My internship for the past month has been with a small non-profit Christian organization that operates solely off of the generosity of donors. The mission of my agency is to fulfill the scripture, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you clothed me…” (Matthew 25). This non-profit offers anyone in need a weekly food box as well as a access to medical care and discounted/free clothing.

An observation that I have made about this organization is how diverse the people who volunteer there are. Everyone from homeless community members to college students is there donating their time and service to this facility. I believe that this is because unlike other charity organizations, this one does not require any prior training or a background check to volunteer. The agency is happy for any and all help, whether or not you are offering this just once or every Saturday for a year. This is particularly helpful for individuals in need of the organization’s services who who would rather work for what they receive instead of getting what they might consider to be a “hand-out.” This charity does not discriminate in any way, shape, or form and is willing to help every person who walks through the door regardless of their race, religious affiliation, age, gender, or lifestyle choices.

One of the major questions that I had after my first day of interning there was where was all of this food coming from? The amounts of bread, meat, sweets, and dairy products were so vast that I could not imagine that this was the result of families cleaning out their pantries. I was able to speak to one of the heads of the organization and he elucidated that the food available to fill the food boxes is donated by local grocery stores that instead of throwing out surplus items or products that aren’t profitable give the food to the agency to help the hungry. Without these businesses donating their unwanted food, the agency wouldn’t be able to distribute food boxes to local people in need every Saturday.
I did notice, however, that because all of the food is donated, the organization cannot always ensure that there will be enough of each different food group to put in the boxes. For example, near the end of one of the shifts, the only items I had left in abundance were bread and sweet products. There were still three families patiently awaiting a box and all I had left to give them were cupcakes, cookies, rolls, eggs, and several loaves of white bread. Tragically, while these food boxes offer people something to eat when they would otherwise have to go without, the boxes are not always healthy or nourishing. This is particularly concerning when the families have children whose diets are more demanding of proper nutrition in order to grow properly. While the agency tries its best to provide its clients with a well-balanced box, due to a lack of resources they can’t always do this. This is representative of one of the many challenges that non-profit organizations face.