492,000 people, on average, are served yearly by the Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank that originated in 1981 (“Serving Local”). On December 19th, 2015 The Arc Board of Muskegon sponsored a Food Truck that would take place in Downtown Muskegon at the Parmenter O'Toole Building. Having a food truck allows people in need to get what they need to survive. This also allows people in the community to volunteer their time to serve people. My mom and I arrived downtown. We signed up to volunteer and then waited to be told what to do. The event was not very organized and it was not easy to identify a leader. While we were standing around waiting to be told what we needed to do, I was observing my surroundings. I noticed multiple groups of …show more content…
We were told that 98 people had signed up to receive food. We calculated the number of Gatorade's we had and then divided that evenly. We ended up giving each person 16 gatorades. We had to take the gatorade out of the packaging and put them into plastic meijer bags. On this day, there were many volunteers, more than normal we were told. So, we set up an assembly line type organization to have the highest efficiency possible. Once that job was finished, we moved onto the potatoes. The potatoes were packaged already so we just needed to take them off the truck and place them on the table to people to pick …show more content…
My family is blessed with many things most of these people I served will never have. We have the luxury of going to Meijer on a weekly basis and buying everything we need and want. I, along with most people, take these things for granted until you attend an event like this. When I choose this event, I was thinking it would be rewarding to serve these people, especially around the holidays. I have volunteered for a few other organizations similar to this including Catholic Charities, breakfasts sponsored by Churches, and Kids Food Basket. I realized that all of these organizations provide food to families in need. At Catholic Charities we made baskets for Thanksgiving Dinner. I never met the people or saw them receive their baskets which is what differentiates this from the food truck. At the food truck, I was able to see the people directly. Of course, at the breakfasts I was able to see the people directly as well. I walked around pouring drinks for all the people. Kids Food Basket is similar to the Catholic Charities, in the sense that I did not see the Kids directly. I packaged the dinners that would be handed out to Kids in need the next day day at school in our own Muskegon
Kawartha Food Share distributes meals, and emergency care needs to over 7,000 people every month. The food share has continuingly been supportive to the needy for 15 years. While this is the case, the City and Country of Peterborough and its 37 member agencies served 6.5 million dollars worth of food over the years! Kawartha Food Share is 15000 sq. foot warehouse and is rented, so even being a non-profit organization, has to pay rent. This ranges from four city food banks, six housing projects, four meal programs, etc.
Locally, Feeding the Valley Food Bank is preparing for their grass roots movement, Empty Bowl to help feed the hungry. Kids locally are being effected by hunger and lack of funds, so the day is a wonderful opportunity to eat all you can for a great deal. The benefits for Empty Bowl will go towards the food bank and their
The food bank specifically serves residents of the central and northeast Missouri counties who qualify for food assistance based on low income and additional factors. Those in need are able to receive the food that the food bank distributes through partner non-for-profit agencies. The food bank is located on Vandiver Drive in C...
The hope food pantry in Chicago consisted of a lot of preparation. we have to make sure we have enough food on what they thought how many people on average was going to show up. We had to bag the food.
This past summer, I acquired an internship at Baldwin and Lyons, an insurance company in Indianapolis. Every Wednesday during my internship, a couple of employees and I would participate in a prodigious community service project, Meals on Wheels. Throughout the three months that I worked at Baldwin and Lyons, I got acquainted with some of the individuals whom we delivered to. These inspiring individuals were so grateful and appreciative that we took time out of our day to volunteer to do such a service. One elderly woman who we delivered to would sing to us as she came to the front door “good meals, good meals, good meals.” She is one woman that I will never forget. First going into this, I was elated knowing I was I getting out of the office for a few hours. I did not comprehend the fulfillment I would receive from delivering meals to the elderly and disabled. But I am pleased and proud of the work that I have done for Meals on Wheels. There is no better feeling than doing something for someone else and seeing such gratitude for something so simple. Acts 20:35 says, “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Peterson). In an effort to revisit and make a difference in my community, I have arranged that over Thanksgiving break, I work Monday through Wednesday delivering for Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana.
The Capital Area Food Bank shares free food as well as information about affordable and healthy eating for families in need ("About Us," 2015). They also connect with families in order to make it easier for them
In 2013 91, 746 food hampers were distributed through the Waterloo region, in a population of 563,000, that means that 16.3% of people in the Waterloo region accessed a food bank at some time in 2013. Having the ability to go to the grocery store is a privilege many Canadians don’t recognize. Even in Canada, may people cannot afford to go to a grocery store every week, many people have to make the decision to have good food for week or pay the rent. Food banks often bring a stigma with the name. Many people say that food banks bring trouble to the communities, that the food banks increase the amount of troubled individuals in the area. Those who use food banks and social programs are just regular people who have fallen on hard times, and just need a little bit of assistance to get back on their feet.
The Organization The organization that I volunteered at was the Carroll County Food Pantry in Carrollton, Kentucky. This operation runs every Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3-5 p.m. for all community members, and on every third Wednesday 9:30 am-12: 30 pm specifically for the elderly. Throughout the week, the pantry gathers numerous volunteers. In fact, every month the local churches of Carroll County will rotate and work the food pantry on assigned days.
From what was just receiving volunteer hours with Rockdale Emergency Relief by graciously assisting with the preparation of 150 sack lunches daily, opened the door of a returned passion. One after another, I was filling multiple brown paper bags with a sandwich, bag of chips, a Capri Sun, and a healthy fruit snack while preparing to make my rounds for delivery to my assigned neighborhoods within Rockdale County. At each stop, I will never forget the innocent face of each child that waited for this delivery. I felt as if I were driving an ice-cream truck as all the children stumbled over one another running out of their homes towards us, Summer Lunch Program volunteers, with joy anticipating their sack lunches. Questions ran through my head wondering how one could be so ecstatic about what I had prepared in each bag. It was not candy, ice-cream, nor toys, but it was proper nourishment to each growing body reaching for their meal. As an important factor to their daily function, I could comprehend by their eagerness how much this delivery meant to each child and their parents or caregivers, and that made my heart melt. More than 500 children depended on this weekly delivery just within Rockdale County. Unfortunately, there are millions of other
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
To celebrate this event and to help the ones in need Canadian office organize fundraising for Oakville`s “Fare Share Food Bank” and encourages it`s employees to contribute to a great cause by supporting the organization and donate food in special boxes, which are available in the lunch room.
• Developing relationships to increase funding. • Tracking pantry needs and inventory. • Receiving/coordinating food deliveries. The increase in clients and service times require more volunteers and larger quantities of food being delivered and at a greater frequency.
I went to the grocery store and got cases of water, bags of bread, and stuff to make the sandwiches. I had finished preparing the bags and each had granola bars, fruit, ham and cheese sandwiches, water, toothpaste, and other hygiene products. My dad and I had arrived outside the homeless shelter and were ready to pass the bags out as we saw the swarm of people. Hundreds maybe even thousands of people gathered sitting in what little shade there was. I knew we had a homeless problem, but not to this extent and the bags I had made were going to make little to no difference on the vast amount of people that had been sitting outside. I was a little disappointed at first to be completely honest because I was not prepared for that many people. If I would have known there would have been so many people I would have made more bags. We drove around the block planning on what we were going to do and saw some tents set up. My dad and I were curious as to what they were, so we got out the car and saw that these people had been giving people food and I walked up to them and asked if there was any way I could help them. These people in the tents were actually an organization called Open Arms Outreach and a few girls scouts. They gladly let us help and we brought a few cases of water and the bags I had made and helped pass them out. The organization Open Arms Outreach
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.
Helping Hands has helped my family in the past. Several years ago my family was struggling with income and Helping Hands was generous enough to help us pay our electric bill. I chose to volunteer at Helping Hands because I wanted to give back to the program. At the time, it seemed like there was little value in sorting piles of toys but then the manager shared with me that many children would be very happy to receive these toys for Christmas. This one comment helped me to put it all into perspective. Volunteering isn’t about me; it is about playing an active in the community. Bringing joy to families who are suffering, giving hope to the hopeless.