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KFB Volunteer of the Week: GRow 1000 Students

Volunteers at Kids’ Food Basket fuel our mission each day through planting, harvesting, prepping, packing, and delivering nourishing food. They drive our success and help all children thrive.

This season Kids’ Food Basket was grateful to have five young women spend six weeks on our team as a part of the GRow 1000 program, partnered through the City of Grand Rapids. 

GRow 1000 is a summer employment program for local teens and young adults between the ages of 15-21 years-old. This program’s goals are to provide young people opportunities that will enhance their job readiness skills and to help young people explore future career interests and earn income. 

We are so grateful to every single volunteer that engages with us as we would not be able to nourish children to reach their full potential if it wasn’t for their generosity and compassion for their community and neighbors.

Name: Molly B

How did you first hear about Kids’ Food Basket?
Someone came to my church for spaghetti night and we always choose a charity to give the donations to. Kids Food Basket did a presentation. I volunteered here lots with my mom and my church before joining GR1000. 

How has this experience been for you? 
I like it a lot. It is nice and rewarding to know what we’re doing is helping a lot of people.

What has been your favorite thing you’ve gotten to do?
I really like the CSA, it’s fun! Just being here is a nice and welcoming atmosphere.

One word to describe this whole experience?
Warm.

Why is it important that volunteers come here and support Kids’ Food Basket?
It keeps this place going, helping the community be stronger and healthy.

Favorite fruit or vegetable?
I like oranges A LOT!

Name: Beylul

How did you first hear about Kids’ Food Basket?
 I live really close and always passed it. It wasn’t until I got involved with my church that I started volunteering here and also with the GR1000. This was one of the programs they had available.  

 How has this experience been for you? 
It has been really fun. I have been able to get out of my comfort zone a little bit, I am a very shy person. I have had to open myself up to volunteers and the staff here in general. It has been different, but also very fun. I am happy I had this experience because I can’t always be shy.  

What has been your favorite thing you’ve gotten to do? 
 I would say working on the farm with the volunteers and being able to talk to them. I get to hear why they came here and their story as we pick vegetables.  

What has been something you learned? 
I have learned communication skills. Everyone here is warm and welcoming and I have applied that to myself. 

One word to describe this whole experience? 
Welcoming. 

Why is it important that volunteers come her and support Kids’ Food Basket? 
We aren’t doing this for ourselves. At the end of the day, it is for the betterment of kids who can’t do this for themselves. It is rewarding in the end to help people. 

Favorite fruit or vegetable? 
My favorite fruit is strawberries and vegetable is celery!  

Name: MaQyla

How did you first hear about Kids’ Food Basket?
The elementary that I went to used to give Sack Suppers and I heard about it from them.  

How has this experience been for you? 
This is my first job experience. It has been good. 

What has been your favorite thing you’ve gotten to do? 
I liked the CSA and the raised beds projects we are doing now. 

What has been something you learned? 
I have learned that there is more to your food than just buying it at the store. You have to pick it, wash it, package it, ship it, and then do it all again.  

One word to describe this whole experience? 
Experience – a good experience. 

 Why is it important that volunteers come her and support Kids’ Food Basket? 
Packing all the food is pretty fun. You get to talk to new people and learn things about new people. 

 Favorite fruit or vegetable? 
My favorite fruit is pineapple. I don’t really like vegetables, but I’d have to say broccoli.  

Name: Paris

How did you first hear about Kids’ Food Basket? 
School. 

How has this experience been for you? 
It was fun. I never got to do any stuff like this. 

 What has been your favorite thing you’ve gotten to do? 
Produce the cooking videos.  

What has been something you learned? 
How to format a spreadsheet. 

One word to describe this whole experience? 
Dirty – because I’m out on the farm. 

Why is it important that volunteers come her and support Kids’ Food Basket? 
So that kids can eat.  

Favorite fruit or vegetable? 
My favorite fruit is oranges and my favorite vegetable is cucumbers.  

Name: Skyler

How did you first hear about Kids’ Food Basket?
I used to decorate bags at school. I forgot about KFB until this job opportunity. 

 How has this experience been for you? 
It’s been good. I have learned a lot and it has helped me build better relationships with people that I wouldn’t have met if I wasn’t here 

What has been your favorite thing you’ve gotten to do? 
My favorite thing is doing the CSA. I really like that, I like organizing. That is a big part of it and running back and forth with the bags is also pretty fun.  

What has been something you learned? 
I learned a lot about a lot of different foods. I didn’t know there were that many types of lettuce or kale. It is just a big realization of learning how many different types of food there is.  

One word to describe this whole experience? 
Rollercoaster. 

Why is it important that volunteers come her and support Kids’ Food Basket? 
It is really helping childhood hunger. A big part of how KFB works, I’ve noticed, is volunteers that do a lot of the work. It helps the nonprofit keep money they need to feed more kids 

Favorite fruit or vegetable? 
I really like green grapes!Â