“As a volunteer, you get to meet all different kinds of caring and sharing people… you get a real sense of the spread and need for food,” says Dave, a volunteer that has been with Central Illinois Foodbank every week for the past decade. 

Over the years, Dave's volunteering has evolved from breaking down boxes in the warehouse to assisting with food distributions in the community. “My involvement and awareness have increased since going everywhere,” Dave states, as he explains how going to food distributions across central and southern Illinois has changed his outlook on hunger.

In the moments where he's able to lend a hand at food distribution events, he sees it as an opportunity to learn about the different pantries and describes getting “that warm feeling of ‘we're here to help you’” from the volunteers local to that area. 

Apart from his dedication to the Foodbank, Dave spends a great deal of his time supporting community development. After retiring from the Illinois Commerce Commission as Director of Public Affairs, he keeps busy with his involvement in NPR Illinois, the Illinois Innocence Project, and the Macarthur Boulevard Association. Dave likes to read everything he can put his hands on and is a self-proclaimed “news junkie.”

Thank you, Dave, for supporting our community and feeding our neighbors.