The Cooke family has been volunteering at the STEAC Food Pantry since early 2020, when the pandemic began. Janis and Alex, along with their two children, volunteer once a week for two hours helping sort and pack for the Food Packs for Kids program.

“It’s fun because it is something tangible we can do to help, and we can see the results of our time here. It has been fun volunteering as a family,” said Janis. 

During the pandemic, more families were interested in volunteering together. Volunteering at the Food Pantry served as a good way to learn volunteerism, by example. Families like the Cooke’s were able to help the community and give back while also remaining socially distant from others. 

When asked, “what motivates you to keep coming back?” Janis replied, “there’s obviously a need and this is just something we can do right now to help.”