Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank Volunteers, A Diverse Community Ready to Help
Month of Gratitude, Day 17: Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank Volunteers, A Diverse Community Ready to Help
The Pike Market Food Bank welcomes over 100 volunteers every month to help run daily operations. Volunteers are pivotal to serve the 600+ shoppers who rely on the Food Bank for weekly grocery pick-up Tuesday-Thursday. As the Food Bank prepares to be the only major food bank in the Downtown neighborhood, volunteers are vital to helping Food Bank staff manage grocery deliveries, food storage and other important tasks to nourish our neighbors.
The people who volunteer at the Food Bank have an immense love and dedication to the place – you can hear their voices lift when asked why they volunteer. “I like to help people, I like to feed people, and everybody here is so great that I love working here,” said Bill, who’s relied on the Food Bank services for over 5 years and has started giving back as a volunteer for the past 2 years.
“We get volunteers from all over: classes of students, company groups, families, and even shoppers who regularly use the Food Bank themselves!” said Jill Weidman, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator, “One of our biggest strengths is that people who use the services here have the chance to be leaders in making the Food Bank run.”
The Pike Market Food Bank couldn’t provide all the services they have without the passion and drive of its volunteers. We are so thankful to Bill and all of the Food Bank volunteers who come back week after week to help nourish the Market community!