Turning Urgency into Action
"It took so much courage and determination to make all those calls and not give up. Finding self-confidence has helped me grow into my position. I feel like I spend as much time learning as I do working; they go hand in hand."
I am responsible for increasing resources available to address hunger and nutrition, sourcing both cash and in-kind donations. I lead the development of a comprehensive volunteer recruitment, training, and retention strategy focusing on churches, businesses, schools/universities, and organizations. I strengthen the Heart Reach Neighborhood Ministries' social media presence by creating posts, materials, and video promotions to better tell our story.
The government shutdown has probably been the largest challenge of my service so far. Our clientele grew overnight. It affected everyone. We now had a big problem on our hands. How can we service everyone? Well, we needed a plan. I had to find food donors as soon as possible. I looked for restaurants; maybe they had food they would donate. I looked at grocery stores; could they help? I had so many ideas, and time was not really on my side. But I started my research, calling every place I could think of. Looking at all the websites and hoping for a breakthrough. Eventually, donations started coming in, both financial and physical donations.
During this time, I found Santisi Wholesale Food, a local store. I called them, and they were so quick to jump on board to help. It took a few days to coordinate the pick-up process, but when we did, we were in for a surprise. They had so much food to donate to us. It was enough food for all three of our centers. We also received food donations from United Way and Direction Home of Eastern Ohio from a food drive they did called “Pack the Valley.”
Being dedicated is how I found the solution to our problem. I took the initiative to do the research and make the initial call. It took so much courage and determination to make all those calls and not give up. Finding self-confidence has helped me grow into my position. I feel like I spend as much time learning as I do working; they go hand in hand.
Another professional accomplishment is managing a large group of volunteers. It has had some challenging moments but the confidence I have grown to handle the situation is amazing, considering I used to be a shy person. I’ve also learned to manage some testing situations with composure and assertiveness.
Through service, I’ve learned that problems can be solved through hard work and consistency. I had to have confidence when calling, looking for donations. I must have faith and see that things eventually do come together. I also learned that hunger affects everyone.
I am honestly not sure what the future holds. To serve another year at my host site would be ideal. I feel like I have become part of the family. I love volunteering here at Heart Reach Neighborhood Ministries. I would love to stay in the nonprofit sector. This placement has taught me a lot about myself.
I know the work I’ve done has helped the community. Volunteering here at Heart Reach Neighborhood Ministries has taught me that every bit of volunteering helps in the big picture of things. Working on top of the foundation that has been laid has shown me how my contributions will last. This being my first year, I feel like I’m trying to build on what my predecessors have done, for a long-lasting result.
I will be honest, I can feel heartbroken at times that in this day and age, we are still struggling with poverty. However, I have always had a heart of compassion and service; now it's something I get to demonstrate and develop in my professional life. I have and will continue to recommend national service to others. I have learned so much. Service has fulfilled something in my heart I didn’t think could be filled. I have complete joy when I come to work. I make a difference to one person at a time.
