Back-to-School Rush Keeps PRISM Volunteers Busy

Back-to-school means food shelves keep busy. At PRISM, a social services organization in Golden Valley, volunteers help make sure their marketplace’s shelves are stocked.

Work never slows at PRISM. That’s for good reason. Just this August, a backpack drive distributed over 400 backpacks for over 150 families.

“The numbers show that we have enough volunteer hours that are close to ten full-time employees,” said PRISM grant coordinator Sarah Squillace.

Volunteers power much of PRISM’s work. Squillace would know — she was once one herself.

“We were always busy,” she said. “The need was there year-round.”

Still, in the fall, the needs at the food shelf change. Breakfast and lunch is covered for kids at school. So, PRISM executive director Michelle Ness said families have less of a need for lunches, and more of a need for consistent, healthy meals at dinner time.

“Families are looking for fresh food,” she said. “Families want to cook, so it’s the perishables. It’s the cheese, it’s the eggs, it’s the meat, veggies. That’s what people are looking for.”

Tim Tapper sorts fresh produce behind PRISM’s food distribution space.

The Power of Volunteers

All of those foods — and the funds for those foods — come from donations. Behind the scenes, volunteers keep all those options in line.

“We simply could not be here and deliver the services that we do without volunteers,” Ness said.

Volunteers lift boxes, sort snacks and organize the small space.

“It’s pretty much similar to the back end of a grocery store,” said Tim Tapper, a nearly three-year PRISM volunteer.

Volunteers are always needed, even as the cooler weather settles in. And Tapper said there’s nothing quite like it.

“It’s fulfilling — it’s nice to be able to give back to the community,” Tapper said.

PRISM also has a thrift store on site.

Information on volunteering with PRISM is available here.