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The Value Of Your Time  -  by Tom Henry

This newsletter often chronicles extraordinary efforts by extraordinary individuals and small agencies in helping their neighbors. But whether our calling is in hunger relief, or providing clothes, or counseling, or literacy training or medical help, we all depend upon volunteers to magnify the scope of our work.

The lifeblood of every charity is in its volunteers. YOU are the key. Without your commitment of your precious time and energy, few of us could handle the load we currently bear. If we examine the volunteer efforts described in this publication, we see

• The food and bread boxes packed by the 20+ volunteers at our warehouse.
• The 70+ volunteers at our food drops that spend a morning each month loading up trailers and trucks and vans for our partner agencies.
• The representatives of our 200+ agencies who volunteer their time to pick up food, bring it back to their building, and repack and distribute it to the 10,000+ families who receive their help each month.
• The efforts of all of the families to contribute food to food drives conducted by churches, scout troops, service organizations, and businesses.

To help a family they will probably never meet!

The tasks performed and the time expended by any of these thousands of people were probably not a huge burden. However, think about the "multiplier effect": Each parent who supported his/her child in an act of selfless service is modeling the best quality of behavior and compassion. Each volunteer who experienced the joy that comes from serving others less fortunate can learn that it doesn't take much to help others, and the reward is greater than the effort required. Each family who receives the fruits of these efforts can experience the love and compassion of a community where scores of neighbors they might never meet have collaborated to express their love and support.

Feed America First, like virtually every other charity, relies heavily upon our volunteers. Each volunteered hour presents to us an opportunity to tell our story and to teach others about who is hungry and how significant their help is. Without the volunteers who take donated bread out into 11 counties each week, or those who come to help pack food boxes or load trucks or bag rice or produce our newsletter, our staff of three could never hope to accomplish the distribution of millions of pounds of food each year.

Your time is priceless to us!