What You Learn Spending a Summer at the Food Bank

Daniel Knister and Tim Spurlin spent the summer volunteering at the Food Bank.
Daniel Knister and Tim Spurlin spent the summer volunteering at the Food Bank.

Daniel Knister and Tim Spurlin spent the summer at the Food Bank, interning, in fact, through their church, Thornapple Covenant. Every year, Thornapple sends a pair of high school students to do the hard, unglamorous tasks that make food distribution to 40 counties possible.

While sorting Walmart donations, they talked about what motivated them to serve.

“I found it surprising just how much food was donated and couldn’t be sold,” said Tim, a diehard tennis player entering his junior year. “When the trucks go out, you know it’s helping people.”

Daniel, who will study engineering at the University of Michigan this fall, also serves at Dégagé Ministries, one of our agencies in downtown Grand Rapids. His involvement there allows him to see Feeding America West Michigan’s impact.

“From what I hear, getting food [to the homeless] is not a problem in West Michigan. I think the reason that is, is because of this massive organization.”

See more stories from the Fall 2014 Newsletter and 2013 Annual Report.