Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Volunteers are the heart and soul of Three Square Food Bank. Each week, thousands of selfless, caring individuals, families and groups donate their time to helping us move food out of our kitchen and warehouses and into the community. April is a time when we celebrate our volunteers for their dedication and hard work in helping us relieve hunger in Southern Nevada. We spoke with Volunteer Engagement Manager Mikell Roberts to learn more about her team, Three Square's volunteers, and the upcoming National Volunteer Appreciation Week.
What is National Volunteer Appreciation Week and how do you and your team celebrate?
National Volunteer Appreciation Week is an annual nationwide celebration focused on appreciating and promoting volunteerism. This year, National Volunteer Appreciation Week will be celebrated from April 16th to April 21st. At Three Square Food Bank, we spend the entire week showing our appreciation to our volunteers. During this time, Three Square is decorated with balloons and a message of gratitude. We also offer treats throughout the week to volunteers. We kick the week off with our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast where we present awards to our top individual and group volunteers. Thanks to our sponsors, volunteers are given VIP treatment, delicious food, trophies, tickets, gift baskets and more. They do so much for us throughout the year, so this is our chance to show them how grateful we are for their support. Three Square is always a place of hope and coming together, especially during National Volunteer Appreciation Week.
Give us a fun fact about your department that someone who is unfamiliar with Three Square might not know.
The volunteer department at Three Square is comprised of a team of nine, and we all contribute something unique. Although we all come from different backgrounds, we work together so well because each and every one of us has one thing in common: a deep passion for Three Square's mission and a love for working with our volunteers. With nearly 200 volunteer visits each day, our team is incredibly busy, but we always make time for fun. Three Square is one of a kind and something that we all value. Just to give you an example of our team's style, we dressed up last Halloween in our overalls and western gear, representing "Three Square produce farmers," while parading around the office to "Green Acres."
How do our volunteers inspire you?
I am inspired daily by our volunteers. Getting to work with so many wonderful, giving and compassionate individuals make my job the best job ever! It is easy to be inspired by our volunteers as many of them come in to help weekly, and they are willing to help us with just about anything we need. Together, our volunteers pack around 12,000 Kids Cafe® meals a day and over 10,000 pounds of produce a day for families, WOW! Beyond this, many of our volunteers are advocates in the community representing Three Square and its mission. Each year, during our Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, I am able to reflect on the past year and all that our volunteers have done for us. Every year, I am amazed at the work that one individual or group has achieved. If you ever want a reminder of the strength and compassion of the Southern Nevada community, just stop by Three Square and talk to one of our volunteers.
What do you love most about our volunteers?
I love learning about them and listening to their stories. Every volunteer has a different story. If you take the time to get to know them, it is always interesting to learn about what motivates and inspires them to give back to the community. We have volunteers that are 10 years old and others who are 86 years old. Some are Las Vegas natives and others have come from all around the world. The one thing they all have in common is a heart for service, and that is beautiful.
Please complete this sentence: Without our volunteers...
We would never have become the organization we are today. Together, we can feed everyone!
Ready to volunteer? Learn more about our volunteer program and activities by visiting our volunteer page.