December is naturally a month when our thoughts turn to the blessings in our lives. Every week, Libby, Mike, and I meet for a quick staff meeting and often the blessings we talk about are the GreenHouse volunteers.
As Operations Manager, Mike has a team of volunteers that often never interface with our clients. They are the cheerful humans who spend their mornings driving to stores for food rescue pickup, stocking shelves, sorting donations, cleaning, tidying, breaking down boxes, and making our food room ready for our clients.
As the Director of our food bank, Libby’s team of volunteers also work behind the scenes. They’re the ones who help make copies, assist with grant writing, and work on public relations and communication to help fundraise for the GreenHouse. They help spread the word about upcoming events that benefit our community.
The volunteers who work alongside me in the afternoons when we are open have a special task. They restock shelves and freezers, but most importantly they help shop with our clients, creating a smooth experience for everyone who walks through our doors. They offer kindness, generosity, listening ears, and heartfelt encouragement when people need it the most. As a group, they bolster me with their commitment to service.
Last, we have a very special set of behind-the-scenes volunteers. They are the ones picking up our cardboard, the farmers who take spoiled produce for animal feed, or the citizens who send in a check when we ask for funds.
They’re the people who serve on our board of directors, and the ones who bring in garden and farm donations during the summer and clothing donations during the year, or food donations once a month because they want to.
They are the store managers and employees who set aside food so our volunteers can collect it and distribute it. They are the business owners who collect winter coats or toys for children. They are the churches and scouting troops who send teams of people to clean our warehouse.
THEY ARE YOU.
Because you see, the GreenHouse is the community’s space. It belongs to us all and it only works because of the generous spirit of our community.
Can you see now how easy it is for Libby, Mike and me to offer our thanks for the blessings in our lives? Those blessings are YOU and we are grateful.
Sincerely,
Denise—Client Services Manager