April is Volunteer Appreciation Month!
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month! Volunteers are essential to The Idaho Foodbank and our network of over 440 food distribution partners as we work together to end hunger in Idaho. In our last fiscal year, volunteers donated 63,068 hours of their time working at The Idaho Foodbank. This is equivalent to the work of 30 Full-Time Employees!
We are grateful for the volunteers in our partner network who are an irreplaceable part of the work to help Idahoans who are struggling to make ends meet.
Our volunteers do a variety of jobs, including re-packing large produce donations into family-size bags, filling food boxes for seniors, or directly giving food to the people in need in their community at one of our mobile pantries.
If you are interested in volunteering at any of our three locations, please visit our website here:
We also encourage people to call their local food pantry facilities to ask if they need volunteer support. You can find our food pantry partners on our food locator on our website.
We want to take a moment to shine a spotlight on some of our volunteers around the state.
Eastern Idaho
The Help Desk team from Idaho Central Credit Union in Chubbuck is being recognized as volunteers of the year for their hard work and dedication to the mission of The Idaho Foodbank.
This team of 25 people, led by Help Desk Supervisor Darryl Apel, have put in hundreds of hours of service – providing food for thousands of meals to our community. They’ve also been happy to welcome other volunteers to their team bonding volunteer shifts at The Idaho Foodbank – knowing that more food can be provided when everyone works together for the same cause. Thank you, ICCU, for your continued support!
North Central Idaho
This year, The North Central branch of The Idaho Foodbank has chosen to recognize Jenny Harris as one of our outstanding volunteers. Jenny started regularly volunteering in April 2023 to re-pack food. Soon after that, Jenny began volunteering at some of our evening volunteer events, as well as our Family Day of Volunteering, racking up over 250 hours of service!
Now, Jenny volunteers in our onsite food pantry in Lewiston every Friday, greeting our neighbors and keeping a tally of how many people visit. Our neighbors are always happy to see Jenny because she remembers everyone’s name and is always kind to anyone she encounters. She understands just how much a smile or a listening ear can make a difference in someone’s day. Jenny has previously worked in Special Education as an instructional assistant and summer reading program aide. She has also provided in-home care for the elderly and assisted adults and children with special needs. Jenny is always willing to lend a helping hand to our Lewiston team – no matter the task.
The Idaho Foodbank is proud and honored to work alongside such a fantastic example of compassion and grace. Thank you, Jenny!
Southwest Idaho
We love to welcome all of our volunteers – from the person who comes in for the first time as part of a school project or with their employer, to volunteers who donate more than 100 hours a year! Having a variety of volunteers from different backgrounds and skill sets is part of the joy of working with volunteers. ALL of them are essential to achieve our vision of a hunger-free Idaho.
We would like to specifically recognize the following volunteers who have given us over 500 hours of volunteer time in our Meridian facility!
- Kathy Ehrhardt 541 hours
- Rick Metzger 569 hours
- Heather Chenoweth 571 hours
- Dianne Nishioka 573 hours
- John Taye 581 hours
- Richard Shipton 655 hours
- Christopher Owens 674 hours
- Genie Engels 744 hours
- Carolyn Holbrook 764 hours
- Alison Haas 1,017 hours
- Claire Veseth 1,175 hours
- Diane Dixon 1,189 hours
- Pat Haas 1,325 hours
- Janelle Haag 2,969 hours