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Here’s a behind-the-scenes tidbit about the Volunteer Spotlight: during the interview, the volunteer is often asked for two words that describe themselves. People tend to be modest.

That was the case with this month’s Volunteer profile, Brittney Scull. “Um, I’d say active…and maybe giving? It makes me feel good that I can help.”

Scull is a mother of three (two young teens and a toddler), a college student, a Sunday School teacher, and works at Cox. Even with such a full schedule, she finds time to volunteer with several programs, including Bridges for Kids, Well-Fed, and Ozarks Food Harvest’s Full Circle Gardens.

When asked why she volunteers, she talks about a series of classes she went through at church where they talked about what it meant to be Christ-like. “We give up our time because it’s what we are blessed with. We give up our time to help others,” she shared. She likes to volunteer with Ozarks Food Harvest because she understands the importance of nutrition as a dietetic student, plus she likes the gardens.

She says working in the gardens is a stress reliever, and she likes the atmosphere, being around the people there, and playing in the dirt. Some days she just looks around her and says, “Yep, this is where I need to be.”

The people there are a big attraction, and it’s why she keeps coming back. “The ladies that run the garden are amazing. They are so welcoming. They make you feel important and they stay connected with you,” and she likes talking with the other volunteers, “You get to see other people and hear their stories. No one is there to judge; everyone is there to have a good time and it doesn’t feel like work.” She volunteers a few hours a week so she can meet new people and help provide continuity for them.

Volunteering makes you feel good. Scull says for her, it’s taking a little piece of world hunger and just helping a few people at the end of the day to not be hungry. And that’s true. With volunteers like her, the Full Circle Gardens brought in nearly 90,000 of fresh produce last year – that’s the equivalent of 72,000 meals. “It just makes me feel good,” Scull said, “Why not help just a little?” Spoken like a true giver.

We’re so proud to have volunteers like Britney Scull help us in the gardens. If you’d like to be a part of our volunteer family, check out the opportunities we have available here.