Working at the food bank has been very rewarding, from feeding families and children in need to the personal perks, such as meeting the President and the First Family. Nothing is more gratifying, however, than interacting with partner agencies such as Children of Mine, Inc. and Allen Chapel AME, who are on the frontline in the struggle against hunger.
McKinley Crudup, Executive Director of Food Pantry Operations at Allen Chapel AME, manages one of the food bank’s mobile pantry distribution sites and helps feed over 2000 people a week. They distribute fresh produce on the first, third and fifth Wednesdays of the month; and have a regular food distribution on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. Allen Chapel AME also distributes food every Friday.
Crudup said that he sees the need and feels the hurt of those clients seeking food. He recalled one particular story in which a grandfather came late to one of Allen’s distributions and picked up the left-over food items. The grandfather revealed that he lived with his daughter and four grandsons, all under the age of four, and between his social security and the daughter’s SNAP benefits they were barely able to make it. He continued that without the food from Allen Chapel AME, his family couldn’t survive.
Witnessing first-hand the impact that our partner agencies have on people’s lives is truly eye-opening, as it is the Crudup’s of the world that enable the food bank to feed over 480,000 individuals, families, children and seniors struggling just to get enough food to eat. Seeing the compassion and dedication exhibited by such leaders is humbling and inspiring.