Sharon made the decision of where she wanted to volunteer because the writing was literally on the wall.
The first time she walked into Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s Mercy Kitchen and saw, “Because of you, a child will eat today,” painted on the wall, she knew it was where she belonged.
“This is where I need to be,” said Sharon, now an almost-daily volunteer in the production kitchen.
After a 40-year career at Amtrak, Sharon retired and knew she wanted to volunteer somewhere but didn’t know where. On her birthday in 2023, she watched a commercial about Second Harvest, made a donation, and then drove to the food bank to see what it was all about.
She was immediately welcomed and made to feel at ease when she arrived.
“I said, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing but I want to volunteer,’ and they just said, ‘Come in,’” Sharon recalled.
Now she is a familiar face during the morning shift at Mercy Kitchen, usually on the assembly line packing prepared meals.
Sharon fills a lot of roles, such as sorting food or packing boxes, but preparing the meals is her favorite.
“We have fun,” Sharon said. “We laugh. We’re different people of all different backgrounds. It’s all for a worthy cause. The music is great. I love the energy because it makes you feel like family, and everyone knows your name.”
Fighting hunger and being part of the food bank’s impact on the community is also a big motivation for Sharon to show up every day.
“There are people in the community facing hunger,” she said. “No one should have to want or need food.”
Volunteering and learning about the need for food resources in Central Florida has shifted Sharon’s perspective.
“We all have problems, but I don’t think about them while I’m here,” she said. “They don’t feel so big anymore when I think about people not eating.”
