January - March 2015 - Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern
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January - March 2015 - Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern
SecondHarvestMadison.org VOLUNTEERSCOOP January - March 2015 Ending hunger in southwestern Wisconsin through community partnerships WE NEED VOLUNTEERS This time of year is always the slowest time of year for volunteers. But for those struggling with hunger, the need doesn’t go away. Get your friends or co-workers together and volunteer as a group of two or more. For all those times you’ve asked yourself, “what can I do?” Here’s the answer! Without volunteers food doesn’t make it into the hands of those who need it the most. Help keep the food moving to those in need by serving in Product Recovery on evening and weekday shifts. For more information, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org/Volunteer or call Pam Higham at 608-216-7214 to schedule your group! On Wednesday, March 18, we will hold our second annual Hunger’s Hope Radiothon on Magic 98 and Q106 out of Madison. Thanks to generous corporate and individual donors we will be able to match the first 150,000 meals ($50,000) - $1=3 meals! We need your help to take donations over the phone. No external calling is necessary, all donors will call you! Multiple shifts are available from 6 am - 7 pm. Bring a friend for those times when the call volume is a little slow. To volunteer, call Pam Higham at 608-216-7214 or email [email protected]. Safety Committee Selected reminders for safe lifting from OSHA: • The power zone for lifting is close to the body, between mid-thigh and mid-chest height. Comparable to the strike zone in baseball, this zone is where arms and back can lift the most with the least amount of effort. • Avoid twisting, especially when bending forward while lifting. Turn by moving the feet rather than twisting the torso. • Move items close to your body and use your legs when lifting an item from a low location • Keep your elbows close to your body and keep the load as close to your body as possible. Questions? Pam Higham Volunteer Services Coordinator [email protected] Office: 608-216-7214 SHOUT OUT Two of our current individual volunteers logged over 1,000 hours of service as of the end of 2014: • Margaret Van Weelden - 1,398 hours (90,870 meals) • Darlene Deyoe - 1,017 hours (66,105 meals) Thank you, ladies! HEALTH BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING “The Greek philosopher Aristotle once surmised that the essence of life is “To serve others and do good.” If recent research is any indication, serving others might also be the essence of good health.” Check out the full article “Volunteering may be good for body and mind” in the Harvard Health Blog by visiting SecondHarvestMadison.org/Harvard. GET TO KNOW MARGARET As a volunteer, Margaret Van Weelden knows that “there is a real need for food out there” and that “there is so much hunger.” Speaking from experience, she observes that everybody isn’t lucky enough to have both mom and dad working in the family. Her husband died in 1978 when they had three children and Margaret knows what it is to stretch a dollar. Fortunately, she did not need a food pantry and considers herself “one of the lucky ones” because she had a good job. She says God has been good to her. Associated with Second Harvest for many years, Margaret started by coming to the warehouse to pick up food for the McFarland Food Pantry. In 2001, a staff member asked Margaret to volunteer for this organization and a faithful Second Harvest volunteer was born. She currently helps others by volunteering at the agency window twice a week. She welcomes and assists people who are picking up food for distribution at food pantries, meal sites, shelters, etc. Part of her volunteer experience is serving with Second Harvest staff and other volunteers. She appreciates that “everyone is concerned about each other.” Margaret has shared her volunteering spirit with her family. Her grandchildren have volunteered through their schools and by coming in with their Grandma. If you’re thinking about volunteering, Margaret says, “The feeling is fantastic. You feel like you’ve helped and it doesn’t cost you any money to do that! It makes you feel good inside that you can help.”