Volunteers are the heart of our organization. Each month we’re focusing on a volunteer and sharing their story. This month we’d like you to meet Stacey Raifsnider.

Stacey has been volunteering with us for 8 years! Her very first experience as a Million Meal Movement volunteer came via a meal packing event with Northview Church. During Northview’s annual Good Neighbor Weekend, the church cancels services and encourages members to go out and serve in their community. Stacey volunteered with us that weekend and has been a vital part of our community ever since.

Every meal packing event leaves a mark on those who participate, but Stacey remembers one experience as being particularly powerful. It occurred during our annual Million Meal Marathon held at Lucas Oil Stadium. During this event, we gather people in our community of all ages and walks of life with the goal of packing a million meals in one day. Stacey was overseeing a table of students from a local school. She was showing one young lady what she would be doing when the girl recognized the meal packaging and said, “We have those at our house!” When times were tight, this young volunteer had benefitted from Million Meal Movement’s services through a local food pantry.

“It was eye-opening for her to see the outpouring of support from the community in volunteering for this cause, and it was eye-opening for me to see that volunteers like myself could be recipients of the food we packed,” Stacey says.

Stacey values the way Million Meal Movement fills an immediate need with local families, and appreciates the opportunity Million Meal Movement provides for both the young and old to participate in community service. She recognizes how valuable it is for volunteers to experience the ability to make an impact in a short amount of time.

We asked Stacey what word or phrase she would use to encourage someone to come and volunteer. She says, “Volunteering is a perspective-changer! By helping people in need, it takes the focus off of our own problems and situations.” This was something Stacey experienced herself during a painful time. Her brother, who frequently served his community by feeding the hungry and providing clothing, recently passed away. Stacey chose to volunteer with us the same week that she lost her brother.

“This not only met a need in the community, but it gave me a much-needed break from the sadness of his passing to regain some joy by focusing on helping others.”

We appreciate Stacey’s many years of service with us, and are so thankful that she took the time to share her personal volunteer experience with us. We’d love to hear your Million Meal Movement volunteer stories as well! Please email us at info@millionmealmovement.org or message us on Facebook to share your story.

Thank you to all our volunteers.Whether you’ve helped packed 1 meal or 10,000, you’re helping to fight hunger at home.