Making a Difference Together

April is Global Volunteer Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the impact of volunteers worldwide. At WayForward Resources, we’re proud to join this global celebration by honoring the extraordinary individuals who make our mission possible.

As our Volunteer Program Manager, Pam Higham, expresses:

“At WayForward Resources, we warmly welcome volunteers as invited guests, valued colleagues, and essential members of the WayForward community. Volunteers generously share their time and talents to create food security and housing stability, contributing across every corner of our organization. I am privileged to witness something beautiful as this unfolds: the spirit of volunteerism uplifts everyone – paid staff, unpaid staff, and those we serve!”

The Impact of Volunteerism in Numbers

• 950 volunteers contributed their time and talents last year
• Volunteers logged nearly 27,000 hours supporting our programs
• Our dedicated volunteers helped serve over 13,000 people a year
• Volunteers support every aspect of our organization, from food pantry operations to administrative support

Meet A Few Of Our Volunteers

Throughout Global Volunteer Month, we’re highlighting the stories of some of our amazing volunteers. Each brings their unique perspective and passion to WayForward Resources, and together, they make our mission possible.

Debbie Loomis

Debbie began volunteering in 2021 during the height of COVID, working in our drive-up food pantry. Since then, she’s spread joy as a holiday Elf at our Holiday Art Market and now welcomes donors at our donation center.

Her inspiration comes from her 95-year-old mother-in-law who volunteered until just weeks before her passing. “Knowing what a need there is in the community and connecting with various donors (many have wonderful stories) keeps me motivated to continue volunteering,” Debbie explains.

The moments that stay with her are deeply human connections. She treasures interactions with donors who are donating items from loved ones who have passed away, or former clients giving back. “I’m always so touched that at such times of great sadness they are able to think of us at WayForward and share their story with me.”

One of her favorite memories? “A donor’s little girl, probably around 7 years old, donated a couple pairs of her sparkly shoes. She was speaking Spanish and I was able to thank her and tell her what pretty eyes she had in her language, earning a big hug from her!”

When asked what she would say to someone considering volunteering with WayForward, Debbie’s advice is simple: “Just do it!! It’s so rewarding and the people you work with are all amazing, passionate, and fun!”

Linda Pils

Linda’s journey with WayForward began through community food drives. “I started volunteering because I was part of a community that made food collections a priority and then donated the food to WayForward,” she explains. As her understanding of food insecurity grew, so did her commitment to our mission.

Every Thursday afternoon, you’ll find Linda at the milk, eggs, and meat coolers, serving our diverse community. She shares, “Some are hesitant and just learning where food is stored, some are old friends and we chat about how their kids are doing or how was work that day.”

For Linda, volunteering brings a special kind of fulfillment: “When my shift is completed, I don’t leave with a full grocery basket, but I do leave with a full heart.”

It’s the simple expressions of gratitude that make the experience so meaningful. As Linda puts it, “Volunteering is rewarding, it is the many ‘Thank you, for being here’ comments that fill me up, reinforcing the graciousness of our guests.”

Mike Glassford

Mike joined our volunteer team just one year ago in March 2024. His motivation? “To give back to the community and serve others in my retirement.” This simple yet powerful purpose has made a meaningful difference to countless pantry guests.

Like many of our volunteers, Mike has been touched by the resilience of those we serve. He shares, “One of our guests told me she and her children just moved into a house after being homeless for a year and WayForward had helped her through that rough time and is still helping them now. She was filled with tears when she told me this story and it touched my heart.”

What keeps Mike coming back week after week? “All the great people I work with. Such a wonderful atmosphere and love for helping others. I have also made some new friends there and that is great to me.”

To all our volunteers: Thank you for being essential members of our community. Your generosity creates ripples of positive change that extend far beyond the hours you contribute. You are the heart of WayForward Resources, and we are deeply grateful for your commitment to creating food and housing security in our community.

Join Our Volunteer Team

Inspired by these stories? We invite you to consider joining volunteers like Mike, Debbie, Linda, and the nearly 950 others who make our work possible. Whether you can give an hour a week or a day a month, your time makes a difference.

Some Current Volunteer Opportunities:

• Donor Greeter: Represent WayForward to food and clothing donors with a kind & friendly demeanor as you welcome donors and accept, weigh, and record donations.
• Food Rescue Volunteer Driver: Drive WayForward vehicles or your own to pick up food from local retail partners and unload at WayForward.
• Clean Team – Food Pantry & Clothing Center: Help make the Food Pantry shine for those we serve and maintain best practices for health and safety.
• Food Pantry Inventory Support: Join our morning team to safely label and store incoming food and ensure pantry inventory is maintained and organized.
• Guest Helper – Meat/Eggs/Dairy: Kindly hand out meat selections and limited dairy items or eggs to food pantry guests.
• Guest Greeter:  Warmly welcome food pantry guests, explain the pantry flow, and offer assistance as needed.

For more information about volunteering with WayForward Resources visit our Become A Volunteer page or contact our Volunteer Program Manager, Pam Higham, by email or phone (608) 826-3409.