I spent this past summer as a volunteer at the New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester, New Hampshire. This opportunity came about courtesy of the economy. In May, the company I worked for had a reduction in work force, and, along with many others, I lost my job. I went home numb, in shock that this had happened to me. First reaction: I had to get a job, as quickly as possible, to pay the bills and get back into the work force.  For several days, that was my sole focus, looking for work, notifying my contacts, searching for job openings. At the end of each search, I came away drained, frustrated and angry, wondering if I’d ever get another job. This searching ate at me constantly, and worse, was spilling over into my everyday life.

It was my partner who suggested that I spend some time volunteering, as I could help other people rather than focus on me, dealing with the job loss. I decided to volunteer at the New Hampshire Food Bank; I led some company food drives in the past, bringing in donations and I was quite familiar with their work. I did not know how powerful an impact this volunteering would have on me.

The New Hampshire Food Bank, located in Manchester, New Hampshire, distributes over 7.8 million pounds of donated and surplus food to 417 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, day care centers and senior citizen homes. In turn these different agencies provide the food to the over 127,200 different men, women and children throughout New Hampshire each year. These statistics can be found on the Food Bank’s site, along with other numbers.  If you look at the Food Bank’s site, click on “About Hunger”, and read the stories; they should jolt you into the realization that these could be your friends, your neighbors, yourself.

I staffed the front desk, answering phones, taking messages, the standard administrative work. I saw many people come to the food bank; some were volunteers, others were community leaders, working to figure out ways to keep the food bank full.  
Every day I would see people come in, hoping for food or some other kind of aid. They would come in all kinds of weather, families, and singles, young and old, all races. For hunger, unlike humanity, does not discriminate.
Each day, the Food Bank’s employees and volunteers face the daunting task of feeding the hungry, a never ending need. Sustaining this commitment is not easy, and it takes people of strong faith and deep dedication.  

Bruce Wilson, Director of Operations, served over 20 years in the Navy. Helen Costello, Manager of the Recipe for Success program, has two advanced degrees. These people could work anywhere else; in the private sector, they could command high salaries and big benefits. They chose to take their skills and talents and put them into the service of those going hungry. More than unsung heroes, they are leaders, teachers, warriors against not just hunger; they fight the attitudes of indifference, despair, and callousness. These people, who could command higher salaries and benefits in the corporate world, were living and modeling their values.

I found myself deeply touched and humbled by the depth of commitment shown at the Food Bank.  In the fall I started working a temporary job. Now that some time has passed, I can see a bit more clearly the impact of the food bank and the work of their staff and volunteers. It has a ripple effect on all of us. We are interconnected, so it matters what we do, or don’t do.  Write a check, volunteer, good starts. Let’s look within ourselves to find out what else we can do.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that in 2010, 14.5% of households in the United States -- about 17.2 million -- lacked the resources to provide enough food for everybody. Among those, about 6.4 million households saw normal eating patterns disrupted or reduced because there wasn't enough food.

Food insecurity -- uncertainty about where the next meal will come from -- is particularly hard on one group: children. The nonprofit Feeding America, a network of more than 200 food banks around the United States, reports one in five children are at risk of hunger. For children in African-American or Latino households, it's closer to one in three.

This story was not easy for me to write, for I did not want to admit to myself that this problem of food insecurity is deeper than I realized. It called into question my own ideas and thoughts about hunger, what it looks like, who it hurts and how overwhelming a problem it is. I was forced to acknowledge that there is famine in the midst of plenty.

During the holiday season, people are more generous with their time and money, and many will volunteer their services.  But when the holidays are through, and the sound of jingle bells fades and the gifts are scattered and broken, hunger is still with us, a tsunami that shows no signs of abating. So as one year ends and another is about to begin, let’s all take a few minutes to think about those in our country going to bed hungry each night. It doesn’t matter if we know them or not, they are still our neighbors. The New Hampshire Food Bank needs our help. If money is tight, volunteer. And don’t wait for the holidays, you can volunteer anytime. Hunger takes no holidays.

Submitted By: Diane T. Padilla

Diane T. Padilla lives near Concord, New Hampshire. For more information about the New Hampshire Food Bank and its work, go to www.nhfoodbank.org or call 603-669-9725.