A Short Story About Bury Miś And Cheese⌗

Seemingly, the Bury Miś Foundation is only a typical organization where enthusiastic volunteers attempt to make life of the disadvantaged more enjoyable. Indeed, it provides social interaction and support to people who are in a strong need of the company of others and struggle to develop bonds with society, which is worthy of admiration. However, what does differ the Bury Miś Foundation from other similar organizations is its complexity. It does not mean that Bury Miś is more special because of that. I just want to emphasize my astonishment when I discovered the variety of activities I could undertake and hence an indefinite number of things I could learn. No matter what it exactly is, whether it’s about meeting with my charges, being their counselor or writing articles - all thus is new, exciting and teaches me a lot. I especially appreciate selling cheese - not only is it interesting for me, but also proves the self-sufficiency of the charity and fantastically incorporates into its day-to-day life.

Selling hand-made Kashubian cheese constitutes a vital part of the Bury Miś’s budget. Even though the charity’s food truck (called MiśTruck by combining words miś or bear and truck) visits Poznań once a month (occasionally more frequently, for example before Christmas), it does not fail to boost spreadsheet numbers. For instance, MiśTruck eraned as much as 15,300 zł in November - this is one of the lowest results and I wonder how much was made in December. People are so willing to spend their money owing to not only the lofty goal, but also the delicious taste of cheese along with other products (yes, cheese is not the only option. Foods like pickles, jelly or syrup are available as well).

In search of this tastiness, we need to go back down to its place of origin, that is, the “factory” in Wętwie, Kashubia. There, a cozy building is located and the famous cheese is manufactured. At this point, I’d like to give a huge shout-out to both charges who give all their dedication and volunteers who work hard with the patience of a saint to deliver the favorite products. It is these generous and sincere people that make every slice of cheese and pickle delight us. Moreover, because of their diversity, they provide a superb example of successful coexistence of people from different walks of life working together to achieve a common goal, giving their best 24/7. I’ll always stress this fact.

Admittedly, I may have got overly philosophical. I will switch to a more consumable part, describing my journey through this endeavor.

My Journey⌗

Intro⌗

Stories revolving around “hitting a home run” are marketable. It is easy to fall for hard-luck or inspiring stories because they offer what people secretly seek - a shed of hope of escaping the miserable reality. I don’t deny that many of these stories may be meaningful. Moreover, some undoubtedly do shed light on certain aspects of our life and help us realize our mistakes. However, what constitutes this meaningful essence is critical thinking or the ability to extract the most significant bits. Thoughts and habits presented can be embraced (and sometimes even should be), but to get something out of them, they must be put in context. In other words, factors such as background, environment and culture needs to be taken into consideration, while assessing the value of a story. To give an illustration, Henry Ford was a successful man of sheer will and ambition. Fortunately or not, it is not possible to follow the exact same path he took. The conditions and situation have changed significantly since he was in charge. However, what can be learned from him is self-confidence and persistency.

This story goes to show that much useful knowledge can be acquired, but it requires thinking. With that in mind, I want to share with you my beginnings, my journey with selling cheese. Probably, it is not that interesting, but maybe something important will pop to your mind? Here it is:

The Beginnings⌗

When I started, I didn’t know much about the inner structure of the Bury Miś Foundation. At that moment, I collected merely basic information like the general aim, something about the Bury Miś camp, and I met my first charge - Piotr. The lack of knowledge was natural, but I was gradually getting familiar with more and more details, mainly concerning the camp since it was my goal in joining the organization: to volunteer as a counselor. Nevertheless, it was not until the camp kicked off that I could broaden my understanding of this complicated mechanism of the Bury Miś.

(As a digression, I’d like to add that there is a lot to discuss about the camp itself – actually two of them – but this is not the right place for it. Now I can only share the charity’s newspaper and the article in it I wrote about the camp: p.4 as well as the “outcome” of the second camp on jeseniowaswietnica.buremisie.org.pl)

Being near the headquarters of the organization and among people closely connected with the charity for years, I have experienced an awful lot of tiny, but essential elements that give the charity its unique character. One was cheese: both its taste and trade in it. I have already touched upon the former, however, it is hard to elaborate as this mix of sensations cannot be easily described with words, on paper, without getting into “physical contact.” The latter, on the other hand, is easier to explain and more interesting in the context of this reflection.

Anyway, after the camp, I knew only few things about selling cheese: it is done in MiśTruck and cheeses (different kinds of) vary in their shape, smell and the production process. Furthermore, I didn’t see a role I could take in this project. I had to wait until the end of holidays to find a message on a group chat, asking for help with selling cheese. While reading it, I was talking to a friend of mine, Dawid. As a result of this conversation, we came up with an idea of selling cheese together. We offered out services and the Bury Miś people agreed to introduce both of us to the methodology. A wonderful adventure was now only several kilometers away, in Umultowo.

Process⌗

Even though it was 4 months ago, I still remember the first day pretty well. We had returned home late Saturday before we left at 9 o’clock on Sunday. We spent hour and a half on commuting to this distant Poznań neighborhood, Umultowo. On our arrival, we met the previous cheese group and relieved with them. After some time, another person arrived to instruct us. This person was a friend of mine, a fellow counsellor - Ewa. She described briefly the “machinery”, that is, a cash register and payment terminal and talked a little about the cheese itself and prices. That was all we could do by then. We were in front of a church so until the church service ended, we had nothing to do, but getting to know each other. It was great of course, however, we were asked by an elderly lady to be a bit more quiet - presumably, we were disruptive.

Before the end of the service, I had to go in for the announcements and invite people to buy our cheese. Much as I’m fairly comfortable with giving speeches, I was stressed and had no clue of how to address people there. “They are Catholic, I am an atheist; does that make a difference? Should I mention something specific?” - those were the kind of questions I kept asking myself. It turned out that I said a little, but the priest had to intervene and add a bit or two. Now, I would approach it differently.

What is also worth mentioning from that day is my uselessness. Three people were too many for this work. Dawid and Ewa did everything, while I at best handed the most hard-to-reach cheese from time to time. I didn’t get bored, but I don’t like starring at people working instead of me in general.

It wasn’t the last time I sold cheese. Actually, it has continued up to this day with even more occasions, about which I’ll say more later. The difference, however, is that I have not sold cheese on Sunday since. It is simply more convenient logistically to do it on Saturday. Now, I can move on to some intriguing fragments.

The second time I was in MiśTruck I destroyed both cash register and payment terminal. It wasn’t fatal damage. I just overestimated my force when tearing off receipts. Moreover, I made a great deal of mistakes while typing products on the cash register. Because of that, it was a long process to get done even a single client. However, my advantage was my height, specifically the length of my arms. Unlike other sellers, I am able to get cheese that is tucked far away in fridges.

Later, in winter, it was freezing cold. What’s more, power was turned off at 2 p.m. Perfect conditions for working outside, I would say. On the other hand, I was significantly nimbler with the cash register. It helped save my hands from frosty weather and hide in warm gloves. It was particularly important when I was in Skórzewo, during an additional shift before Christmas.

School Charity Fair⌗

Road⌗

The reason I have mentioned the shift in Skórzewo is partially because I want to smoothly switch to another topic which is the School Charity Fair. I think that a good starting point is to explain the road that led to this event since the process is at least as interesting as its result. However, this blog post/reflection is already a bit too long. Because of that, I will create quick and comprehensive bullet points to nicely summarize the steps that set the foundation for this cheesy enterprise.

To enhance your understanding, follow closely what’s written below 😜:

1. I went on a school trip to Warsaw with second graders
2. I talked to the Vice-principal and my math teacher about my volunteer work
3. I mentioned selling cheese
4. The Vice-principal proposed that school commons purchase some cheese
5. After the trip, I visited the Principal
6. He agreed to my proposal and suggested selling cheese during Nativity plays
7. I made a call to Bury Miś to discuss possibilities
8. After working in MiśTruck, I collected cheese samples for the school
9. I brought the cheese samples for school cooks to test
10. Unfortunately, the price was too high so the school didn’t become a trading partner
11. I paid the principal a second visit regarding the School Charity Fair
12. Although reluctantly, he finally agreed
13. I contacted Mrs. Martyna, the elementary school charity coordinator
14. I asked the school cooks for permission to leave cheese at school
15. In Skórzewo, I picked up a document allowing me to sell cheese at school
16. On December 19th, I received all products I would be selling
17. At 4 p.m. the same day, I set up my booth for the first time

I hope you didn’t get lost! It was quite intensive. I’d be glad if I could make it shorter, but I can’t. There’s so much important information out there! Maybe after receiving feedback, I will cut down some of it. Anyway, let’s go back to the main story.

Three Days⌗

I believe I’ve introduced the road in sufficient detail, so that you have a big (in this case huge) picture of the planning part. The second part will be more descriptive. I’ll cover each of the three days I sold the cheese and the rest of foods.

The first day was an introductory day, both for me and parents. I was curious how it would be. I set up the booth right after I had finished my English lessons at 4 p.m. I wasn’t alone because fellas from the primary school where there as well, raising money for people in urgent medical need. The downside of this jam was that we all got to fit in a tiny hall shoulder to shoulder. However, this “inconvenience” didn’t last long as they packed their stuff half past four. From that moment on, it was only me and cheese 😋. Unfortunately, I didn’t sell much, especially considering how much I would sell in two following days. Besides, I couldn’t stay until all people left after the last performance since I had a train to catch (Extended Essay topics urged me on).

The second day was more up-and-coming, even though I started later. From the very first moment, I knew it would go much better. I had just started and I already sold something. Moreover, the good thing was that people were paying more than they should to increase the charity’s budget. It was great! Furthermore, I waited for people from the last show. Although not immediately, it paid off because I sold a lot. The price, however, was waiting longer for the later train.

The last day was the longest one. I finished school earlier than previously so I could even catch parents from the first performances. Furthermore, I was able to get rid of art works, thanks to younger kids who were extremely interested in buying such pretty things. If the second day was great, I don’t know how to describe the third one. It was a brilliant summary of all these long days, even though I did not stay that long.

Finally, I can talk a bit about how the fair went overall. It proved to be quite successful. I sold almost everything I had, earning more than 1,000 zł. It is hard to estimate the exact sum because people were giving additional money for the foundation. Nevertheless, I think that even that sum is quite fine.

Summing The Whole Thing up⌗

Uff… That was tough, but we’re there, eventually! Funny thing though is that there’s not much to add. I have been mentioning my thoughts on this matter throughout the article. Admittedly, I might add some details, nuances or whatever. However, it makes no sense to dive deeper. I’ve already shelled you with a lot of facts. Now I can just say that I’m happy and proud of what I’m doing. It is always a kind of fulfillment when you can acquire such useful skills and conduct engaging “experiments” with them. I see a prospect of repeating such initiatives, and enterprises in the future and I’m looking forward to undertaking them.

At the very end, I’d like to wish everyone reading now happy New Year. If you were so persistent to survive up to this moment, you don’t have to worry because no matter what will happen, what obstacles you may encounter, you’ll always find a way out. Thanks for your precious attention!

Learning outcomes:⌗

• LO 1 Strength and Growth
• LO 2 Challenge and Skills
• LO 3 Initiative and Planning
• LO 4 Commitment and Perseverance
• LO 5 Collaborative Skills
• LO 6 Global Engagement
• LO 7 Ethics of Choices and Actions