I still remember the call I received in 2017. I was trying to acclimate to the position I accepted as manager of the Bread of Life Food Pantry in Etna following my retirement from nursing education, and I heard the sweetest voice on the phone asking me if I needed volunteers for Wednesday evening to help our families during their shopping experience.
There was always a need for volunteers for shopping on Wednesdays when we had the largest volume of families shopping for food. During shopping, each family is provided the opportunity to take a cart, go through the aisles and select their own food accompanied by a volunteer. It is a time-consuming process, instead of just distributing food boxes, but the families always appreciated making their own food choices.
What was interesting about this call was that the caller sounded young to me. Most of my volunteers were retired, and a young person would be a change of pace at the pantry. So, I said “Absolutely” and that I would expect him on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
When 13-year-old Xander William Hill of Shaler came through the door, I was surprised. He was so young, charming and had a warm engaging smile. His mom dropped him off, he said. And so began our journey together, which continues to this day. I remember him being a little shy but so engaging. The families just loved his easy manner and kind words. He said he was a student at Blessed Trinity Academy and was a member of a Boy Scouts troop.
While he waited to accompany his family, he asked if he could also obtain food donations for our pantry and drop them off each month. He did this faithfully for months, often providing items that we needed.
Our collaboration began to move in a different way as the years went by. In 2019, he approached me with a plan to provide to our families 50 full turkey dinners, which would include a turkey, potatoes, stuffing, gravy, vegetables, butter, rolls and a pie. Xander said that the holidays should be special for our families, too. I remember thinking, “What a monumental task. Where will he get all the donations needed?” Generally, the pantry provided a turkey and a gift card to all of our families, but a full meal!!
And so began a tradition at the Bread of Life Food Pantry: the Xander Hill Turkey Project. He recruited family, friends and schools to help make this happen. He spent months reviewing food fliers for sales, received pledges for turkeys from families and friends, and called school for partnership opportunities. In November 2019, Xander and Amy and Mark, his parents, pulled up in a van, and we unloaded 50 full turkey dinners. What a joy it was for us to see the beautiful effort of one young person transform the Thanksgiving season for our families. In recent years, because of the outpouring of donations, he has also helped the pantry buy hams for our families for Christmas!
One of our shoppers, Carrie, says that the turkey dinner has helped ease the burden of trying to provide a nice Thanksgiving meal for her family. She was so impressed with the assistance she received that she now volunteers at the pantry as a way of giving back to the community.
Every November since, Xander, now a junior at Central Catholic, would pull up to the Bread of Life with his donation of love for our families. Even during the COVID pandemic of 2020, the turkey dinners arrived. He never let our families down. And this year he provided full turkey dinners for 60 families! It seems like everyone wanted to help this young volunteer. A.W. Beattie School provided the dinner rolls for the past few years, and the Blessed Trinity School provided the paper products.
I have always believed that miracles happen every day. For the Bread of Life Food Pantry, one of our miracles is Xander Hill, who asked to volunteer years ago, and who now, as a high school student, brings seasonal joy and happiness to our families every Thanksgiving. Every year at my Thanksgiving table each family member shares what they are grateful for. Xander will be one of my expressions of gratitude.
Alexis Weber lives in Shaler: alexisweber10@hotmail.com.
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First Published: November 21, 2021, 11:30 a.m.
