It's nice to be loved.
Here we are in May....
This is Josh, Heather, Annette, and Ryan. Chuck is taking the picture.
No pictures from June, though it was even hotter! We started using the EZ-UP tent to shade us from the Sun.
Annette and I were the only ones able to serve in July. Ryan donated 20 potatoes.
We've been serving 70 to 110 potatoes each time Spudpatrol meets.
Saturday is a big day to feed hungry folks in Asheville. Something about the support of Nature brings out charitable organizations on Saturday around here!
Here we are on July 31st.
We postponed Spud Patrol for a week in July because Bele Chere, the biggest street fair in the southeast USA was held in Asheville then.
It was a real zoo, with lots of food every where. Four separate stages with music are at the cardinal points of downtown.
Plenty of liquor gets sold that weekend.
I have a bunch of friends who have lived here their whole lives.
They tend to schedule their vacations so that they will be out of Asheville on Bele Chere weekend! :-)
But, lots of people...about 350,000 visit and have a good time.
Spud Patrol will meet in Asheville again on August 21st.
Best Regards from the Asheville Spud Patrol!!!
We are looking for many volunteers next month for SPUD Patrol in Asheville - see you there!
The SPUD Count - About 150 potatoes served!
"May all be fed, may all be loved"
The Spud Patrol Mantras: |
November 2009
 Ryan Kurzcak, Annette Hunner, Lori Maerov during a lull in the action. |
 Chuck loads the cooler. I was going to entitle it, Chuck-getting loaded, but that never looked this good! I used a pair of my old welding gloves to handle the 400 degree+ potatoes. |
September 2009
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Some Previous Monthly SPUD Reports:
Thank you to the Asheville November 2009 VOLUNTEERS!! Some of our diners were well insulated, others not. One young guy had on a foot ball jersey and jeans. He was hopping stiffly from one foot to the other. He was very happy to receive his potatoes and ate them with great relish. Later, as I finished packing up to leave when Ahope closed, he came by. He squinted at me, smiled, then said, "You're Him! Thank you again." At around 12:10pm, I drove over to the DSS (Department of Social Services) parking lot south of downtown. A group of people begin serving full meals of grilled chicken, string beans, rolls, and drinks at 11 am each Saturday of the month. They are from some of the Christian Ministries around Asheville. I mentioned our spuds and they invited us to join them. They had 200 people in line last Labor Day! If we set up a little ways away from them, the length of the line will decrease and more spuds will be given out on the street. By the time I got there Saturday, almost everyone was fed. They were talking about packing up and going home. They said that turnout had been sparse because of the snow and wind. I took about 60 still wrapped spudolinos over to ABCCM (Asheville Buncombe County Christian Ministry Veterans Shelter). I leave our 'leftovers' with them including spuds, sour cream, butter, cheddar, and chives. Was it cold in Vancouver?
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Thank you to the Asheville November 2009 VOLUNTEERS!! Great thanks this month go to Kim, Lori Maerov, Ryan Kurzcak, Linda Cammarata (from last month!), Annette, Chuck, Ahope and Frank Walters, Sandi Graham, and Jeffrey Armstrong. I just googled 'ahope asheville'. Guess who is at the top of the listings? SPUDPATROL.COM! That's pretty cool considering we've only handed out potatoes there 3 times. And, strangely enough, Homeward Bound, the agency that sponsors Ahope, is listed below us! How's that for SEO for spudpatrol without mentioning the website of the Spudsters!!! Love, Chuck and Annette
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Thank you to the Asheville September 2009 VOLUNTEERS!! Next month we plan on using the Park! If it's cold then (Oct. 3rd) please remember to clean out your closets and bring a few warm goodies for the DUDS table! Special Thanks to: Frank Walters, Heather, Eric, Smokey, Allen, Robert, Payne, Christy, Dianne, Larry Sexton, Annette, Chuck, Jeffrey Armstrong and Sandi Graham.
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Come and volunteer for these |
"Family Feeding Family" |
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Pleasing Saturn... What did I discover through this practice? I found that my own problems are really insignificant. Sure your life seems tough when you don't have a yardstick to judge it by, but it was a very powerful experience to see the happiness and genuine grattitude from another person, just by giving them a baked potato with butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper. It made me realize the cliche, that its the simple things in life that make all the difference. Many times, as I unwrapped the potatoes and sent them on down the line to be 'dressed up', my eyes started to fill with tears. As the new autumn sun shone down on us, and the air was clear and the pigeons descended on a chunk of potato that fell from a plate, life felt charged. A lot of the work I do for my business deals with helping folks manage miasmic existential issues in their life. And sure I donate blood or money to organizations, but actually getting outside and meeting serving others face to face- it is very powerful. From now on, I think, at least one aspect of the advice I give will be to go give a steaming hot baked potato to a homeless person on a cold day, and maybe even throw in a pair of warm gloves. Maybe you could start a Spud Patrol in your town, or come join ours in Asheville! Do it to help someone with an empty belly. Do it for Saturn. Do it because it makes you feel good. For what ever reason you do it, its always a good thing to help out. Maybe it will rearrange some of your priorities as it did mine. We'll be doing this every Saturday nearest the moon going to full. Contact me if you'd like to learn more and I'll forward you on the organizer of this service. ~ Ryan Kurczak __________________________________________________________ |
Good Karma & Many Blessings,
Chuck & Annette