Leah Wilson and Megan Swanson are two students at Auburn who dedicate their time, hard work and love into putting on the Loachapoka Food Pantry at Loachapoka United Methodist Church. The Loachapoka Food Pantry is a monthly food pantry event that runs through the Auburn Wesley Foundation. Megan and Leah order thousands of pounds of food from the East Alabama Food Bank and then redistribute the food to families in need of the Loachapoka area. Here is a little more information about these girls who put on the Loachapoka Food Pantry.
Name: Leah Wilson
Major: Communications Disorders: Speech Pathology
Hometown: Rainbow City, Alabama
Goals: To get into Graduate School for Speech Pathology and to go on more international mission trips
Name: Megan Swanson
Major: Natural Resources Management
Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama
Goals: To go into International disaster relief and help communities rebuild from disasters
What is the Food Pantry’s objective?
Megan: “We get food from the East Alabama food bank and we distribute 50 lbs. of food to at least 50 families. We also try to focus on performing relationships in the community and spreading Christ’s love. In the future, we’re hoping to bring in different groups that can talk to our clients about health and wellness and some of the resources available to them. We also want to have a meeting with all the heads of households of the clients to assess how well the food pantry is serving them and what we can do to make it better.”
What made you want to get involved with Food Pantry?
Leah: “When I was a freshman, my good friend Sara Rains, was running the Food Pantry and I heard about it through the Wesley foundation. The first time I went I had to carry this 50lb box and I didn’t love it. The next few times I went I got to work the weigh station and I got to greet people and send them on their way with 50 lbs. of food and I loved it because I actually got to talk to them more. It was all about the relationships I made that’s what made me come back.”
Megan: “The first time I went to the food pantry was my sophomore year and I was definitely going through the “Sophomore slump”, and when I went I was just filled with so much joy talking to people and serving the clients. It became the highlight of my month and what I looked forward to. I discovered I really loved serving people and that’s when I’m happiest and closest to God.”
What is your favorite thing about food pantry?
Leah: “My favorite thing is the relationships. Now that I am out there calling people’s names, I am putting more names to faces. When we print out sign out sheets with the names, I think of the faces and the people and the short, but meaningful conversations I have with them.”
Megan: “My favorite thing about food pantry is the relationships we’re building with our clients but also watching the volunteers that come in and form relationships with the clients that they help and watching them be filled with the same joy that I feel.”
How much work/prep goes into planning Food Pantry every month?
Megan: “We do 2 food orders a month. Those take about 30 minutes each, and we send out a food order online and send it to the food bank. So then, after we put in the first order, we go and pick up food from the food bank and take it to the food pantry. The first order we get is all nonperishable items. The second order we do, we pick it up the day of the Food pantry because that is all our frozen foods and produce. The most work is the day of because we have to order from the food bank, take it out to Loachapoka and then set everything up, then take everything down afterwards.”
Leah: “We usually spend about 6 hours at the church in Loachapoka the day of setting up and getting the food pantry done.”
How much food do you give out to people?
Leah: “We set the limit to 50 lbs. because of the Jubilee Year in the Bible.”
Would you want to pursue more volunteer jobs/opportunities?
Megan: “Yes, through food pantry I discovered I have a heart for serving people and a heart for missions. I have decided I want to go into international disaster relief.”
Leah: “Definitely, I love volunteers in missions. Ever since I started working the food pantry my sophomore year, volunteering and giving back to people is what makes me happiest. That’s part of the reason why I went to Tanzania in 2015 and I would love to go on any other international missions trips later on.”
After volunteering at the Loachapoka Food Pantry, it is evident that these two girls are the Angels of the Loachapoka area. Megan and Leah bring so much love and care to the families involved with the Food Pantry. By dedicating their hard work and time into running the food pantry, they definitely make a difference in not only the community, but also these families’ lives. The food pantry is a great way to volunteer and get involved within the community and is held every month on the third Monday of the month. The next food P\pantry is November 14th, and for more information or questions please contact Leah Wilson at LKW0008@auburn.edu.