Rahway Food For Friends Youth Engagement
Submitted by Najah Allen
Youth volunteerism is both pivotal and valuable to our society. Volunteering at non-profits, like Rahway Food For Friends (RFFF), encourages increased public support, up-to-date ideas, and a culture of new supporters. In return, the youth receive a lifelong impact by learning new social skills, greater life satisfaction, and enhanced cognitive development.
Some may believe youth wouldn’t want to do work they don’t get paid for. Rahway’s youth has shown this statement is ficticious often expressing “doing this makes [them] feel more grateful”. Young participants have become more well-rounded from being exposed to a part of the community that may have been hidden from them. They were able to see that everyone has a different path or circumstance in life. The youth who volunteer at Rahway Food For Friends reveal that our future leaders know that big impacts start small.
Celebrating 30 years of giving back and feeding the whole person, Rahway Food For Friends understands that youth involvement is key to a sustainable presence in the Rahway community. Making sure lifelong change is attainable we must reach out to the young people of today for a better tomorrow.
RFFF Board of Trustees and CEO, Candance Ashe, is well aware that 72% of patrons they service fall below the federal poverty line according to Feeding America. Also, how fast expenses outpace household incomes and how COVID-19 continues to impact many households. Exposing young people to this sad reality will encourage them to continue giving back, acknowledge how grateful they are, and become problem solvers of this crisis. RFFF stands firm that their younger volunteers will forever be changed since many younger volunteers remain active in social issues. And what a difference passing the torch has made at Distribution Day! RFFF’s main goal is to continue long-term youth involvement at the Food Bank. Now, let’s dive into how our lovely Rahway teens were empowered by volunteering and collaborating with local businesses to donate proceeds from summer events!
Operating for 30 years, the torch has been passed down many times to young volunteers who often come back to service the New Jersey community years later. One example of this is Diane Huff, who continues to volunteer and donate to RFFF for over 20 years. Diane “recruited her two daughters LaToya and LaTosha when they were teenagers” to volunteer at the Rahway Food For Friends – Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen. She believes that youth volunteerism “teaches them that you have to care about other people, so they are aware that it’s not all about them.” Because Diane established this with her daughters as teens, till this day both of her daughters help with daily tasks.
Candance Ashe believes youth engagement is the driving force of awareness in the community. She along with TeenWorks directors Matthew Kowal and Steve Lewis led the teens of Rahway in understanding the importance of aiding those in need. The teens assisted in packaging products for over 600 families monthly. TeenWorks even collaborated with local Rahway Business, Coffee Shop, with a music and lemonade event donating all proceeds to RFFF.
For years RFFF has maintained a great relationship with Rahway High School’s ROTC and JROTC. Before the pandemic, the officer training programs have “brought bags to the cars for women, children and seniors.” Sergeant Major Henry and Sergeant Major Mintz instilled in their students that serving the nation is serving those in need. Rahway truly is a community invested in aiding all those who need assistance. The only way to continue this is by putting youth volunteerism at its forefront. Because if the teens and kids can do it, why can’t we all? The work Rahway Food For Friends has done with ROTC, JROTC, and TeenWorks has expanded to other local Rahway businesses extending a hand as well. Rahway’s Best After School Program and Tiger’s Martial Arts Academy organized a “parents night out event”, donating all proceeds to the Food Pantry. Our youth here in Rahway truly lead the way.
According to Feeding America, 762,530 people are facing hunger and from that amount, 192,580 are children. Youth volunteers must understand other teens and children need their increased awareness of this crisis. The young teens are left with lifelong impacts through becoming part of a community, understanding the importance of community, remaining active, and cultivating a culture of gratitude for what they have. It was amazing seeing teens at the Rahway Food For Friends – Food Pantry starting to make an association between helping others and their joy. They are true leaders and our future decision-makers. Let’s congratulate them and continue to push the importance of empathy for the less fortunate around them.
Let’s continue to serve our community in need! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to volunteer or donate in the form of monetary contributions, clothing, non-perishables, food items, toiletries, baby products, miscellaneous personal items (i.e., soap, toothbrushes, etc.). Rahway Food for Friends needs all helping hands and donations which have become depleted due to increased needs brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donations email: rahwayfoodforfriends@gmail.com
Make all checks payable to:
Rahway Food For Friends, Inc.
P.O. Box 1882
Rahway, NJ 07065
