Celebrating National Volunteer Month

[00:00:16] Speaker A: Welcome back to another episode of Just a Bite. I'm your host, Eliza Richardson, Nutrition Programs Coordinator at the Ohio association of Food Banks. April is National Volunteer Month, a time to recognize the people who show up, step in, and make a difference in both big and small ways. Every day across the state, thousands of dedicated individuals give their time to support food banks and local hunger relief agencies. Packing boxes, distributing food, assisting families, and helping ensure that no Ohioan goes without the meals they need. Their impact goes far beyond the hours they serve. They strengthen communities, bring compassion into our work, and make it possible for our network to reach more people than we ever could alone. Volunteers make the work of our member food banks possible. Today, in honor of National Volunteer Month, we're highlighting one of those incredible individuals. I'm joined by Susan, a longtime volunteer with the Mid Ohio Food Collective, whose commitment and passion have made a lasting difference in her community. So let's get started. Good morning, Susan. It's great to have you with us today. Welcome to Just a Bite. I would love to give you a moment to introduce yourself to our listeners today. [00:01:38] Speaker B: Hi there. My name is Susan and I live here in Columbus. I have been working in an art center here in town for a long time. I was full time for a while, and I was part of my duties were coordinating volunteers, and now I'm part time there. I have two grown children. One is a childhood cancer survivor. The other one is on the autism spectrum, and I'm also a cancer survivor. So. [00:02:04] Speaker A: Wow. [00:02:05] Speaker B: I've been through a lot, I guess. [00:02:07] Speaker A: Yes, yes. Glad to have you with us today. And you and your family are resilient, I can tell. [00:02:13] Speaker B: And everybody's doing well now. [00:02:14] Speaker A: Great. I'm so glad to hear that. [00:02:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:02:16] Speaker A: So, Susan, can you tell us a little bit about how long you've been volunteering with the Mid Ohio Food Collective and how you first got involved? [00:02:23] Speaker B: So I looked it up, and I think my first shift there was in February of 2023, and I just went as part of a group that I'm involved with. You know, they kind of try to do different volunteer things, like maybe once a month. So I said, I'll sign up and help out there. And I just kept going back. [00:02:44] Speaker A: Nice. That's awesome. So how many times a year, a month would you say that you volunteer with Mid Ohio? [00:02:51] Speaker B: So I started out doing it maybe once a month, and then I dropped back a little bit, and then I thought, you know, I need to be helping again. [00:03:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:03:00] Speaker B: So now I'm pretty much once a week, and if they send out a call for help and if I can fit it in, I will like go. And twice recently I did three, three shifts in a week. So because. [00:03:13] Speaker A: Wow, that's incredible. [00:03:14] Speaker B: One was part of the group I'm involved with. They were going to Gantz Road and then I did one at Norton and then they sent out a call for help for Norton. So I did another one in Norton. [00:03:22] Speaker A: That's amazing. I love that. What motivated you to begin volunteering in the first place? So I know that you said you started volunteering with a group, but what kind of brought you back to volunteer individually after you volunteered first with your group? [00:03:37] Speaker B: I guess I was so impressed by how it was run and I saw the impact it made and how grateful people were for the help. It was a nice atmosphere. The employees there are awesome. They made me feel very welcome. [00:03:53] Speaker A: That's amazing. [00:03:54] Speaker B: So, yeah, it was just, it was a great experience. [00:03:56] Speaker A: Yeah. So I'm imagining that continued message of showing up for your community and the support that they provide that keeps you coming back time and time over again. [00:04:06] Speaker B: Yes. [00:04:06] Speaker A: So do you remember what your first day volunteering with Mid Ohio Food Collective was like? I know you said you went with a group. Do you remember where you were and kind of the process that you went through? [00:04:17] Speaker B: So it was at Norton Road and the employees just made us feel really welcome, you know, appreciative of us being there, you know, made it clear as to, you know, what we could do while we were there, different roles and jobs. So it was just a really good experience. [00:04:34] Speaker A: That's awesome. So you said your very first day you were volunteering at Norton Road. And for our listeners, the Mid Ohio Market at Norton Road is a choice style pantry where neighbors experiencing food insecurity can attend and pick out the foods that they would like to take with them. As opposed to a drive up style pantry where you have a set number of food items that you are taking with you that day. Neighbors really get to come in and pick out what kinds of breads and fruits, vegetables, proteins that they want to take with them that day based on their household size. So let's talk a little bit about the kind of volunteering work that you're doing regularly. What does the typical volunteer shift look like for you? Are you going back to those choice pantries primarily, or does it kind of vary depending on the shift? [00:05:25] Speaker B: So I mostly go to Norton Road. That's kind of like my home base. I just feel very comfortable there. I can walk in, I know exactly where everything is, what needs to be done. I'M stalking. I'm answering questions from customers. I'm keeping an eye on the checkout area, make sure there are boxes available for customers to take their groceries home in, cleaning up spills, just whatever I can see that might need to be done. That's what I'm doing. [00:05:56] Speaker A: Nice. Nice. And is it normally the same hours that you are doing when you go to Norton Road, or does it kind of vary? [00:06:03] Speaker B: It varies. Lately it's been like, early afternoon as far as getting there in the traffic and getting back. So that's usually my. My sweet spot for getting there. [00:06:14] Speaker A: Nice. [00:06:14] Speaker B: But if I saw that they needed help in the morning, I would go in earlier, you know? Yeah, I'm pretty flexible. [00:06:20] Speaker A: So you're primarily going through the food items that Norton Road has available, bringing it out to the front of the. The front of the market, restocking shelves, things like that. How much do you interact with the people who are visiting the market? And do you hear any feedback from them about their experience? [00:06:38] Speaker B: I do. I was there yesterday, and several people said, thank you, I appreciate this. I heard, wow, they have strawberries. [00:06:46] Speaker A: Nice. [00:06:47] Speaker B: So I enjoy interacting with the customers. [00:06:50] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:06:50] Speaker B: And there have been times where a customer will just help do something, like they'll carry a box. They'll just stop and carry a box. I was stocking one time and someone else needed help reaching something, so I ran to get, like, a step stool, and I came back and the other customer had finished stocking the shelf. [00:07:07] Speaker A: Even they're looking to give back. [00:07:08] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. So they're there, you know, receiving help, and then they're also giving help as they're there, which I think is really wonderful. Yeah, it's a wonderful thing to experience. [00:07:19] Speaker A: That's. [00:07:19] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:19] Speaker A: That's incredible. I can only imagine that the gratitude that they feel and so wanting to, you know, be. Be good stewards of the resources that they're utilizing. [00:07:29] Speaker B: Right. [00:07:30] Speaker A: That's amazing. Yeah, it's a great story. So based on your experience volunteering for the Mid Ohio Food Collective, what are some of the biggest needs that you're noticing right now in the community? Is there something that neighbors are expressing to you that they particularly enjoy, or have you seen lines go up, the amount of neighbors who are utilizing the market go up or anything like that? [00:07:54] Speaker B: Well, when they. When every time there's, like, cuts or stoppages, it gets a lot busier. Yes, yes. [00:08:01] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Do you see that impact, the amount of food that Norton Road has to put on the floor? [00:08:08] Speaker B: There was a time when cuts first happened. There was Significantly less food and the market for a little while. So that was kind of scary to see because, you know, if we don't have it, then other people don't have other pantries. Don't have the resources either. [00:08:26] Speaker A: Definitely. [00:08:26] Speaker B: I know the Mid Ohio Food Collective provides food to many other smaller pantries. So it was less for Mid Ohio Food Collective pantries and then less for all the other smaller ones. [00:08:38] Speaker A: Also, do you hear any feedback from neighbors about, oh, you know, I was here last week and they had this. And, like, when cuts are happening, is there a sense of. [00:08:49] Speaker B: Right. There's sometimes like, oh, you know, do you have any meat? [00:08:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:54] Speaker B: And that's something we have. Like yesterday we had almost none, so it was gone within, like, maybe an hour. [00:09:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:01] Speaker B: Which is sad because. I'm sorry, we were out for the day. [00:09:05] Speaker A: Definitely. [00:09:05] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:09:06] Speaker A: The. The fluctuation of not only funding cuts, but. But also just the general inflation market really impacts the amount of food that our pantries are able to put on the floors and impacts the amount of people that are coming through the doors of these local pantries. So when more people are coming through the doors, but we have less food to support them, it's really difficult for the neighbors that are coming in for. [00:09:32] Speaker B: And it's hard because they put limits around the pantry. They say, you can have one of this item. One of this item. And it's really sad. And people say, well, I have, you know, six children. I can only take one, definitely. And it's like, you know, we have to have enough for all households. And I'm, you know, I'm really sorry that, you know, we have to have the limits, but it's just an unfortunate fact. [00:09:56] Speaker A: It's just the way that they have to be structured in order to feed everyone that comes through the door. But we know that the food that the food bank provides is not enough to support families alone. So they're supporting themselves through their own finances. Shopping at the grocery store. A lot of them are on public benefits programs as well. So definitely a way that we can help supplement that. That need for neighbors as well. So how is volunteering with the Mid Ohio Food Collective changed your perspective about food access, food banking, or food insecurity? [00:10:33] Speaker B: Over time, I guess, seeing the wide variety of people that are coming to the pantry, you know, it's young families with small children, single people, retirees, people with disabilities, veterans. If you're working on later afternoon shift, people will come in their work uniforms because they're probably not earning a living wage to be able to Support themselves. So just, I think just the wide variety of people that need help and the amount of people that need help. [00:11:06] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, definitely. How have you seen Mid Ohio Food Collective make a difference in the community, both surrounding food access and just the overall service that they can provide for people experiencing food insecurity? [00:11:20] Speaker B: Well, in addition to having food, I've been there when people are there from different health organizations. They were doing blood pressure checks one time and then different health insurance. Like, you know, sign up, you can get health insurance will help you access that. There's been like a medical van from Mount Carmel out back one. [00:11:44] Speaker A: Oh, that's great. [00:11:45] Speaker B: So. And I know they have the Mid Ohio farm, so they're growing food which comes in. It's really nice to see that in the summer. And I know they do have a program called the Pharmacy. [00:11:58] Speaker A: Yes. [00:11:59] Speaker B: Which works with patients and their doctors using food as medicine. And when I was working at Gantz Road, they were scanning everything as it went out because they have. It's an old Aldi, so they have like three, like, or four checkout lanes, which we don't have at Norton because it was a convenience store before. But they were scanning. And I asked what that was for, and they said it was for the pharmacy because then the customer's medical team would know what they're getting at the pantry. [00:12:32] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah. Mid Ohio Pharmacy is an amazing program that the Mid Ohio Food Collective began many, many years ago. And it works to help people experiencing food insecurity get access to healthy fruits, vegetables, proteins as a part of Food is Medicine initiatives. And they can participate through being referred through their healthcare provider. So as you were describing, the way that they're scanning it at the checkout is a way for their doctors to know exactly what they're receiving from the market. And it's a great way to not only tie in healthcare as access to healthy eating standpoint and build those partnerships, but also get more healthy food out to people who need it and really help that Food is Medicine movement grow and expand throughout the state of Ohio. [00:13:25] Speaker B: Right. Another cool thing at Norton is they have a kitchen and they will prepare an entree some days and have it. It's a ready to heat healthy entree that people can just take. And it just makes their life a little easier because they have a healthy meal that's just ready to go. [00:13:43] Speaker A: Yeah. I remember the last time that I was there, I think that they had like a chicken dinner, like a, like a half chicken in the pantry or in the, in the refrigerators at Norton Road. In order to give out to neighbors who were there from the kitchen. So that's an amazing way that. That's one of my favorite parts of being able to be in these environments is seeing exactly where all the food is coming from. And, you know, there's meat coming from the kitchen and there's produce coming from the farm. [00:14:12] Speaker B: Right. [00:14:13] Speaker A: And it's a really great way to see all of the services that our food banks are able to provide for their neighbors, not just one avenue of food sourcing through donated product or purchasing. So what do you think the role is that volunteers play in making this impact and difference possible for tackling food insecurity in Ohio? [00:14:37] Speaker B: Well, I know that utilizing volunteers freeze up funds. I think that's probably the most important thing because volunteer hour dollars really add up. I know that I can't remember the amount, but on the website, Mid Ohio Food Collective has a dollar amount of the value of volunteer hours. So I think that that is really, really important. [00:15:01] Speaker A: Yeah, it's an amazing resource that our food banks are able to utilize the members of their community who are wanting to give back. Volunteers are truly an essential backbone of not only Mid Ohio Food Collective, but all of our food banks in the state of Ohio and around the country. We really depend on volunteers to make this work happen and get food out into the community for people who need it. And for listeners who may be thinking about volunteering, what would you say to someone who is on the fence or hasn't taken that first step yet but is interested in volunteering? What would you say to them to? [00:15:38] Speaker B: I'd say that Mid Ohio Food Collective makes it very easy to volunteer. You just sign up via their website. It's very flexible. I mean, you could go once a year, you could go once a month. You can go and sort food at the main Mid Ohio Food Collective in Grove City. There's lots of different pantries around town, so there's probably one near you where you can go and help for maybe even just a couple of hours. That will make a huge difference. [00:16:08] Speaker A: Yeah, that's great. And I would also echo what we just talked about, about how volunteers are truly the backbone of this network. But also you can give a couple of hours every year or a couple of hours every month, and it still contributes to that mission. No matter how much you're able to volunteer, anything that you're able to give is making an impact towards that mission. And are there ways for people to get involved even if they don't have a lot of time on their hands? And aren't able to give through their time. [00:16:38] Speaker B: Well, they can always donate money, I think. I know the Food Collective and the Ohio association of Food Banks. I mean, they can use those funds and buy, I guess, in bulk. You know, they have different avenues where they can get maybe more food for, you know, a lower cost, which is important. If somebody wants to do something really simple. If there's a. There's a bunch of blessing boxes here in Columbus and there's a website that shows where they're all located. So someone can maybe pick up a couple extra things at the grocery store and put it in a blessing box. [00:17:16] Speaker A: That's a great idea. I think a lot of those are located at local churches or places of worship, lots of community centers and stuff like that. So that's a really great way. [00:17:27] Speaker B: There are even some that some. I know a couple people have one in front of their house. That's another simple thing that people could do. [00:17:33] Speaker A: Yeah, that's a great point. There's a bunch of resources out in your community, so really encourage you to utilize them. And Susan, I would love to know what being a volunteer means to you. [00:17:45] Speaker B: I think I thought about this and one thing that kept coming to my mind is that I think everyone deserves a seat at the table. And I'm grateful that I can help make that happen. I've never experienced food insecurity. I've been very, very lucky in my life. So I just feel like I, you know, it's. I can help other people who are experiencing it and, you know, maybe I could be one illness, accident, job loss away from needing the same help. [00:18:13] Speaker A: That's a great point. And I think that that's a really great message to carry along through all of this work that our food banks are doing all across the country and across the city, state of Ohio, is that we really are there to support people in every walk of life, in every phase of life that they're in, no matter if they have been experiencing food insecurity for a longer time and have been recurring users of the Food Bank Network, or if they are new users of the Food Bank Network and are using it because of a sudden job change or loss of employment or you death in the family or anything like that. I think that's really, really important to recognize that we serve such a wide variety of people experiencing a plethora of needs, but everyone needs our help in some way, shape or form. Yeah, that's great. If you could describe your experience being a volunteer in one word or phrase, what would it be? [00:19:13] Speaker B: I guess grateful yeah. Yeah. I'm just really happy I can help. I guess I've always been a helper. Yeah, I'm one of those people that's just. I like to help. So it just makes me feel good that I have the. The, you know, flexibility and the time to be able to go and do that. [00:19:30] Speaker A: Yeah, that's amazing. And I really admire the amount of hours that you've put into volunteering at the Mid Ohio Food Collective. I think it's a really great way for you to give back to the community. And I know we really appreciate all of the work that you and other volunteers around the state have done for our network. [00:19:48] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:19:50] Speaker A: And, Susan, how has volunteering impacted your own life? [00:19:54] Speaker B: I guess because there's been times in my life where I needed help with having cancer, having a kid with cancer, having a kid on the autism spectrum. My husband has vision issues. You know, we actually used to go to a group for families with kids with cancer. It was called Kids in Camp. Unfortunately, it is no longer around, but going to those events and just taking a little break from the whole cancer experience was great. And it was all volunteer run, like nobody took a salary there. That was very impactful for my family. [00:20:36] Speaker A: That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. And volunteering. It's National Volunteer Month, but it's not just volunteers from our network. It's volunteers for other social services, other public programming. And volunteers are really the essential to what makes these programs as successful as they are. And we're lucky to have you today talking specifically about our Food Bank Network. But there are so many volunteers in so many areas of the state of Ohio for so many programs that really make a difference in people's lives. And very grateful that those volunteers were there for you in your time of need and that you can be there for people experiencing food insecurity now. [00:21:15] Speaker B: Well, thank you. Yeah. [00:21:17] Speaker A: Awesome. Thank you so much for joining us today, Susan. We really appreciate all that you do to support the Mid Ohio Food Collective and their mission and for being an amazing example of compassionate volunteers that we see all around our network. [00:21:30] Speaker B: Thanks. Happy to be here. [00:21:42] Speaker A: That brings us to the end of this episode of Just a Bite. I want to extend my gratitude to Susan and all the volunteers who continuously give back to our member food banks. Regardless of whether you are a longtime volunteer like Susan or you are just beginning your volunteer journey, you make our work as hunger relief providers possible. We greatly appreciate everything you do for our member food banks and Ohioans experiencing hunger. To find out more about how to get involved, visit ohiofoodbanks.org howtohelp or visit the link in our show notes to learn more. Sam.