The Feed | April 2024

One Volunteer's Passion: How Barb Young is Fostering a Love of Reading at Lakeshore Food Club

As we round out Volunteer Appreciation Month at Lakeshore Food Club we want to take a moment to highlight one of our dedicated volunteers, Barb Young, who embodies the heart and soul of LFC. If you’ve been to the Food Club, you may know her! She is usually stationed at the membership desk, keeping a watchful eye and making sure everyone who walks through our doors feels welcome. But Barb's commitment to our community goes far beyond her official “volunteer” duties. An example being the "PoWer! Book Bags" that fill a special corner at LFC – this is Barb's passion.

PoWer Book Bags, which stands for “Play Write Read”,  began with founder Kara Gregory's vision of getting new books into children's hands. The only issue was finding enough bags to fill the need. Inspired, Barb decided to tackle the bag shortage head-on. Although a workshop led by Norma Anderson initially sparked her interest, Barb soon developed her own methods, driven by her love for crafting and a desire to see kids reading.

Barb's dedication extends beyond creating the bags. She takes the initiative to pick up books from a central location and restocks our shelves at LFC. Her genuine care for our Members, especially the children, shines through when she reminds them to return with their book bags so they can take home a new, free book. Barb volunteers a remarkable 2-3 times a week, placing 10-15 book bags out each week, quietly contributing to countless moments of joy and hope for the youngest members of our community. The impact of this program at LFC, coupled with the incredible efforts of PoWer Book Bags, has resulted in over 500 bags a year being distributed to local children. It's a testament to the power of individual passion and collaboration! Learn more about PoWeR Book Bags here: https://www.powerbookbags.org.

Barb's story is just one example of the incredible volunteers who make LFC a beacon of hope and endless opportunity. We are incredibly grateful for her dedication and for each and every one of our volunteers who share their time and talents to make a difference in the lives of our community.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at Lakeshore Food Club, please reach out to Alison Glossinger or visit LakeshoreFoodClub.org/lfcvolunteers.