The Food Bank in San Antonio, seems to be a very open organization with wanting to helping people. The website has many pictures showing volunteers helping out in every position. It says there are programs, involvement, events and campaigns they do. With just the one look of the website, it made me want to volunteer. This agency has a purpose on wanting to fight hunger and give hope to the people around the community. They don’t just feed adult that are hungry, they feed kids too. While I was looking on the website there was many opportunities to volunteer, such as this place called haven for hope, or at the actually food bank where they grow crops. This organization called The San Antonio Food Bank is something not small with their products. They provide to more than 530 agencies in 16 counties throughout Southwest Texas. This organization gives 62 million pounds of food each year to people. The website talks …show more content…
This was going to be a very new environment for me. I am very new to San Antonio and I knew there wasn’t going to be anyone familiar. As I was walking up to the front desk to ask where I had to check in to volunteer, I saw a classmate from my Art class I had my first semester I had in Northwest Vista College, after that I knew I wasn’t alone and was going to be okay. After I checked in and got situated, a whole bunch of people came in from schools and church communities, there was hardly any individuals volunteering almost all groups. What I had volunteered for was gardening, and to be honest I had no clue on what I was getting into. From where the office of the food bank was to where they grew the crops, it was a very long walk! Nearly 2 miles away towards the back. The workers there gave us equipment such as gloves, but as we were walking towards the field, everybody was excited. I didn’t see anybody being lazy or having that slow walk to where you could tell they didn’t want to be
After volunteering three times with the social action committee and high school group from Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church in the previous years, the Houston Food Bank became very familiar both in regards of their history and how their volunteerism works. The Houston Food Bank is a non-profit organization that seeks donations of non-perishable food items to serve the low-income families in eighteen counties across Texas. However, during a recent trip to the food bank with the University of Houston-Downtown College of Business, the interactions with a larger group of classmates became more dynamic. Three main topics involving group work at the Houston Food Bank are service learning, community service, and volunteerism. Service learning
The lunch bell rung at full volume as the main doors flung open. I predicted that a herd of people will rush in like the water from a spill gate. But instead every person was a line; in fact it was a neat single filed line. Another thing I was astonished to see was to the fact that every single person I served to was superbly well mannered. It was the magical word of thank-you which left great remarks in my life and made my volunteering experience an enjoyable one. After the shift, I have come to realize that everything my family and friends have said about impoverished people was nothing but just a stereotype. In addition, I have self-discovered that volunteering is what I want to do on my spare time. The joy from making new friends, appreciated and making a difference in society was too meaningful to put in words. From then on, volunteering had become one of my most highly valued priorities. Whenever I have time to spare, I will go
The Guelph Food Bank, is an essential organization in Guelph. The purpose of the food bank is to provide food to the less fortunate. With an unpredictable economy, many people are living paycheque to paycheque, trying to survive on little income. Due to the high costs of rent, not all people are able to purchase groceries and rely on the food bank to provide them with the essentials. The Guelph food bank also serves people who are unemployed as well as people who are living with illnesses. Welfare cheques simply do not provide enough to cover all the expenses that an average person has to deal with. Therefore, the Guelph foodbank’s mission is to not only provide food to the unemployed but to also help people who do not have enough money to purchase food. It not only wants to help people short term, but its goal to help people in the long term by helping them become independent of organizations.
According to the “Hunger and Poverty Fact Sheet” on Feeding America’s website, in 2014 there were over 48 million Americans living in food insecure households, which included 32 million adults and 15 million children. For over 35 years, Feeding America continues to be in the forefront in solving this crisis by providing food to people in need through a nationwide network of food banks. In the late 1960s, Van Hengel established the nation’s first food bank and years later established the first national organization of food banks, Second Harvest. Second Harvest was later called America’s Second Harvest the Nation’s Food Bank Network and in 2008, the national organization changed its name to Feeding America.
The vision of the food bank is “sharing food and bringing hope.” The goal of the food bank is to provide food for as many people in need as they can. On top of that, they would also like to end hunger problems as a whole. The central food bank is able to produce twelve meals for one dollar. They also do not charge agencies for the food they distribute. Last year they were able to distribute more than twenty eight million pounds of food in the central Missouri area. The food bank relies on various partnerships and volunteers to be able to produce and distribute as much food as they do. That is their mission, to bring together people in the community in order to feed those in need.
Volunteering at the food bank was an interesting experience. While I was working, I did have time to reflect on the things I was seeing. There were lots of observations to be made. The first thing that caught my eye was the type of people that were volunteering with us. While there was a both men and women helping.
I also recently volunteered at the Cleveland Food Bank by packing lunches for under privileged children and sorting non-perishable foods for those in need. Prior to participating in volunteer services for the day, we were required to watch a video that explains the purpose of the Cleveland Food Bank and why there is a need for continuous support. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank works to ensure that everyone in our communities has the nutritious food they need every day. The mission of the Cleveland Food Bank is to alleviate hunger by providing food and support to community organizations that feed the hungry. Many people depend on the support because of their financial situation, life changes, and possible mental or physical limitations. The Food Bank acts as a storage unit and distribution facility for smaller agencies and organizations such as schools, homeless shelters, churches, and day
In our learning through service class, our group project was to help a local food bank at Milford. The group was divided up depending on the amount of assistance that other people at the food bank need. I observed many things at the food bank which corresponds with the film “A Place at the Table”. In the film, I noticed that social programs or charities volunteers are rather lacking, there were not a lot of volunteers. At the food bank, there were quite a handful, but not enough to keep with the influx of work the food bank needs to finish for the day. I know that working at the food bank is quite gloom and happy, the prior knowledge I use to choose the community address that I think should be addressed the most is based on the coverage of
In efforts to eliminate hunger in the Austin Community, Hope Church operates a food pantry that provides food and supplies to local residents within the 60651 and 60644 postal zip codes. The Pantry is operated by a friendly volunteer staff who’s there to be a blessing to others! The hope food pantry is a non-profit organization which distributes food to a variety of community agencies which serve the people in need. Last year alone, over 1 million pounds of food was distributed throughout our community. The hope food pantry also host special events to raise money and food for our community. For every dollar raised, the food pantry can provide ten meals to the needy.
Feeding America is a nonprofit organization based in the Unites States whose goal is to take on the hunger crisis in America. Their beginnings start in the 1960s by a man named John van Hengel. Being retired, he spent his time volunteering at a soup kitchen. He met a woman who would go through the garbage bins behind the grocery stores. She mentioned to him that she wished there was a place where food that is going to be thrown out but still good, can be sent so people like her could have access to. This was the beginnings to Van Hengels idea for a food bank was born.
In this world there are many different types of challenges faced but individuals in different countries, as people work together to find a way to stop or solve these challenges there are also some challenges or situations that individuals, even as a group, cannot eliminate. The race to reach conclusions of situations is very desirable and is being worked on very efficiently, but one issue that people have mistaken into accomplishing is hunger. Hungry is present everywhere and not a lot of people can satisfy or fulfil that need. Lack of sanitation, unemployment, and unhealthy diet choices these are involved in an imaginary line called the poverty line. The idea of food banks is a good start into eliminating hungry but the process still has a
In order to fulfill the 12 hours of community service requirement for Nutrition course 139 I applied with five organizations on the approved list. The organization that replied me the fastest was Open Heart Kitchen, they mostly operate in Pleasanton and Livermore areas. Their application and signing up for shift process gives a feeling that this organization is massive, and many individuals really care about the less fortunate. From observation and conversations with the site supervisor, I believe this organization relies on individual donations, small business donations and large corporate donations such as Safeway and Walmart. This organization also relies on volunteers to work every day, they get workers from students fulfilling their hours and resume, individuals fulfilling court orders, and those that just want to help the less fortunate.
I think this entire experience has been amazing and everyone should volunteer at least once in their life. It might even change their major! I had already planned on working with my community, specifically in the behavioral/mental health area, so this experience just opened my eyes to how much of a difference I can make by such simple gestures. This class was a way for me to get out of my comfort zone and now I will continue to volunteering even after this class ends. I will be moving to Lexington soon and will find even more volunteer opportunities there! I realize that each community has needs as should everyone else, volunteering can really open your eyes to
I also had the privilege of helping with the Meals on Wheels non profit organization. My grandfather used to be a Meals on Wheels recipient and he would share with me how he enjoyed looking forward to their company and a hot meal daily. I volunteered because I wanted to give back and help someone else’s loved one in the same way. It was very rewarding delivering hot meals to people who didn’t have the means of getting one as well as being there for them to talk to. Overall, it was a very humbling experience, it made me realize just how blessed I am and how much I take for granted daily.
I volunteered at East Parkside Nursing Home through my church 's mentoring program. At first, I was somewhat uncomfortable volunteering at a nursing home because my great-grandfather, among many others, was mistreated in a nursing home. But, as the day went on and we engaged in activities with the residents, I eventually calmed down and got into the smooth of things. We had one-on-one contact with the seniors, and we learned about their lives and families. One of the seniors was a veteran who fought in the Vietnam War and he told all of the volunteers a few short war stories. For several residents, their families rarely visited them, so they genuinely appreciated the volunteers spending time with them. Later, we made holiday cards and sang Christmas carols for the senior citizens. They seemed so elated and pleased, which made me feel so fulfilled that I could make someone 's day by doing something so