It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day office and warehouse work needed to ensure that our partners receive their food and supplies in a timely, efficient way. We enjoy the opportunity to pause from our daily tasks and spend time in the communities that we are working with. Food bank staff and volunteers regularly participate in events such as community celebrations, parent nights, back-to-school events, health fairs and more.
In the Food For Kids Department, our Kids Cafe and Weekend Bag sites often invite us to attend their events and to distribute information about the services we provide across the food bank. We distribute fliers and handouts on Hunger Lifeline, SNAP benefits, Kids Cafe and Weekend Bag, tasty recipes, tour cards, and more. We provide give-aways and food samples that promote healthy eating and key nutrition messages.
Rock Creek Terrace Apartments (part of Edgewood Management Corporation) in Rockville, MD recently held a community day event for their apartment complex and invited us to set up a booth. Their community center participates in both Kids Cafe and Weekend Bag, serving up to 60 children a day. We had a wonderful time talking with people – chatting about the programs that their community center has for their children, answering questions about other services, and giving out samples of a delicious black bean salsa recipe that can be made with common Weekend Bag items.
At community events, we have the unique opportunity to talk with people with every type of interest in the food bank – those needing our services, interested in volunteering, wanting to donate, or just wanting to find out who we are. Community events bring us together with different groups, inspire interest in our mission, and keep us connected with those in need.