My journey with Second Harvest Food Bank began with an intentional decision to pursue a passion. I grew weary of the corporate world and have valued volunteerism since I was a child. I was highly motivated to seek employment with a non-profit organization. I could not have made a better decision. Working with volunteers at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida has been enriching to me mentally and emotionally, which was an expected outcome. What I didn’t expect, however, was the soul-nourishing interactions with our volunteers.
Stories are my favorite part of the human experience, and I love to receive, collect and share them.
The stories I encounter while working with Second Harvest volunteers are some of the most enriching additions to my library, and I hold them in high regard. As I ponder the lived experience of our volunteers, I find myself laughing, crying, and routinely in awestruck wonder. I am not talking about movie-of-the-week dramatic tension or blockbuster film caliber suspense, but the genuine human expression of what motivates one to commit to something larger than oneself.
If you ask them, most will say that the idea of giving back to the vibrant Central Florida community is enough to encourage them to come and serve for about three hours a day. This sentiment is enough to make me smile (and hopefully you too), but the stories only get better. For example, a mother and son duo spent the better part of his senior year bonding over frozen chicken wings. Or a young couple who shared their second date with eight corporate team members while working together to build home delivery boxes.
Our volunteers are as diverse in motivations as the community they represent and serve. They are unemployed or retired folks choosing to sew positivity into the world. They are recently transplanted residents seeking meaningful relationships in their new hometown. They experienced food insecurity and now want to do their part to ensure other families do not have to share what they’ve faced head-on.
Each day we share just a few hours with some of the most inspiring individuals who are proud to do the work. At the end of each shift, volunteer impact is calculated in measurable donations processed and meals ready to go out into the community. After hearing their stories of hope, joy, determination, and commitment, we ought to measure their impact in the degrees of warmth they bring to our hearts.
– Ian Dixon
Volunteer Assistant and Receptionist at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
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