This summer, I worked jointly with the Deerfield Dining Hall to provide meals for the community of Greenfield through The Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew. Over the past three months, I’ve picked up hot meals from the Dining Hall and delivered them to the church, as well as helping serve both an in-person meal and a pick-up meal.
The Second Helpings organization has been working jointly with Deerfield for 15 years to provide meals for the underserved community of Greenfield. Maggie Sweeney, who organizes and oversees the program, spends her weekends volunteering at both Second Helpings and another program, Sunday Sandwiches. It was really inspiring to work alongside her, as her dedication to helping members of her community is clear.
Over the few months that I participated in the Second Helpings program, I was able to better understand how helpful programs like these are to people who may not be able to guarantee a meal for themselves. I met a number of community members who explained that they often picked up multiple meals in order to have food for the coming days. It was really moving to be involved in something that was able to provide security for so many people.
Overall, this was an amazing experience that I’m so glad I was able to be a part of!
-Fiona Howes ’23