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Retired school employee sees hunger first-hand, takes action

Retired school employee sees hunger first-hand, takes action

August 9, 2016 in Volunteer Spotlight

When Melanie Webb worked at the cafeteria in the Marshfield Public School system, she saw first-hand the benefits children receive when they have enough to eat at school.

However, before the school introduced the standardized lunch cards, Webb watched kids go hungry that were too embarrassed to get the free or reduced lunches.

“When I worked in the school system, there were kids that didn’t want free lunches and that broke my heart,” Webb shared. “The lunch cards were great because it took away any feelings of embarrassment and all the kids were now eating lunch, testing better and thinking better.”

Now retired from the school system, Webb spends her days taking care of her home and tending to her garden in Marshfield where her husband and 20-year-old son also live.

Driven by a passion to serve people in need, Webb continues to help hungry children, families and seniors in the Ozarks by sorting and packing food at The Food Bank.

“I was fortunate enough to have the means to provide for my son, but I know there are single mothers and fathers that have experienced a job loss,” she said.

Webb believes food pantries are a good way to supplement and allows struggling individuals to provide for their families.

“It makes me feel good to know I’m helping feed people,” Webb said.

Growing up in a rural town there were farms and gardens everywhere, so Webb said was never made aware of people that struggled to provide food to their families.

After joining Ozarks Food Harvest as a volunteer one and a half years ago, Webb has learned about the critical need for food assistance in Missouri.

“There is such a need in Missouri and even in Greene County that I could have ever imagined,” she shared. “So that’s been very eye opening.”

One in four people in the Ozarks are served by The Food Bank’s network of 200 hunger-relief organizations stretching across 28 counties in southwest Missouri.

Volunteers like Webb work hard every day to ensure people have food on their tables.

 

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