VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH
Like a lot of us, the years after COVID left her in a comfortable but narrow routine: go to work, come home, watch her shows. Then she decided to try something different and walked through the doors of God's Pantry Food Bank.
More than a year later, she's a regular on Tuesdays and Thursdays. What she found here surprised even her.
From routine to regular
God's Pantry Food Bank wasn't far from Ayanna's house, and after a couple of visits, she knew she'd keep coming back. But what started as a convenient way to give back turned into something she didn't expect: a real sense of belonging.
“I liked the atmosphere. I get the benefit of helping my community and getting to meet other people within the community.”
— Ayanna Parker, volunteer
She calls it a "third space," that place that isn't work and isn't home, but somewhere in between. A place where familiar faces show up every week, where conversations happen naturally, where you're connected to something bigger than your own schedule.
"The Tuesday and Thursday group, there are a lot of familiar faces. We’re talking about our jobs and how our week is going. Getting to make those connections that I wouldn’t get if I didn’t go volunteer somewhere regularly."
Kids discovering what volunteering feels like
One of Ayanna's favorite moments? Watching kids volunteer for the first time.
Over the summer and into the spring, God's Pantry Food Bank hosts youth volunteer groups. For Ayanna, seeing children walk through a process she knows by heart and watching them light up the same way she did is one of the most rewarding parts of showing up.
“Just helping them through the process and watching them enjoy it just as much as I do, starting volunteerism at an early age is really cool to see.”
It's a small thing, maybe, in the context of 41 million meals. But it's also exactly how a culture of giving gets passed forward.
Making sure everyone has access to a nourished life
Ask Ayanna why the work matters, and she gets direct: it's about access.
“Whether it's starting a food drive of my own or just helping sort and provide food, it's about making sure everyone has access to a nourished life.”
Nearly 280,000 people across our 50-county service area are experiencing food insecurity right now. Program funding cuts and the ongoing aftershocks of SNAP reductions are still being felt. Volunteers like Ayanna are part of what makes our network of 500+ partner pantries and programs possible.
Just go try it
If you’ve thought about volunteering, now is the time to take the first step. Find a volunteer opportunity near you. Your impact starts today with your decision to get involved.
“You'll find something you like. I like shopping and food, so seeing them together is really cool for me. Whatever you like, just try and find something that relates to it.”
She’s right that the fit matters, and that God’s Pantry Food Bank welcomes people from all backgrounds. But her bigger point stands: until you take the step and volunteer, you won’t know what you could find or who you might meet.
"I think the biggest thing is just trying it."
