In a recent LinkedIn post, Whitney Trella shared her excitement for volunteering at Second Harvest Heartland, describing her experience as "the best time." We love hearing positive reviews from our volunteers and wondered: What about her experience as a first time volunteer was so meaningful?
Through conversation, Whitney expressed the challenges of moving to Minnesota during the winter and working a remote job. "For the first 6 months I felt as I was unable to get out and meet people, or do new things because I was new to the state," Whitney said. "My current job is with the Minnesota Department of Human Services Direct Care and Treatment Equity team. I was doing the job via online but I wanted to do physical work" to give back the to the community.
Enter in Second Harvest Heartland. With daytime and evening shifts spanning Monday-Friday and every other Saturday, Whitney was able to find a time to ditch the desk and participate in a volunteer shift packing potatoes, socializing with others while getting food out to our neighbors.
Whitney felt the process was smooth from start to finish, saying, "The staff was great. They made the process from checking in to checking out very simple and easy. I felt so empowered at the end of our shift when the group was shown how much food was packed and how many meals will be provided from our efforts."
As for future plans? Whitney has identified the Volunteer Center as a place of continued connection and belonging. "I plan to volunteer here on a monthly basis to give back as much as I can."
Resonate with Whitney? Find connection through volunteerism at a Second Harvest Heartland food repacking shift! The 3:30-5pm and 6-8pm shifts are a great starting place. Sign up here.
