One Grocery Bag at a Time
The Good Will Committee at Cross Keys Village was formed in late 2023, with a mission to support team members and their families using funds from the Team Member Benevolence Fund. “Thanks to the generosity of donors over the years, we could start this new effort,” said VP of Advancement Vanessa Berger. “We still want the Team Member Benevolence Fund to be a relief fund for team members who are experiencing an acute crisis, as originally designed, but also to provide support to more members of the team throughout the year.” The committee, consisting of team members from several departments, joined by several villagers, wasted little time in setting ambitious goals. Soon they were handing out grocery store gift cards during the holidays, as well as free budget planning and educational resources through a partnership with the Dave Ramsey Solutions financial counseling platform.
The committee eventually recognized that summer months bring an increase in financial stress for some families. Children are home from school and expect some leisure and vacation activities which come with added expenses. To help with this seasonal pressure in the summer of 2024, the committee started offering carefully assembled bags of food, designed with families in mind, and at no cost. All team members can pick up such a bag during the dates they are being distributed.
The committee offers team members bags filled with dinner items to make chicken quesadillas, spaghetti, or tacos, while another selection features bags filled with a Shake ‘N Bake mix, instant potatoes, and a veggie. The carefully curated content of all bags also includes cereal and assorted snacks. Villager-volunteers Karen Norris, Diane Nonemaker, Sandy Flickinger, Mary Zaloski, Mona Bonham, Bev Gerlach, and Betty Shaffer kindly offered to bag groceries every other week for a couple of hours, making such an initiative possible on a larger-scale than originally thought.
Shannon Bentley, CKV’s Human Resources Manager and a renowned bargain hunter in her own right, has taken the lead on planning, looking for deals, and shopping. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to be able to do something good for our team. I love that I can use my passion for “deal finding” to help our funds go further.” Each grocery bag would be valued at more than $20 at the store, but with Shannon’s smart shopping, purchasing in bulk, and using coupons, she manages to fill bags for about $10!
During the first round of grocery pick-ups, 125 bags were claimed. During the second week, the number grew to 158! In return, the Human Resources team has been receiving messages of gratitude from the team. “Just wanted to thank you for the grocery bag full of goodies. We appreciate the thoughtfulness.” “Thank you so much to you and to the Benevolence Fund. This has been so appreciated.” Shannon shares the satisfaction of all who are involved in this effort when she says: “I’m grateful to work at an organization that looks at the whole well-being of our team, and thankful for the generous donations that help support our team in this manner.”
Mindy Langer
Director of Development – The Brethren Home Foundation