As we all know, especially us college kids, food is a vital part of life. We need it to obvisiously survive but also to make a movie night a TRUE movie night. However, for those less fortunate having access to food has become an ever growing struggle. As the price of food and other products continue to go up and the state is suffering from budget cuts, families in the greater Cedar Rapids area are struggling to make ends meet. For years this has been occuring, but within the past five years the crisis has grown even more and places such as Cedar Rapids greatly depend on donations and volutneers to help run the food pantries. I myself am one of those volunteers that have devoted countless hours to Foundation 2 food pantry, why? Because I know I am making a difference, oh and I LOVE it.
I started volutneering at Foundation a little over a year ago and have enjoyed every minute of it. The pantry is located practically right across Coe, a five minute walk tops. The food pantry is the only on in the area that is open after hours, to allow those that are at work all day, to come in and get food for their family. I have been asked many times by people "Why a food pantry? How much can it help?" I always say, have you ever gone without food for more than a few days? Some of the clients that come in to receive food go days without food, their kids are lucky to get breakfast and lunch. The economy has truly taken a hit on those who are less fortunate. As a food pantry based off mainly donations and HACAP (Hawkeye Area Community Action Program) orders, we rely on volunteer help and food drives to help maintain our supply of food.
Being a Marion native, about 7 minutes from Cedar Rapids, I was sadly not as informed as I should have been about the issues that are plaguing the Cedar Rapids area. Since I started volutneering at Foundation 2, I have become much more educated about the area and the resources that are out there for really anyone to utilize (fun fact, Cedar Rapids is one of the best equiped cities in Eastern Iowa with social programs that aim to provide assistance to those that need it). Having educated myself through my experience I have also met some amazing people, people who have been through so much and can still walk in smiling saying it can only get better. Since volunteering here, I have helped people who have told me their life stories, cried, voiced their anger, been embarrased about coming, and those that have hugged me as they are walking about the door. One story that sticks with me to this day, is when I served a family of six. Two parents and four children. Both the parents had just lost their jobs and were struggling to find another, they had used what they could of their savings and had finally resorted to using some of Cedar Rapids resources. I spent about 20 minutes with them total, listening to what was going on and getting their food ready for them. They had a little boy, around the age of 3 who followed me around and helped me. He made a copy of their sheet, put some food in their bags, and helped carry bags out. When we were going through the cupboards grabbing the food I give to all clients, he took a can of green beans and asked if he could have them, because they did not have the money to buy them anymore. Of course I gave them to him and he gave me a high five saying "yesssss." I thought I was in a movie, did this little boy just get excited about a can of green beans. A can of green beans that at his age I probably would have ate with reluctance. That moment truly made me love volunteering at the food pantry, it made me feel that I am making a difference.
Volutneering at Foundation 2 has opened so many doors for me since I have been here, job opportunities have come along (which I am now employed through Foundation 2), scholarship applications have appeared in my mail box, and the chance to see the process of grant writing has popped up, and so much more. Volunteering has benefitted so many people but it has also had its rewards for the volunteers.
Jenna
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