New Bench for the Food Bank - Part 1

I am on the Board of Directors for the local food bank which serves over several counties in our state. I have been on the board for many years now. I lived here for years before I ever knew we had a food bank.

When I was going through my divorce at the beginning, I didn't have an income for awhile and asked the local grocery store if I could buy their out dated salads for a discount. They told me that they gave them to the food bank. I asked if he knew where it was located. I went there and in return for their help, I started to volunteer my time. I was so grateful to have the food they provided that I wished to "give back" to them. If I had just gotten the food and not volunteered, (which is what most people do) I would have missed one of the greatest blessings in my life and my friends and loved one's lives.

Over the years, I have know past directors and new staff, board members and have gotten to know some of the most amazing people I know. They also have gotten to know me. Because I dehydrate fruits and veggies, they will often call me when they have overages and I will dry some and take them back to the staff to enjoy as a snack. Also, I will fill up my car and deliver the food that would spoil if not distributed and drive around the neighborhood giving out fruits, salads etc. Sometimes they will get six palates of grapes (or any fruit, or vegetable) stacked with six cases wide and six cases high. I hate to see food go to waste and I can help others enjoy it at the same time.

Just last week they had cases and cases of apples. I dehydrated 2 cases and gave away all the apples from those two cases.

This week, the food bank will have their "Grand Opening" of the new food bank. The new building is amazing and I have spent the past two days buying furniture and decor items and hanging pictures etc. I have been there from the time I got up into the evening working on things. The opening is this Thursday and there will be government officials from town and the state. I have been working for weeks on a few of the gifts for the out going Chairman of the Board and for the Director who made the new building possible. I am also getting the refreshments and giving out the awards and certificates along with more decorating tomorrow.

I needed to find a bench strong enough for our larger clients and couldn't find one anywhere in town. I went to a second hand store and was blessed to find this solid oak bench. It needed some help so I will post in two parts how I refinished it. I have done this many times with piano benches, benches for our tables and smaller stools and chairs. It is a cheap way to get a new look.

Turn the bench over and take out the screws holding the top on. They are in the little hole you can see drilled in the wood.

Working on the back side of the "seat" part of the bench, use a flat head screwdriver to lift up the staples holding the fabric down to the wood. There is usually a "finish" fabric on the bottom that I will save to put back on when I have recovered the seat with the fabric I want which gives it a "done" look. I will gently pull on the fabric at the same time and sometimes will go under the fabric to get at the under side of the staple. Then, once it is up from the wood, I take needle nose pliers and do a pull/twist action and pull out the sides of the staple.

Once that is done. Take the fabric that you want to use to cover the bench, place it right side down and put the bench lid upside down on it. Cut the fabric big enough to fold it over all the edges of the wood, padding and enough to fold the edge down under so when you staple, it is through double thickness so the fabric won't tear with use.

Once the fabric is cut, (I used fake leather for this one to match the chairs we bought for the foyer) start on the longest edges and fold over the edge just a bit and then staple gun the one edge. Turn the thing all the way around and do the exact opposite side so that you can pull any wrinkles out by making the fabric tight and repeat the same on that side.

I then start in the middle of the sides so that any wrinkles in the fabric will end up on the corners rather that starting on the edge and having wrinkles in the center. Fold and staple both side edges evenly until you do the corners. I do the corners like I would a present corner by folding one inside the other and then pulling the bottom side up. Then staple.

Here is the picture of the finished top. I will post about the bottom of the bench tomorrow and hope to remember to take a picture of it in its new home at the food bank.

I am so grateful to have the food bank and its staff in my life. A few times over the years I have needed their help and they have always been so helpful and I have been impressed with how many people they help right now. Our numbers have increased at each "Pantry" or Food bank in our area.

I am grateful for all the people who donate to the food bank and to all the staff and volunteers who run it. It has not only been a blessing in my life but also in the lives of many I know.