posted on behalf of the volunteer team
It’s Volunteer Appreciation Month! Every April, the Food Bank takes some extra time to thank each and every person who has volunteered with our organization. We will be honoring our volunteers on social media and giving out small gifts and raffles throughout the month to thank volunteers for their support. A special thank you to PNC Bank, UPS and Hefren-Tillotson for sponsoring this year’s volunteer appreciation month activities.
The Food Bank relies on volunteers to perform so much of our work. Volunteers really are the backbone of what we do. The Food Bank welcomes more than 6,000 volunteers every year and we have volunteers positioned in almost every part of our organization. Through a wide range of volunteer activities including packing boxes in our sorting center, delivering food directly to recipients’ homes, giving food direct to families and serving in skilled volunteer positions, these individuals are changing the lives of our neighbors daily.
This past year has been particularly tough on all of us but unsurprisingly the Food Bank’s volunteer force continued to step forward to help us meet the unprecedented need in our community. Between March 2020 and February 2021 the Food Bank distributed more than 46 million meals to our neighbors across 11 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania. This marks a 9.2 million meal increase from the previous year. Volunteers played a key role in helping us distribute each and every one of these meals.
“People like yourselves, you’re heroes to us. You guys still have to go home to your families. As long as you stay safe, that’s all we can ask for. But we are blessed that people have stepped up and are able to do things.” – Curtis and Audrey, neighbors receiving help
Volunteers really are the heart of what we do. Their generosity of time is what allows the Food Bank to reach so many folks who are struggling. We are proud that they’ve chosen to serve alongside us and know that they will continue to do so.
To learn more about our volunteer program, visit the volunteer page of our website here or email us directly at volunteer@pittsburghfoodbank.org. The volunteer team is happy to answer any questions!