With Oklahoma being one of the hungriest states in the nation, employees of the Aeronautical Center are continually poised and ready to help. Every few months, employees and family members of the Aeronautical Center donate a couple of hours of their time at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to help those who are food insecure. The majority of people served by the Food Bank are chronically hungry children, seniors living on limited incomes, and hard working families struggling to make ends meet. On average, approximately 50 million pounds of food is distributed through the Food Bank each year through its network of more than 1,300 community-based partners, in 53 counties in central and western Oklahoma.
On the evening of Wednesday, May 8th approximately 75 Aeronautical Center volunteers donated two hours of their time to sort and pack 149 boxes of multi-grain cereal. Collectively, they packaged 894 bags (approximately 1,341 pounds) of cereal, which will serve 1,118 meals!
"I always enjoy an opportunity to give back to the community, and it means a lot to have my children working beside me while volunteering. In addition to it being a worthwhile cause, it’s a great way to connect with new people, while giving you a greater sense of purpose," says Michelle Coppedge, Director of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. While people are volunteering, the Food Bank plays toe-tapping music, setting the pace for powerful productivity. "You may think that the Food Bank is all about packing food for kids, but it's about everyone, young and old. I have delivered food to wounded veterans, to widows who were so grateful because all they had was social security and the money didn’t last the whole month, and to a single mother or single father raising their children on their own, needing a little help just to make ends meet. If you have the option of eating 3 meals a day, you are blessed. Share your blessings by donating and physically helping. Volunteer to help your community, to assist people you may never meet, but know you are making a positive impact that will stay with you for the rest of your life. When I leave the Food Bank, I know that I put everything into it to help people, and I leave exhausted - but filled with joy," explains I’leta Young, Projects Specialist in the FAA’s Logistics Center’s Product Services Group, who is a frequent volunteer at the Food Bank.
Watch for future broadcast messages as the next volunteer opportunity at the Food Bank will be held on July 24th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Special thanks to everyone who took the time to make a difference in their community. Please consider signing up and bringing your family and friends. We promise, your time will be well spent.
