By Emily Bischoff, Former Volunteer
As a parish member of Oak Hill Presbyterian Church and a Shaw neighborhood resident, Isaiah 58 Ministries always felt like an integral part of my community. I have fond memories of visiting Isaiah 58 Ministries during service trips with AMEN St. Louis and of volunteering at the Isaiah 58 Ministries annual back to school event throughout my adolescence. However, in the spring of 2020, upon being sent home from university, I also became a part of the Isaiah 58 Ministries community.
While many other non-profits and food pantries across St. Louis closed due to the pandemic, Isaiah 58 Ministries not only remained open but expanded to fulfill a growing need. Beginning in March, my mom and I started volunteering at least once a week atIsaiah 58 Ministries. The employees, volunteers, and clients of Isaiah 58 Ministries had been able to quickly adapt to a new format to keep everyone as safe as possible during a time of uncertainty and fear at the beginning of the pandemic and we were able to help actively address a pressing need in our community.
When summer began, I started a position as Summer Program Manager with AMEN St. Louis but fortunately I was able to continue volunteering at Isaiah 58 Ministries as part of this role. I helped pick donated food up from the grocery store, sort, and distribute it. I was also lucky enough to feel integrated into the warm, welcoming community of volunteers and employees at Isaiah 58 Ministries. With limited social interactions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the group of consistent volunteers and employees at Isaiah 58 Ministries provided a much-needed sense of belonging.
A couple of years later and I find myself now living in Far North Queensland, Australia at a remote field station as Student Health & Wellness Manager for The School for Field Studies. I have had the opportunity to visit the world’s oldest rainforest, snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, and spotlight for marsupials all for work. But, after a couple of months living in Australia, I found myself once again in need of a sense of belonging. As I reflected on how I could get more integrated in the community and meet new people, I found myself remembering fondly the community I had built through Isaiah 58 Ministries. I was thus inspired to find an organization with which I could volunteer here in Australia.
I found an organization called Better Together based in the nearby town of Atherton and applied to volunteer in their community pantry. However, upon submitting my application to volunteer, the organization asked if I was interested in a more involved role. They cited my prior experience volunteering with Isaiah 58 Ministries as one of the primary reasons I was asked to take on more with Better Together. I am now in the training process for becoming a volunteer engaged in emergency response, a role in which I will meet with clients to listen to what has been affecting them and guiding them to available resources. I am incredibly thankful for my time volunteering with Isaiah 58 Ministries and the way in which has contributed to my life here in Australia!
