When you volunteer at Food Lifeline you know two things for sure…
When you volunteer at Food Lifeline you know two things for sure:
You will work hard – Repacking food can be hard work and volunteers have been known to count their shift at Food Lifeline as their workout for the day.
You will have fun – Working side by side with your family, church group, co-workers or the friendly strangers you just met, brings plenty of bonding, laughter and a strong sense of accomplishment.
One thing you might not realize is:
You will inspire others – As a volunteer, you might not know how much your dedication inspires all of us at Food Lifeline. Whether you are one of the regulars who come in rain or shine to make sure food gets to those in need, or one of the many church, school and corporate groups who makes a huge difference in just a few hours, you form the core of one of the most inspiring groups – people dedicated to stopping hunger.
This past year has been an busy one for our volunteer team and the almost 9,000 volunteers who pack, sort, and get food ready to be distributed. However, the biggest accomplishment was the launch of our new volunteer sort line at our south Seattle warehouse.
Much of its success comes back to our incredible Volunteer Operations Coordinator Brooks Spangler, who during his 14 months of running this program hosted 1,468 volunteers for over 4,000 hours of sorting food.
One of Brooks’ biggest successes of the year was the Community Volunteer Night. Designed to be a time where individuals, families and small groups of friends could volunteer together, Community Volunteer Night quickly developed a loyal following, including Brianna, Waymon and their mom Lisa. For her New Year resolution, Brianna wrote that she wanted to, “spend my time volunteering and helping people in need.” Brianna is only 8 years old, but she has already discovered something that takes most people far longer to figure out – giving to others makes you feel good.
Thank you to Brianna and all of the 1,468 volunteers, who have spent time in our new volunteer space, this year. Your gift of time and energy makes a huge difference not only to those who struggle with hunger, but our broader community.
We also want to thank Brooks for his incredible dedication and hard work at Food Lifeline. Brooks is leaving Food Lifeline at the end of this month to move closer to friends and family in Portland, Oregon. But, we know his legacy as Volunteer Program Trailblazer will continue here in Seattle. We are also excited for our sister organization, Oregon Food Bank, where Brooks will be continuing his work as food bank volunteer coordinator.
