The agency I volunteered at is called Effingham Catholic Charities and Second Hand Rose Resale Shop located in Effingham, IL. I specifically donated my time in the food pantry. The food pantry receives donations from churches, schools, and other facilities that hold food drives with in the Effingham area. They have a vendor they receive food from. The individual in charge of the organization informed me that this past holiday season they received the most food donations and clothing donations than any years in the past. Therefore, she was very excited to have me volunteer my time so they could get the food they received organized and ready to stock for their clients. The services that Effingham Catholic Charities provides to the Effingham community are of great importance. There are no other food pantries let alone food banks or soup kitchens in the Effingham area unless several miles are traveled. Therefore, without this service many individuals and families in need of food items and clothing would have to find additional gas money or transportation as well to receive this assistance.
When I asked if I could take some pictures there were no clients present but the workers were hesitant so just one picture was taken. The picture that was taken is of myself and 2 ½ hours of work on the table. My duties were as follows: divide the donated food items into items that were outdated (2010 and below), food items that needed to be stock ASAP (2011), and food items that were ready to be stocked but expiration date still allowed some time (2012 and above). When I first arrived I did not know what kind of duty I would be performing and once they informed me I felt as if I would not be contributing enough. But as I started to go through the donated food items I realized that it seemed as though the donated items were endless. My help was much needed because this was a job that no one else wanted to do but it had to be done. Both days that I volunteered I was located in a large warehouse. I was the only person in the warehouse along with donated food and clothing piled high all over the warehouse. I was by myself the entire time sorting out the food items. There were other men and women in other areas of the main building who were also volunteering their time and seemed as though they did so on a daily basis because they were all very aware of where things went. Since I was in the warehouse by myself, the only time I had an opportunity to network with other professionals was as I was leaving the facility as the director of the organization took a moment then to speak with me. She informed me of the various ways they are able to help the community, who they receive their donations from, and also informed me that volunteers are always welcomed and much needed! From speaking with her I learned of other ways I could help the community that does not take much of your time but is very beneficial to others. The knowledge I gained from my networking experience is something that I can pass on to other members of the Effingham community and hopefully create an environment that not only helps one another but creates a sense of security.
The service activity reflected concepts that were learned in class. In class we discussed those below the poverty line in need of assistance with food, which is one of the basic necessities of life. This program notices that hunger hurts individuals, not only by lessening human energy but also by eroding the community’s stability, damaging the potential of a person to progress. The program acknowledges that a number of people in the Effingham community are without food and for some it may be the first time in their lives. They provide help for all ages to solve immediate problems they may be facing as well as will help search for solutions for in the future. This all leads to this program having a positive effect on not only the community of which it services, but also to those who volunteer their time in knowing the help they are providing to those in need.
Ashley Bradshaw
