Service becomes stronger when it’s shared
For Vanessa Brodrick and her family, volunteering at The Sharing Center is about more than sorting food or packing produce. It’s become a meaningful way to spend time together while also giving back to their community.
Vanessa and her two children are regular volunteers, and when their schedules align, her husband joins them as well. Over time, they’ve become familiar faces in our volunteer program, helping ensure that food and essential resources reach local families in need.
When asked why they volunteer as a family, Vanessa shared a simple reflection on what the experience means to them:
“Our family loves volunteering at The Sharing Center. We enjoy the time we get to spend with other people in the community and sorting food for those in need and packing produce for those in need. It makes us feel like we are part of the community and contributing.”
For the Brodrick family, volunteering has grown into something they look forward to together. In the middle of busy weeks filled with school, work, and everyday responsibilities, it gives them a chance to slow down and spend time side by side while doing something that matters.
It has also become a way for them to show their children what service looks like in practice. Each shift brings small but meaningful lessons in kindness, responsibility, and awareness of others; lessons that are often more powerful when lived out together rather than simply talked about.
And while they are helping sort and pack food for neighbors in need, they are also building something of their own: shared time, shared purpose, and shared memories.
At The Sharing Center, we are grateful for families like the Brodrick’s who remind us that volunteering doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes, it’s simply about showing up—together.
To learn more about volunteering at the Sharing Center follow the Volunteer Tab at the top of the page.