Personal Narrative: Food Recovery Network

My experiences volunteering for Food Recovery Network and the Knox Farm have been quite transformative. I never would have thought that I would have my quench for volunteering come from taking School and Society. Initially, I wasn’t completely sure about whether or not I would enjoy the experiences, but I ended up getting so much out of all the experiences.
When it came to the first couple weeks volunteering for Food Recovery Network, I ended up falling in love with the concept of donating food that would have been wasted to the cafeteria to places that need help. I volunteered almost every monday and friday then an entire week. It was actually really easy to go in every time and get pounds upon pounds of fresh and tasty food put into bins and take them to shelters and areas all around Galesburg. However, there were …show more content…
It makes me think about all the other terms where classes that require hours may not be offered. Where are all these organizations going to get volunteers if there are not enough student buy in? Because of this, I expanded the days I volunteered with FRN and thought about the future of the club. I love seeing the people who are receiving the food we give. Knowing that people are able to benefit from our simple work is so inspiring. Next year, I may be interested in becoming more involved with the club whether through exec or becoming a driver. The Knox Farm was also a very great volunteering experience for me. I learned a decent amount of skills when it came to gardening, planting, landscaping, and more. I found it fascinating that digging with a shovel was one of the most lethargic things I have ever done. I enjoyed weeding, seed starting, and everything under the sun. The difference between the farm and FRN was the reward I felt after the end of them. With the farm, I had callused hands, sweat, and dirt all over me to feel that I accomplished something. Meeting new friends and