Excerpts from People Helping People.

Excerpt 1

HELPING IN THE COMMUNITY

The Liberty Street Market located in an impoverished area of downtown Cincinnati is a choice

pantry. It is laid out much like a grocery store. It is dependent on volunteers to keep shelves stocked, to bag food, and to help customers.

When I last volunteered at the Liberty Street Market, I was a runner. My job as a runner was to load groceries into people’s cars or to help people gather their bagged groceries for their walk home or to the bus stop.

As we walked out together— me pushing their shopping cart to their car, it was easy to chat. One woman kept telling me she was sorry for being so needy and to please forgive her for having to go back for something she forgot.

I let her know there was no need to explain or to be sorry. I’ve been there before, on the edge, scared I wouldn’t survive. I know what it is like— that raw empty feeling inside our gut,

breaking down our mental and emotional cognition when it is a must to depend on others for our basic needs.

According to the Freestore’s website, this downtown foodbank serves right around 300 families daily and more than 88,000 individuals annually. From what I saw in that day of my volunteering, these numbers are a gross understatement. I saw that only so many people could shop at one time.

This left a long line of people waiting their turn. The line never grew short. People in need kept showing up.

Excerpt from People Helping People

By Elle Mott

Copyright May 2020

Excerpt 2

SHOPPING WITH THOSE IN NEED

Yesterday’s experience put me face to face with those in need. Early in my volunteer shift, I worked alongside other volunteers to stock pantry shelves. This foodbank is a choice pantry, which allows people to choose items from the selection available, much like a regular grocery store. From canned goods, hundreds of peanut butter jars, fresh cabbage, onions, and other vegetables, as well as frozen meats, we filled the food room up.

As soon as the doors opened, one of the first ladies to come in was using a walker to get around. She couldn’t push a shopping cart, too. I went shopping with her. This lady with a walker latched on to me and right away, I felt like her friend. We walked together down each aisle together. I helped her gather her choice items and pushed her cart for her.

Each customer to the food room is given anywhere from one to four large paper sacks to fill up with as much food as they can, provided it doesn’t go over a certain weight limit. Produce are freebies, not needing to take up room in their sacks. Family size determines how many sacks of food they can take home with them.

As the volunteering day continued to unfold, I helped keep shelves stocked, helped customers as needed, and did a few maintenance tasks like unfolding paper sacks to hand out.

Chatting with other volunteers, I heard several reasons they showed up to help. “I’m retired, this gives me something to do” and “My son and I came together. I want him to learn the value of helping others.” Me, my reason: “I was once on the receiving end, much like these folks we’re helping. Today, I’m on the giving end.”

Excerpt from People Helping People

By Elle Mott

Copyright May 2020

People Helping People: Volunteer Ideas and Resources to Make Positive Impact in our Communities

Elle Mott

Like, follow and subscribe

© 2026 BooksShelf. All Rights Reserved