Volunteers Make the Food Bank Go Round
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Updated: December 7, 2010
4 the Greater Good is nearing the final stretch of this year's food drive.There's two ways to donate, with money or buy dropping off food. It all goes to the Arkansas Food Bank. KARK 4's Bakari Savage has a look at the other side of this process,
the volunteers that make things work behind the scenes for the Greater Good.
People do care about the Greater Good and are doing their part. But there are vounteers that make sure your donations are getting to the mouths that need it most.They say that if you have any questions about where your contribution is going or even if it's necessary, just go to one of the food pantry locations to see the faces lining up for the help.
"It's not really giving up my time. I'm spending my time," says Food Bank volunteer Claude Ruiz. Volunteer Sue Davis adds, "To see a little kid go through the bags and say, 'Mama, mama, look at my ceraeal, my kind of cereal." While Charles Saunders explains, "I just want to make a difference."
These are just a few of the volunteers that donated 11,000 hours to the Food Bank's mission last year, which reads, "Because no one should have to go hungry." Food Bank development coordinator Kisha Bumpers says, "We couldn't do this without our volunteers."
The food bank had help from 1,300 volunteers in 2009. One of them is college senior Faren Ready Hale. She says volunteering has changed her life.Faren explains, "When I go out to eat now, I make sure I order just enough food that I know I'm going to eat. I have a problem with being wasteful now."
Faren describes spending time at the food bank as eye-opening. The UALR student says lack of exposure growing up and the comfortable surroundings of college life can be misleading, "I had no idea how big an issue hunger is in Arkansas, right here in my own back yard." This reason is what Food Bank development coordinator Kisha Bumpers says is why they don't have more of the much needed volunteers. "The biggest excuse is because we didn't know about you," says Bumpers
But for volunteer Sue Davis, knowing is just enough motivation to keep her going. Davis says, "When we get tired, we sit down. Sometimes, we wonder, just why are we doing this. Oh yeah, they're depending on us."
The need for the Food Bank is not going away anytime soon. In fact, the goal is to double community outreach in the next five years. To do that, they need $1 million from the public. It starts here. Stop by your local Kroger and do your part 4 the Greater Good.
the volunteers that make things work behind the scenes for the Greater Good.
People do care about the Greater Good and are doing their part. But there are vounteers that make sure your donations are getting to the mouths that need it most.They say that if you have any questions about where your contribution is going or even if it's necessary, just go to one of the food pantry locations to see the faces lining up for the help.
"It's not really giving up my time. I'm spending my time," says Food Bank volunteer Claude Ruiz. Volunteer Sue Davis adds, "To see a little kid go through the bags and say, 'Mama, mama, look at my ceraeal, my kind of cereal." While Charles Saunders explains, "I just want to make a difference."
These are just a few of the volunteers that donated 11,000 hours to the Food Bank's mission last year, which reads, "Because no one should have to go hungry." Food Bank development coordinator Kisha Bumpers says, "We couldn't do this without our volunteers."
The food bank had help from 1,300 volunteers in 2009. One of them is college senior Faren Ready Hale. She says volunteering has changed her life.Faren explains, "When I go out to eat now, I make sure I order just enough food that I know I'm going to eat. I have a problem with being wasteful now."
Faren describes spending time at the food bank as eye-opening. The UALR student says lack of exposure growing up and the comfortable surroundings of college life can be misleading, "I had no idea how big an issue hunger is in Arkansas, right here in my own back yard." This reason is what Food Bank development coordinator Kisha Bumpers says is why they don't have more of the much needed volunteers. "The biggest excuse is because we didn't know about you," says Bumpers
But for volunteer Sue Davis, knowing is just enough motivation to keep her going. Davis says, "When we get tired, we sit down. Sometimes, we wonder, just why are we doing this. Oh yeah, they're depending on us."
The need for the Food Bank is not going away anytime soon. In fact, the goal is to double community outreach in the next five years. To do that, they need $1 million from the public. It starts here. Stop by your local Kroger and do your part 4 the Greater Good.
