Share Iowa Is About Sharing Yourself
Volunteers work to prepare shipments to the many Share Iowa program sites around Iowa and neighboring states.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Sharing of yourself to make a better community isn’t a new premise.
Helping your neighbor or volunteering at an assisted living facility, assisting in a classroom, or distributing food or clothing to the less fortunate often times enriches the volunteer far more than the one in need.
At Share Iowa (Self Help And Resource Exchange), volunteering and making a difference in your neighborhood, community and any other corner of society is all that is asked of participants to utilize the food program. Share Iowa started its 24th year in October, and got its start originally as a SEIDA program.
Becky Newman, Director at Share Iowa, said that there is always volunteer hours connected to every order purchased, and says that Share believes in providing “affordable food packages” and “when you start generating volunteer service in communities, it makes your community stronger.”
“What do you do to share your time and talents? Asked Newman. “Nine times out of ten, they’re already doing something [volunteering]. They just don’t realize they’re sharing themselves.”
Newman talked about some of the food packages they offer, including the ‘Best Value’ package. “We call it the best value package because that’s the one they’re going to get the best savings on. And that one, they’re going to save ten to fifteen to twenty dollars on in comparison with retail prices.”
“The other packages, there are significant savings, but not as large as that one [‘Best Value’],” said Newman.
During the week, some of those volunteers descended upon the Share Iowa warehouse, located on South 7th in Oskaloosa, to help unload food trucks, and to prepare the food shipments that will be distributed to Share Iowa distribution locations. Those locations are mostly in Iowa, but they are also located in Missouri, Illinois, and Nebraska.
The people served by Share Iowa varies some by location, with senior citizens being a large segment of those utilizing the service in this area, while in other communities, that segment may lean towards larger families. The communities that a Share Iowa program are in will help to define how the service is being utilized.
“We want everyone to participate in Share,” says Newman. “It’s a great experience.”
In Oskaloosa, participants in the program pick up their food packages from The Evangelical Church located at 1513 S. Market St. The Oskaloosa pick-up location is run just like every other location in the program, even though the warehouse is in Oskaloosa.
Approximately 85 communities in Iowa are served by the program, and another approximately 110 locations are served in boardering states. Volunteers here in Oskaloosa prepare all those orders for shipment.
“We need volunteers,” says Newman.
If you are interested in learning more about Share Iowa, you can visit them on their website – http://www.shareiowa.com/index.php or by calling them at 800-344-1107.
