September 5th, 2024
Photos Credit: Nadiah Mohammed
"I should've put my lipstick on," she chuckles as she throws her hands up, not realizing that the FARSB interviewer just wants to record her voice. This is how one interview started for a very special volunteer, Carol.
Meet Carol, a 74-year-old Santa Ana resident who embarked on a 118-mile journey over six hours to feed residents across the Inland Empire. In celebration of her birthday, she dedicated the day to helping those in need—from Banning to the more remote corners of the IE. Carol came to FARSB on a mission, making nine deliveries through our Nourish Now program!
Most people might ask for a new outfit, a birthday dinner at a restaurant, or a family party at home. That is not what Carol did for her big day. Instead, she and her sister-in-law decided to make a difference in their community. Seeing the homeless population growing within the area, she decided to volunteer at a food bank to turn her birthday into a day of giving back.
In addition to delivering the emergency food boxes for the recipients, she also brought along a way for folks to celebrate the day with her—cupcakes! She gave one out to every individual she delivered to in hopes of raising their spirits and providing a sweet treat to brighten their day.
How it Started
After retiring, Carol searched the internet for ways to give back. She had briefly worked for a senior center and saw that they gave out food, so she looked for more volunteering opportunities to provide food for those in need. With that, she made her way to FARSB.
When asked how she became the generous volunteer she is today, she credits one inspiring woman: her grandmother. Carol explains, "My Grandmother was, I'm telling you, a very generous person to the entire community. Every day after work she would find an open church, and I was treading right behind her. I think I picked up those habits of hers, in terms of giving." And just like that, one woman's work turned into tradition.
Her morning had not started with the idea of volunteering, but when her sister-in-law wanted to take her out for lunch to celebrate her birthday, she said, "We eat every day. Some people don't eat every day. So, instead of us eating, why don't we give to other people? I know this place, Feeding America, where I volunteered before. So, that's what we'll do."
Taking with her the sentiments that her relative left her with, Carol carries her grandmother's legacy by continuing to do generous work. Without volunteers like her, FARSB wouldn't be able to help nearly 500 housebound individuals in need each month.
Food Insecurity in the IE
When asked about food insecurity, Carol said, “Oh my God. I hate that it exists. I really do.” She then tells of a rainy day when she volunteered another day at FARSB when she saw a group of homeless individuals crowding beneath a tree with tarps. She explains that the rain was pouring down hard, and that was all they had for shelter, and they had no food.
“How can you,” she chokes up and takes a breath, continuing, “How can you not respond to that?” This is a sentiment that many volunteers, partners, and FARSB team members can agree with because there is a great need to fill these gaps in the community where folks don’t get what they need to thrive.
“I’m just astounded that here in America, in 2024, we still have people that don’t have anything,” she sighs. Oftentimes, looking at the needs of our community, we can get discouraged that the few we are helping ever see the fruits of our labor. However, with FARSB and our network of community partners that feed 300,000 people each month, these small acts are just a sample of the choices that can make a larger impact.
Deliveries, such as emergency food boxes, are crucial for individuals who are homebound or lack access to transportation. By assisting with these deliveries and volunteering your time, you can create a ripple effect that leads to a much larger impact than you might imagine.
While people like Carol do a great deal for those around them, as she puts it, "I can't do it all!" Whether you can help with Nourish Now deliveries or sort through donated products at our warehouse, volunteers help us get essential food out to our community. Without folks like Carol, we couldn’t feed the neighbors who rely on us. Thank you, Carol, for your selfless acts and for inspiring others to help create a hunger-free Inland Empire!
Nourish Now
FARSB’s Nourish Now program, formerly known as HERO, was started in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 mandate. Each food delivery is a lifeline for households where residents are confined to their homes. These deliveries include a balanced assortment of nutritious foods and shelf-stable essentials, addressing immediate needs as they arise. Since 2020, our program has extended a helping hand to over 20,000 food-insecure homes in the Inland Empire.
Nourish Now completes deliveries through the help of partners like DoorDash and Amazon, but we also rely on volunteers to help. If you are interested in helping out with these deliveries, sign up and register HERE.
If you want to learn more about other volunteer tasks and schedules, please visit: Feedingamericaie.org/volunteer
Comments