Earl is 73, going blind and living on a fixed income. Next week, we’ll deliver a box of food that will nourish him and provide some peace of mind. That box is being filled today by Jeff and his friend Justin. They needed volunteer community service credits to graduate from high school and came to Food Bank of the Rockies to earn those credits.
Across the warehouse a group of women from a nearby church carefully clean and sort food rescued from local grocery stores. They’re working alongside Ron, a retired postal worker who loves to help regularly in reclamation, doing the heavy lifting because he enjoys the exercise. Some of the food they sort today will feed Stacy and her three small children when they go to a local food pantry because Stacy’s hours were cut back at work and she doesn’t have enough money to purchase food for her family this month.
And in the distribution area of the warehouse, several pairs of co-workers in matching “Make a Difference” t-shirts scurry with clipboards and carts, searching the rows to find needed items on partner agencies’ food orders. The food will help our partner agencies provide food to people in need like Paul, who is recovering from a serious illness and is unable to afford both food and medicine.
Volunteers from all walks of life contributed nearly 132,000 hours of their time last year, helping us get food to the people who need it. This month we celebrate our volunteers and can’t say enough about the difference they make. Volunteers not only help us in our warehouse, they also assist clients at each mobile pantry, meeting our truck to help set up and hand out food. They serve on our board, sharing their knowledge and expertise. They help us with our events. They work in our office. Without them, we’d need to hire at least 63 full-time employees to get the same amount of work done.
One of the best parts of my job is getting to visit with our volunteers. I look forward to walking through the warehouse and talking with them. They brighten my day and they brighten the day of so many hungry people they’ll never meet. They are truly amazing!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all our wonderful volunteers! You are priceless and we are so very grateful for your gifts of time that help us fight hunger and feed hope. We appreciate you!
