Inclusive Agency Volunteer Group Make Food Baskets for the Holiday Season
An inclusive group of volunteers from Citizens Options Unlimited got together this holiday season to create and deliver food baskets to families facing food insecurity. The effort was created through the Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service Grants awarded to our sister agency AHRC Nassau by The Arc of the United States.
This grant encourages people to make a long-term commitment to community service and to bring people together to focus on service to others.
“So many hands went into the efforts of these baskets,” Jerri Walker, Project Coordinator and Volunteer at Citizens Options Unlimited and AHRC Nassau, said. “People of all abilities put in work to ensure these baskets were created and delivered.”
Another initiative of the grant is to work with community partners and create inclusive volunteering opportunities for people with and without disabilities from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Baskets were created by volunteers, like April Kloepfer, and delivered by AHRC Nassau Day Hab Services, including Mikey Sue from Citizens’ Manhasset group home. The baskets were filled with food for the holiday season and gift cards from Stop & Shop.
“I really loved volunteering because it helps people who are less fortunate and it is rewarding to give back to my community,” April Kloepfer said.