Local high school volunteers serve up hope at BUCM's soup kitchen
Isabella Johnson and Lorely Tzul (front) of the Rising Youth Organization made fall food bags with apples, bell peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes.
Morgan Shores, member of Freedom’s Anchor Club, served Burke’s homeless and food insecure at BUCM’s soup kitchen during Veterans Day 2024. BUCM can buy food at a discount through the USDA, an ability that BUCM leaders worry could disappear.
Students from Freedom High School’s Anchor Club and Rising Youth Organization volunteered at BUCM’s soup kitchen on Veterans Day.
Angela Smith, volunteer coordinator at BUCM, assigned youth to their designated areas.
The smell of home cooking filled the halls while nearly 30 high school volunteers from Freedom High School’s Anchor Club and Rising Youth Organization took their day out of school to be of help and service to members of Burke’s homeless and food insecure community.
About 2,000 pounds of food arrived at BUCM (Burke United Christian Ministries) on Veterans Day morning. High school students were seen pushing grocery carts full of food, sorting produce, stocking shelves, prepping food, serving food, and hanging clothes in the clothing closet. Students in the prep area made fall food bags with apples, bell peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes. In the kitchen, students used carrot slicers, swiping away, preparing mixed green salads.
Monday’s menu: Southwest baked chicken, rosemary potatoes, Italian wedding soup, roasted vegetables, fruit salad, and an assortment of dessert options.
Danielle Gordon, development director at BUCM, said that without the students’ help, it would have taken BUCM’s 24 staff members and volunteers much longer to complete the tasks.
“This would have taken us about three weeks to complete,” she said. “It’s a very big help because if they weren’t here, we would have to do this and our regular job. This lets us focus on keeping the day-to-day going.”
Angela Smith, who started in her full-time role as BUCM’s volunteer coordinator after the hurricane, had volunteered at the nonprofit for a few years before joining the staff.
“I learned at my daughter’s age that God had called us to take care of each other,” Smith said. “I’m so grateful to be here, to have the opportunity to work for BUCM.”
Smith’s daughter, Morgan Shores, is a senior at Freedom High School and has volunteered at BUCM for two years with both Freedom’s Anchor Club and her church.
For Shores, it was a family affair as her dad, Jonathan Shores, a veteran, helped serve food and her mom led volunteers to their designated areas.
“I love doing it. I love meeting people, talking to people. I’ve done it with my church since I was in sixth grade. It’s something I enjoy,” Shores said. “My mom loves making a difference and that’s where I got my passion. You’re able and willing and you have the hands, go out and help people.”
Abigayle Gibson, an 11th grader at Freedom High School, is an aspiring marine biologist.
“Seeing this really opens my eyes to how the world really is when people are more privileged. It makes me feel more empathy and makes me more appreciative for what I have,” Gibson said. “When I’m an adult and have kids, I will 100% have my kids do something like this because it’s so important for people to help other people.”
In addition to Freedom’s Anchor Club, Rising Youth Organization had 11 volunteers at the soup kitchen. Rising Youth is a student-led nonprofit organization, created by Jenaya Johnson and Abyssinia Tilahun, that completes service projects throughout the county.
Abyssinia, vice president of Rising Youth, expressed her passion for helping the community.
“It feels good to be a part of something bigger. Also, to meet new people, because some of us go to Freedom and some of us go to Patton. Yeah, we have Anchor Club and National Honor Society, but it just feels like a smaller pocket. We’re all dedicated to one cause and it’s something we’re all passionate about. We have an opportunity to help out,” she said.
Jenaya, president of Rising Youth, is a senior at Freedom High School who volunteers at the soup kitchen regularly.
“For us, it is all about being able to make somebody’s day better and being a positive impact in our community. By helping out we were able to do this and are very grateful that Burke United Ministries gave us the opportunity to help out,” she said.
Smith expressed appreciation for the students who participated.
“There was a need to fill spots today to help out and I knew that the youth organizations in our community — that’s what they do, they volunteer. … I was blown away by how many signed it,” Smith said. “Almost 30 volunteers, who were out of school today, decided to come and be a part of this.”
BUCM will be open this holiday season, serving meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Charda Pearson may be reached at 828-445-8595, ext. 2012, or charda@thepaper.media.
