Volunteers Say There Are Several
What are the benefits of volunteering at Food For The Poor, one of the largest international charities in the country?
There are several benefits. Not only do you get to give back to others, but you have fun doing so, says Karen Krebs, a retiree and volunteer at the organization. Volunteering means being able to not only return the blessings bestowed on you, but also to have purpose in life.
“We have the best time and a lot of laughs,” she said. “The days I don’t volunteer, I feel so lost.”
Krebs is one of the dozens of volunteers who help at Food For The Poor, giving their time and talents for a myriad of tasks. She started volunteering last year for three days a week for about three hours total and enjoys being around other people and making new friends.
“Every time I leave, I feel like I did something good,” she said.
What Do Volunteers Do?
The volunteers at Food For The Poor are critical to the organization. One way they help is by packing food for special events, such as the second annual Honoring Our Veterans Community event last November. More than 70 volunteers came to Food For The Poor to pack 1,000 hygiene kits for local veterans in need and for families in South Florida, where the charity is located.
Volunteers also put together food kits for hungry families in the countries where Food For The Poor helps, as was the case in October when they packed about 100,000 MannaPack rice meals for families living in poverty in Honduras.
Volunteers last year also participated in the first Hearts United Community Day to pack 2,000 women’s care kits. Food For The Poor prepositions these relief kits every year to help countries and in-country partners rapidly respond to disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes. The kits contain essentials such as wash cloths, shampoo, and feminine hygiene products.
Volunteering is more than just packing food or supply kits. There are many other duties people can undertake.
“Volunteers also support us with clerical projects and with special events and many other projects,” said Pennie Stagnitta, Senior Manager, Volunteer Program and Special Events Communication and Community Engagement. “We like to assign volunteers to projects that they are interested in doing.”
For dedicated volunteer Aubrey McLean, giving his time to the charity is a way of giving back in a personal way. While living as a single father of three young children in Guyana, he received assistance from Food For The Poor through his church. The family was given food, clothing, and other household items to help make ends meet.
After McLean married and moved to Florida, he realized he lived down the road from the same organization that helped him in Guyana. Now retired, he began to volunteer twice a week at Food For The Poor.
“It was an amazing revelation when I realized this was the same organization,” he said. “Only God could do this. It always feels great to give back. It pleases God when we help others and have a heart like His.”
Giving Back Can Mean Better Mental and Physical Health
When you unlock the power of volunteering, it can enhance your mental well-being and overall health. Research from the National Institute on Aging reveals that volunteering isn’t just about giving back – it’s about boosting brain activity and safeguarding cognitive health. Volunteering can even reduce the risk of dementia and sharpen overall mental skills as you age.
Giving back doesn’t just benefit others – it benefits you, too. Studies demonstrate that volunteering is a potent antidote to depression and loneliness, a stress-buster, and a mood enhancer. Giving of your time and talents can have a positive effect on your mental state and well-being.
The Corporation for National and Community Service states that those who engage in volunteer activities report lower levels of depression compared to non-volunteers.
According to a March 2024 article in Forbes magazine, volunteering is one of the popular core pursuits of retirees who are happy. When someone retires, having an engaging activity that makes them not only active but passionate about what they are doing is key to a happy retired life.
About 1,350 retirees participated in a nationwide survey and the happiest retirees had an average of 3.6 core pursuits, according to the magazine. Forbes also pointed out that retirees who volunteer have higher health scores.
Krebs agrees that volunteering does a lot to keep her active. After retiring, she wasn’t used to sitting at home, so she decided to give her time to Food For The Poor. Each time she leaves the office, she feels she made a valuable contribution.
“It’s very important for my mental health and feeling useful,” she said.
Plans for Expansion
Volunteers are so important to the organization that Food For The Poor expanded an area inside the headquarters for them. Because the program has grown so much over the past two years, those giving their time and energy to the charity outgrew the space allotted for them. This year, they moved into a new space on the charity’s first floor.
Today, the program has a rotating crew of 150 volunteers who come on a weekly basis, about 25 to 30 volunteers a day, three times a week. To accommodate the program’s success and expansion, a new web page dedicated to volunteers where people can get updated information is in the works, Stagnitta said.
Those who donate their time and talents to Food For The Poor make a difference in the lives of those in need, according to Stagnitta.
“Their positive energy and their heartfelt dedication in serving is a true blessing to everyone at Food For The Poor,” she said.
Volunteering gives people the benefit of personal fulfillment. People have the satisfaction of knowing they made a difference.
Krebs agrees. “I feel blessed for what I have. And feel even better that I can give back to others less fortunate,” she said.
For anyone considering volunteering at Food For The Poor, both Krebs and McLean advise it’s a terrific opportunity to serve others and have fun. As McLean puts it, “I would ask them, where else can you go, dance, sing, and have fun volunteering alongside other people like yourself?”
You can make a difference in someone’s life. Become a volunteer and discover a whole new world of possibilities! Visit us today at foodforthepoor.org/volunteer