Meet Mark Kinnamon, he is a new volunteer to Weekend Survival Kits, yet in a few short months Mark has become a valuable volunteer. When Mark retired from a 39-year career in various leadership roles in project management for the IT sector, he was planning on looking for meaningful volunteer work.
While sometimes volunteers may have something special to offer which is derived from their professional background, what Mark brings is a willingness to help in any way he can and to fill in wherever he is needed. “It is a pleasure to work with Mark at our packing sessions and delivery prep. I know that I can count on him even in a pinch,” shared Kyla Parkllan, Director of Operations at Weekend Survival Kits.
Why Mark Volunteers for Weekend Survival Kits
“I just love the organization. It is so clear that from the top down these folks are living their mission and values. From the beginning my heart has been touched by this work of feeding hungry school kids. When I retired one of my goals was to give back through volunteering. My wife, who also recently retired from a career is school social work, appreciates my choice of volunteering in this program…she saw firsthand how important it is to support kids. When we lived in Flint the church that our family attended had a regular charitable program called Neighborhood Breakfast. This was for feeding homeless people. It was so eye-opening and meaningful. Working with Weekend Survival Kits, gives us that same feeling,” said Kinnamon.
Mark started volunteering first at the Greater Lansing Food Bank and before long he found Weekend Survival Kits. “Ironically, at the Food Bank I was packing the boxes of food, which would end up being unpacked and repackaged in bags for the kids to tuck into their backpacks. Then I started prepping and loading the bags into the volunteer driver cars. I got to complete the cycle on the day that I substituted for one of the delivery volunteers.”
“I truly enjoy working with Kyla, she has such a great attitude and makes everything run as smoothly as possible. Recently, I spent some time working side by side with the founder, Jeff Gorsline. It is clear that he is committed to this cause and keeps the organization focused on the mission to help hungry kids. While Weekend Survival Kits is small, this is a well-run, very organized charity with a clear vision and purpose.”
Weekend Survival Kits is blessed to have many volunteers who continue to support our mission of giving hope to hungry kids. We are pleased to put Mark Kinnamon in the spotlight this month and we are so grateful for his help and support. Whether you are retired, or looking for ways to give back volunteering for Weekend Survival Kits can be very rewarding.