加州诺瓦托——他们每周为马林县（加州）多达1500户家庭提供食物。他们不收取任何费用，自己也不领取任何报酬。这些人是谁？他们为什么要这样做？
他们是两位社区长者，露丝·施瓦茨和她的丈夫科特·金凯德，他们由大约100名志愿者组成的团队支持。他们这样做是因为科特“从人们前来领取他分发的食物时脸上洋溢的喜悦中汲取力量”。露丝补充说：“如果我们（露丝和科特）一起做一些面向世界、做出贡献的事情，这对我们关系的维系至关重要。”
“尊重长者”组织成立于2005年，当时居住在政府补贴住房社区的科特和露丝夫妇注意到，一些邻居吃不饱饭。这对夫妇决定为此做些什么。事情就这样一步步发展起来，很快，一个欣欣向荣的组织就此诞生，每周七天，每天数次，为需要帮助的人提供食物的取送服务。
通常，第一步是联系食品市场、咖啡馆或餐饮公司，主动提出上门收取他们剩余的、即将过期的食品。这些食品种类繁多，从海苔卷、肋眼牛排到新鲜蔬果、精选面包和精致沙拉，应有尽有。一旦建立起合作关系，志愿者们就会定期上门取货，并在不到一小时内将食品送到县里的低收入老年人社区。
食物领取者负责布置和清理分发区域。没有志愿者进行物资配给；食物本着诚实和合作的精神，由所有人共享。“尊重长者”项目通过促进社区建设，将人们聚集在一起。“很多老年人都有孤立自己的倾向，”露丝说道。在这个项目中，领取者和志愿者之间没有隔阂。志愿者司机和助手也是领取者。各个地点的所有食物领取者共同负责确保分发过程顺利进行。
此外，通过“周六早晨食品袋计划”，志愿者们每周都会为县里所有需要帮助的人准备并送去一袋食物。这对夫妇经常听到这样的故事：受助者们因为收到了免费食物，每个月都能更轻松地支付房租，或者和朋友们一起享受一些特别的时光。“我们发现，”露丝解释说，“人们的生活正在从匮乏和勉强维持转向富足和繁荣，这里的繁荣指的是你拥有足够的资源去帮助和照顾他人。”
行动建议：
请联系 Ruth 和 Curt ，表达您的感激之情和/或提供帮助。一些参与活动的大型食品商店最近已退出。
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I read about your organization this morning & tweeted it out to everyone I know...please let me know how else a person who isn't able to physically volunteer at this time(I'm very close to finishing school, raising a family and working too)can help. I'm very grateful for organizations like yours as if it wasn't for meals on wheels - my grandma would have been in a similar situation many years ago. Blessings to you...
its nice to know about this activity...since I am also attached to Rotary International I like and support such activity. You may contact your local Rotary authorities which may channelize your efforts....'service above self'..that's motto of Rotary International.
Pushpa Dayalani
Ruth & Curt:
Thank you for what you are doing. Not sure why stores would withdraw, but maybe they have "Rules" that don't include taking care of people when they need it. Go figure. Continue your work and I'll help spread your story.
Thank you so much for running this article from Positive News. I woke up this morning to over 30 emails (and they are still coming!) with wonderful comments. If anyone wants to find out more about us, you can go to http://www.respectingoureld....
Hello Ruth and Curt!
I just wanted to take the time to say "Thank You" I think what the two of you are doing is OUTSTANDING! We all need to learn to -including myself- do better when it comes to helping others. I am currently living in a shelter in NYC for the first time in my life and the way the staff treats the clients is ridiculous. They show the clients no respect whatsoever. This experience in the shelter has opened my eyes to do more in any community that I live in and I will........Once again thanks for all that you do!