Twenty-five percent of children and senior citizens in Greater Cleveland face food insecurity, according to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. But food pantries managed by the Hunger Network, designed to help those residents, are also facing a looming issue with volunteers.
Cardboard boxes once filled with frozen chicken, canned vegetables and boxes of rice are folded and flattened. Dozens of brown paper bags are filled with groceries and ready for anyone who visits the Lee-Miles Hunger Center looking for food assistance.
Charles Mull has been folding boxes and filling bags there for 14 years.
鈥淢y life is a life of service,鈥� Mull said. 鈥淭en years in the military and serving people, helping people out, serving my church, God and man. That's what I'm all about.鈥�
Even at 87-years-old, he has no plans to stop his food pantry volunteering.
Leonard Killings, a retired Lutheran pastor, has managed the hunger center for 12 years.
鈥淚 have days where I feel overwhelmed,鈥� Killings said. 鈥淧icking up food from a food bank, at least a half a ton or more food, and some of that I have to manually put into the van that I use. And then I bring it back to this location where I have to help unload it onto the shelves and into the freezers and refrigerators. And so at that point, I'm really kind of tired.鈥�
He recognizes there will be a day when he can鈥檛 do it anymore.
鈥淚 needed to have a hernia repaired and when I needed that, I could not lift anything. So, the 1,000-plus pounds I would receive at the food bank, I would have to handload onto the van,鈥� Killings said. 鈥淚 know sooner or later I won't be able to do that.鈥�
Emma Messett is the Hunger Network鈥檚 hunger relief program director. Killings spoke highly of her.
鈥淪he brings energy,鈥� Killings said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 made to do this type of work.鈥�
Messett guessed the average age of a Hunger Network volunteer is in their 70s. She said she certainly appreciates them, but is working to recruit younger volunteers.
鈥淭his group's really dedicated in here. But if this group exactly isn't here in place, are there people stepping up behind them?鈥� Messett said. 鈥淭wo pantry managers have passed away unexpectedly since I started 鈥� I just really want to bring awareness to having succession plans, and plans for what happens when the next generation needs to step in and step up.鈥�
Knowing the physical limitations he and his cohort have, Killings agreed.
鈥淭he younger volunteers are the best. Not only were they able to do the physically demanding work, they were able to do the longer hours and then bring that energy," he said.
Messett said younger folks working day jobs is a barrier to recruitment, adding that younger people tend to lean on giving monetary donations versus volunteering their time.
鈥淭he hands-on labor, especially for people that are able-bodied, is really necessary,鈥� Messett said. 鈥淧eople don't have unlimited time anymore to just go out and do extracurriculars.鈥�
But the next generation of help may be on the way. According to an American Red Cross , Generation Z is the organization's fastest growing and largest group of volunteers.
Northeast Ohio鈥檚 food pantries are hopeful this youth movement will carry over to them. They're also hopeful younger volunteers stay as dedicated to the cause as the current volunteers 鈥� like Charles Mull.
鈥淓verybody in life gets discouraged, but you got to keep on,鈥� Mull said.
Two years ago, he had his left leg surgically removed, but even that couldn't convince him to end his volunteer service. Instead, he breaks down boxes and fills bags from his electric wheelchair every week.
鈥淚 want to be an inspiration to someone else who's discouraged,鈥� Mull said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a blessing and there's more blessings when you can help someone else out.鈥�
