Angelica Burgess- Second Harvest Food Bank Of Rock Hill

Second Harvest Food Bank

Where did I spend my time?

- I decided to volunteer my time with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Rock Hill South Carolina. Mrs. Mary had a vision to help individuals in the Rock Hill community. She has a daycare where she offers assistance to parents in needed called "Love and Cherish." She wanted to reach out and help more, she wrote a grant and got the opportunity to service as a site that gives free food to those in need, food and other household necessities. I helped unload the truck and organize the foods that the patrons would receive. Once the food was placed out I would ensure the patrons got the correct about of the supplies provided and help them take things to the car if needed. 

How the service activity reflected concepts learned in the HDFS curriculum?

-In HDFS we learn the importance of finding resources for our clients. This is a great resource for our clients that are in need or going through a financial hardship. Second Harvest reaches out to those in need and also college students that are away from home and may need help. Sometimes clients can be in a financial hardship this offers great assistance and hearty and healthy food choices. They offer things such as spinach, various types of lettuce, fresh meat, milk, juice, water, and so much more. The opportunity to get free food is provided ever Wednesday and Friday until all the food is gone. This allows them to get food that will last them throughout the week and be well feed nutritionally. This follows the HDFS curriculum in knowing the needs of the families you serve. We often talk about how knowing our families personally whether its their personality or their personal needs. It is important it is that we are knowledgeable so we can better aid families within the community with the appropriate resources. This service has made me more interested in starting food banks in other areas of need. With the knowledge that a family life educator gains from the classes provided its definitely possible to get something similar to this started. Second Harvest is a federally fund program that requires a proof of income because it is a need based organization. Along with the proof of income individuals must show proof of residence because the food is given per household. The volunteers that handle this paper work are trained to know what to look for when processing the paper work of the patrons.

How the students networked with other professionals while participating in this activity and what they gained from that networking? 

I mostly volunteered on Fridays with other community participants.  There were to major professionals that I believe I made great connections with. Second Harvest food bank went and served the elder at a retirement home.  There I met the manager of the the elderly, she had a similar story to what I wanted to do and her path landed her a job with the elderly. She had a Social Work major where she worked in New Jersey with local teenagers finding them necessary resources to have a successful future. Talking to her and hearing her story was a great way to make a connection. During our time together I let her know I was looking for an internship incase she knew of any places or she wanted to give me an opportunity at her facility. 
I think it would be useful for me to get to know Mrs. Mary she has so much wisdom on ways to get connects and things for those that are in need. She does not sit around and allow things to come to her, she chases after them. When individuals are in need, they run to her for assistance for anything such as a walker or a stove, and she uses her networking skills to get the needed items for her community members. I would like to sit down and speak with Mrs. Mary on how she is able to write grants and get some much for her community members. 

The potential effect the service activity and/or the service organization can have on the community:

The second harvest food bank has a great impact on the surrounding community. The services it offers meet the needs of many people in the community through the connections and partnerships Mrs. Mary has made. It helps ensure family in need are fed for a few days. They are then allowed to come back again for more foods, this gives them the opportunity to ensure their family members are fed for the entire week. Mrs. Mary is always working to meet the needs of the individuals in her community. She makes herself an available resource to those that are in need. She has had to learn how to discern those that are in need or those that are trying to abuse the system. It is sad that individuals would abuse the system and take from those that are truly in need. 

General Reflection:

I thoroughly enjoyed my volunteer experience with Second Harvest. I am keeping in contact with the individuals I connected with and decided to make this one of the community services that I do often. Mrs. Mary has a heart of gold and I just hope that as I continue to grow in my field, that I am able to give back to my local community and make an impact as strong as the one she did. Her name will be a staple in her community because she is selfless and had a vision to help others, her vision became a reality and impacted many lives. I am willing to volunteer with this organization any time because I am able to see how they are helping others and the impact it is having on the community. From Mrs. Mary I have learned that your life goals don't have to be just to benefit you but they can truly impact the world around you for the better.