It Takes A Team! Getting Your Workplace Involved in Combatting Hunger
By Cara Michelle Silverberg and Kathy Henry
When it comes to addressing hunger, the adage “many hands make light work” rings true. We have had wonderful experiences with local organizations and businesses bringing their teams out to volunteer with us.
Snapshots of volunteer teams
Spotlight #1: Staff from the Work Opportunity Center in West Springfield partner with their clients (adults with intellectual disabilities) to drive weekly Rescue routes. Staff enjoy the change of pace while clients enjoy helping their community. Two employees are scheduled for each route so that when one is out sick, they have a sub in place.
Spotlight #2: Each year, high level financial sponsors join us in the fields for a gleaning day. We have harvested thousands of pounds of apples and sweet potatoes with volunteers from Arbella Insurance Foundation, Davis Foundation, PeoplesBank, and Westfield Bank. And we have a good time doing it! Employees benefit from a unique teambuilding experience and gain a better sense of how their support serves their community.
Spotlight #3: Our biennial Outrun Hunger event is an excellent way to get folks actively involved – literally! Take for example, Ascentria Care Alliance, which brought a whole team of staff to our 5K race and 1-mile fun walk in May 2024.
Way to get involved:
- Drive a weekly RESCUE ROUTE – Your team can routinely pick up food at a local food donor and deliver it to one or more nearby agency partners. You can create a rotating schedule of volunteers so that individuals drive once every 2-3 months, and no one carries an imposing burden.
- Organize seasonal FOOD DRIVES – Agencies often need specific items (e.g. peanut butter, after school snacks). Let us help you tailor a workplace food drive to the precise needs of local agencies.
- Bring a team to our biennial OUTRUN HUNGER event – This family-friendly event is a great way for employees with kids and/or teens to get involved. Families can spend a beautiful morning in the park, enjoy a festive community vibe, and run or walk for a worthy cause. Swag, like discounted tickets to Forest Park Zoo, are a bonus!
- Join an OPEN COMMUNITY GLEAN – We run gleans from July-November. Sign up for Gleaning Alerts, bookmark our Gleaning Calendar, and join us in the fields! Produce can be gleaned for donation to RTWM partner agencies and/or to take home to feed your own family or neighbors.
Volunteering as a workplace team can be a rewarding and educational experience. Whether you’re a national corporation, a local non-profit, or a college sports team, we’ve got volunteer opportunities waiting for you. Reach out to Operations Manager Kathy Henry at khenry@feedwma.org to discuss a volunteer opportunity for your team!