Mike Vanderkooi at work in the Foodbank’s Eastern Branch warehouse in Pocatello.

One of the great ironies and tragedies in America is that hunger exists in a land of plenty.  My sisters, my brother, and I, along with my nieces and nephews, have been lucky enough or blessed enough to have never experienced hunger in our lives.  By volunteering I am able to play a very small part in trying to end the hunger that exists in America today.  I am also able to give back something to society for all of the help that I have received since I became disabled.

“Because I have been given so much, I too have much give” really sums up why I am fortunate enough to be able to volunteer at The Idaho Foodbank.

Mike Vanderkooi

Wyatt Neal, Joe Shaw, Ben Holt and Jordan Smith, along with Emilee Holt, Maggie Shaw and Liz Shaw, volunteered at the Foodbank to celebrate National Agriculture Day on March 19. They labeled beef donated through the Beef Counts program to get the meat ready for distribution. All are members of the Cowpokes 4-H program in Canyon County and all have their own cattle.

“They understand the production part and that food doesn’t come from the grocery story,” said Kim Holt, the group’s organizational leader.