United Way of Mat-Su Volunteer Spotlight, Volunteers make Food Pantry of Wasilla successfulBy

CASEY RESSLER-Frontiersman Valley Life editor

WASILLA -- The Food Pantry of Wasilla feeds people everyday -- people who otherwise might go hungry. Being able to provide food to those in need wouldn't be possible without volunteers.

Volunteers make the Food Pantry of Wasilla run smoothly. From purchasing foods to actually working at the pantry on food distribution days, volunteers cover every facet of the day-to-day operation.

"We don't have any paid positions," said Karen Widmer, the volunteer coordinator. "We have 53 volunteers, and they do everything for the food pantry. They are the people who make it happen."

Two volunteers who stick out in Widmer's mind are Laurie Smith and Betty White. Both have been given their time to the food pantry, just to help others.

"Laurie is a young mother, but she still volunteers her time," Widmer said. "She is sort of like our office manager. She sees what needs to be done and organizes people to do them."

White works in the pantry on Fridays, distributing food. She also shops at the Alaska Food Bank for the pantry, and she even goes to Costco to purchase plastic bags so the pantry can divide up dry goods like beans and rice.

"There are so many little things that need to be done that people don't realize," Widmer said.

Widmer said the Food Pantry of Wasilla wouldn't be able to function without the generosity in the Valley -- from businesses, to churches to individuals.

"There are a lot of people who contribute," Widmer said.

Businesses such as Fred Meyer and Wal-Mart have donated food and goods to the pantry, and organizations such as the Boy Scouts, the U.S. Postal Service and others have organized food drives, which helps the pantry.

Support from churches is just as strong. The pantry is housed in the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wasilla on Bogard Road, but it is supported by a group of nine churches.

And individual donations are vital to the pantry's success in helping others.

"One lady said she wanted to write a check and donate to the food pantry, and asked me who she should make the check payable to," Widmer said. "I took the check and folded it up and put in my pocket. A couple of hours later I looked at it, and it was for a thousand dollars.

"A lot of people donate money to the pantry, and that helps. Everything helps," Widmer added.

The Food Pantry of Wasilla is always looking for additional volunteers to help, Widmer said.

If someone is interested in volunteering, they can contact Widmer at 373-7390.

The Food Pantry of Wasilla is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Mostly, the work performed and the volunteers themselves remain out of the spotlight. They are faceless people who give their time and their talent each day, without expecting or receiving much recognition.

We want to change that. Is there a volunteer your nonprofit agency simply could not live without? If so, please let us know.

We want to shed light on the efforts many of these unassuming people give every day to charities, nonprofit agencies, local organizations or even their neighbors.

To nominate a person to be highlighted, please e-mail the person's name, a contact number for them and for yourself, and a brief description of what makes the work they do important. E-mail submissions to editor@alaska.net, or mail them to the Frontiersman, 5751 E. Mayflower Ct., Wasilla, AK, 99654.