Blog

By Nancy Samp 

There is so much that I am grateful for in my life, all of which makes me a willing volunteer. 

I have always been surrounded by family and friends who helped others whenever there was a need. Growing up, whether it was a school activity, church fundraiser, or a bereavement meal, my parents were there and all six of us children helped at one time or another. My mother continued to help at her church’s bereavement meals until she was 95. They would put a chair in the kitchen for her. She was right there if anyone had a question, especially a question about one of her specialties—making gravy. At that advanced age, she still enjoyed being a volunteer and they appreciated her knowledge. 

Years ago, before I retired, I read about Catholic Charities moving to a larger facility and all the programs they were going to offer. I was really interested in the plan for Health and Nutrition services. As I read about the food pantry, I thought it was a great concept and I was curious about the details. 

At the time, I was still working. When I retired, it seemed like I finally had extra time, and I was eager to fill it volunteering somewhere I could make a meaningful contribution.  

United Way had started “Give 5”, a program to recruit retirees wanting to commit to volunteer work by introducing them to the United Way member agencies, the tremendous services they provide to our community, and their volunteer opportunities. A feature of the program is visiting agencies to observe their operations. One day we visited the Catholic Charities facility. We toured the warehouse, the “grocery store” where food is displayed for the clients to select, and then the checkout counter where food items are scanned and bagged for them to take home. Mark Smith-Vandergriff, Warehouse Manager of the food pantry, explained how food items are assigned a point value. Clients have so many points to spend per month. The program is designed to encourage nutritional food choices. I got to see first-hand the program I read about years ago when Catholic Charities moved to their present location. 

Give 5 got its name because the program encourages people to give at least 5 hours a month at one of the many United Way agencies. The program succeeds at connecting people with particular skills, talents, and interests to the causes that need them. It succeeded with me: I chose to give my hours to Catholic Charities food pantry. Food and nutrition, my professional career, made the food pantry a perfect fit.  

You could draw a straight line from the youngster who, along with her siblings, showed up with her mom and dad to provide some kind of service—frequently, feeding people—to the adult volunteer I am today. I am grateful that my parents instilled service to others in me. Grateful that I am able to serve. Grateful for the opportunity to do such important work supplementing the food needs of so many in our community. Grateful for the many kind and generous fellow volunteers I have met “on the job,” as I stock pantry shelves and sack clients’ food choices at checkout. I see some of the most genuinely appreciative people for the food they receive. Each time I leave my volunteer shift, I know that what I received cannot be quantified. 

For more information about the Catholic Charites Food Pantry visit, https://cccnmo.diojeffcity.org/programs/health-nutrition-services/food-pantry-2/ 

For more information about becoming a volunteer visit, https://cccnmo.diojeffcity.org/volunteer/