Ken Thompson has been a dedicated volunteer at the Food Bank for almost 20 years. He attended his first shift with his company in 2005 and found joy in volunteering. Since then, Ken has volunteered more than 3,000 hours of his time in The Market, Volunteer Engagement Center, at Direct Distributions and delivering meals to seniors in need.
According to Ken, “It seemed like fun, and it was a good cause. I thought, ‘Maybe I should start coming here on my own sometimes.’ I was still working [full time] so I only came two or three days a month, just whenever I had time… but I got hooked. I kept volunteering a few days a month until I retired in 2018. Now I’m coming in three days a week and doing what I can to help.”
Ken’s favorite volunteer activity at the Food Bank is packing Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Senior Boxes.
He says, “It’s fun to see the big assembly line and stay busy all morning, all week. You just know that you’re boxing up food to senior citizens who really need [the help].”
Ken helps deliver these Senior Boxes to senior high-rise apartments once a month and notes that the neighbors are always happy to see him. He gets to make a connection with our neighbors when he is delivering, learn what’s going on with them and their families, and they get the nutritious food that they need to stay healthy.