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MIDVALE — Whether it’s feeding the homeless or fostering shelter dogs, Utahns are known for supporting worthy causes. As part of National Volunteer Month, we’re honoring the AARP volunteers who team up with the Utah Food Bank to feed Utah students. At Midvale Elementary, every month, volunteers with AARP come out and donate their time to help students and families in need. Once the mobile food bank rolls in, volunteers quickly unload boxes of food Donna Schultz is a volunteer with AARP. Their mission is to fill 170 bags with bread, fruit, cheese and other food items. “It’s definitely an operation,” Schultz said. After school, kids pick up bags packed with 20 pounds of food — and a little extra for the weekend. “When kids are hungry, they can’t learn,” said Carolee Mackay, principal of Midvale Elementary. She said her staff use the resource as well. “It’s not just the students that are being impacted but the whole community really as a whole,” Mackay said. They get a big assist from the Utah Food Bank. “As we fight hunger across the state of Utah, we recognize as an organization we can’t do it without volunteers,” said Ginette Bott, president and CEO of the Utah Food Bank. AARP volunteers will try to keep the burden off Utah families. “I like helping people and it just feels good to be able to do something that’s making a difference in your community,” Schultz said. This is one of 71 volunteer service projects done in schools all across the state.
