We love our volunteers; they are the lifeblood that makes any charitable enterprise work. We are especially honored when future generations believe in our mission to feed hungry neighbors. This plays out as parents and grandparents show their children the importance of generational giving.
Over the years, we have had the opportunity to watch this in person many times. The mom of two deaf children signing to them teaching them about a pantry as they stock it, the firefighter father watching his daughter hoist the large jar of pickles onto a pantry shelf, the grandfather spending time working with grandsons purchasing and donating non-perishable meals into pantries, the mom preparing no-egg birthday kits with her children, the school classes that collect and donate thousands of canned goods, the single mom that donates with her son’s whatever she has leftover in her pantry each month and a hundred other examples that come to mind and that would make this month’s column too lengthy.
JJ Gaylor (left) with Feeding Team Founders Lisa and Mark Hall. (Photo provided)
This month we are highlighting a 13-year-old young man who choose The Feeding Team to complete his volunteer hours as part of his qualifications for the National Junior Honor Society. As a 501(c)(3), we get lots of requests to accomplish service hours. Some of these are voluntary, some are mandatory. Most are well intended, but each requires real and verified work either in food distribution, sorting, cleaning, or stocking. Volunteer hours are documented, approved, and reported as required in each situation.
JJ Gaylor isn’t your typical 13-year-old. He understands the value of service, helping others and the lessons learned doing good in his community. During his volunteer hours, JJ and his father worked supporting some of our most remote pantries. These pantries may not get as much attention as some in town or in higher traffic areas. These two were on a mission to help as many people as possible. JJ reports, “Dad would drive me to a pantry and he’d sit in the car while I worked, it became something that I wanted to do and that we did together … We enjoyed it so much we’ll keep doing this.”
We can tell you the stories of hundreds of volunteers. We often feature their stories and interactions with neighbors at the pantries. This month, JJ Gaylor shows quiet leadership to his community through his simple acts of service to others.
Thank you for your service to our hungry neighbors.
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If you want to help, please send an email to lisa@feedingteam.org, call our office, or message us on Facebook to get details and signup. We share our experiences to share moments of helping with you, our supporters. Without you, this doesn’t happen.
Imagine the moment for a second, the joy of helping a neighbor who can’t make ends meet. Many of us have been there. Many are still there. Many will be there in the future. That is why we exist. It’s not often that we have encounters with shoppers. It happens more than you’d think, more than we’d like, and while we know that hunger and poverty will never go away, we can make a dent in it. Together we can help feed hungry neighbors here in our communities.
With over 44,000 food-challenged neighbors in Hamilton County, FeedingTeam.org is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides outdoor 24/7/365 no-questions-asked free food pantries throughout the county.
The pantries exist to meet the food insecurity needs of gap families, neighbors who may not qualify for public assistance and could use a few meals before payday. The pantries serve as many food-challenged neighbors as possible, and our hearts are with those who, like my family, could not always make ends meet.
Thank you for supporting the pantries. We love serving with so many neighbors across Hamilton County. In future columns, we will share more stories about how your generosity served neighbors in times of need. The face of hunger in Hamilton County is not what you may think.
In practical terms, this straightforward way to help neighbors is having real impact on lives, families, and our communities. Thank you. A few meals can change the course of a person’s life. A can of green beans means so much more when you have nothing to feed your kids.
Would you like to get involved? Volunteer opportunities are available. We are evaluating new pantry locations. If you think you have a potential location, please contact us.
Mark and Lisa Hall are the Founders of Feeding Team. They may be reached at lisa@feedingteam.org and mark@feedingteam.org or by calling (317) 832-1123.