Wondering how to help? Start here.

“What’s the one thing you need most at The Store right now? What is most important right now?

”Someone asked me this at a recent “Meet The Store” session with our friends at the County Music Association. We’d just wrapped up a conversation about food insecurity, the 2,000+ households waiting for services, and the daily balancing act of serving with both dignity and urgency. It was a generous, honest question—the kind that comes from someone who really wants to help.

And I’ll be honest, my first instinct was to list all the practical needs: We need donations to expand our reach. OR We need more food drives to help fill our shelves. OR We need to find a company that will sponsor our upcoming event.

But instead, I landed on something different: Come volunteer. Just once. Sign up for a shift. See the Store in action.

Because here’s what I’ve learned: volunteering isn’t a side note in this work—it’s the doorway in.It’s how most of our long-term supporters found their way to us. Board members. Monthly donors. Corporate partners. Advocates. They didn’t start out with a five-year giving plan. They just showed up. For one shift. And something changed.

They stocked shelves and met neighbors. They heard customer stories. They witnessed the quiet joy of choice—the dignity of selecting food for your family without shame. They came in to help and walked out changed.

At The Store, we’re playing the long game. We’re not just fighting hunger—we’re building a community where people belong, where support is relational not transactional. And that starts with people who come close enough to see.

Volunteering also does something beautiful: it creates connection.

Between neighbors. Between coworkers. Between strangers who find themselves packing produce and talking about life. It builds empathy not by instruction, but through experience.

So if you’re wondering where to begin, if the scale of community hunger feels overwhelming and you’re not sure how to help—start there.

Give a few hours. Come meet us. Come meet the work.Because when people experience the mission in motion, they don’t just lend a hand—they find their place.

Thanks you so much for CMA for hosting us and a special thanks to Emily Schleh and LeighAnn Rodd.