Serving with Kids Kupboard

When I was young, my mother was always an active member of the community and served and helped those around us. She always had a project going—sewing for a play, making food for the PTA; we even adopted a grandma in our neighborhood and treated her as a real grandmother. When I was having a hard time in my life or sad or feeling sorry for myself, my mother would always tell me that serving would help me see my blessings and bless others.

Service helps me focus on the right things in my life and not think about myself so often. Of course, I grumbled about it, but I ultimately enjoyed spending time with the elderly or helping out someone with a small child. It made me feel useful and helped me to see the blessings that God has given me. As I grew, I always thought about volunteer work in a positive light. My husband and I have seven children, and my family required all my attention for several years. I know when I have too much on my plate, and I know when to say no. But as the children have been getting older, it’s easier for me to wrap my mind around other projects.

Our family moved to Alaska several years ago. We recognized opportunities to serve, and we wanted to help, but we didn’t know how to get over that hump of the unknown. I feel like my experience is the perfect example of why people do not volunteer in the community. We all want to do something to help, but it can be hard to connect with people or organizations in a meaningful way. My mind buzzed with questions: What if I call and it doesn’t work out with my schedule? Never mind, I’ll do it tomorrow. I have kids, and I’m not sure how that’s going to work out. Will my kids be interested? Will it be hard to get them to go?

I probably sat on my hands for a year or two before I finally did something about it. I looked for a service opportunity on JustServe.org, which helps connect local volunteers to service opportunities. Getting involved only took one phone call to Lynette at Kids Kupboard. She warmly invited us to come for a tour to learn more about their mission. (This is a helpful thought to all the companies needing volunteers. Ensure the person who answers the phone is warm, inviting, and has good answers.) We served at the Boys and Girls Club on Bogard for about a year before Covid. My husband or I would take a couple of kids into the kitchen, and we would make plates of food for the kids at the afterschool program.

These initial efforts slowly morphed into more involvement with Kids Kupboard. Last summer, some of my good friends and I volunteered weekly to assemble the lunch components. We packed portions of carrots, pickles, crackers, cereal, tomatoes, etc., into baggies. While making endless sandwiches and rollups, we visited, counted, and got the job done. I got to know the other employees and how they run their business. It is so enlightening to see how nonprofits work. And especially this nonprofit. When I spend time with the staff at Kids Kupboard, I feel energized, and my mind starts working and thinking about how I could help more. It is inspiring that they keep 26 locations staffed at lunchtime to distribute thousands of lunches every week.

All this talking about it makes me want to get over there and help! The lesson that I learned as a young girl has stuck with me, and I value serving my community with a happy heart. Service helps to lighten the burdens of everyone involved.

Kids Kupboard recently moved to a new location to continue growing and feeding kids in the Mat-Su off Wasilla Fishhook: 4800 N Tanis Rd. If you would like to help, don’t hesitate to contact the Kids Kupboard volunteer coordinator, Hally Marshal, at 507-271-1660. Or, if you have other interests or skills, see more opportunities at JustServe.org.

Whitny Shields has lived in Wasilla since 2016. She enjoys photography and gardening, is a huge book nerd (Goodreads @whitny shields), and loves cooking for her family. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.