Doing Good Everyday Across America 

Bryant, left, Cynthia, and Keith Reed at work in the Foodbank’s Barre distribution center.

This week is National Volunteer Appreciation Week, and at no time like the present have volunteers throughout the country been called upon so heavily. Here at the Foodbank, over 1,500 volunteers spend time with us each year sorting rescue food, gleaning in farmers’ fields, assisting with administrative work, and a host of other tasks that need doing in order to help our neighbors facing hunger. In celebration of National Volunteer Appreciation week, we thought we’d bring you the story of  of an amazing family who stopped in for a day of sorting in Barre earlier this year.

Working towards a Vermont where no one faces hunger requires lots of helping hands and a drive to do good every day. Enter the Reed family. 

“I just realized that I had four men who were about to go out and make their mark on the world and I wanted them to make it for good,” said Cynthia Reed, who along with her husband and three of their children are traveling to all 50 states and volunteering at various non-profits and organizations along the way. “You can’t know what you need to fix if you don’t know what the problems are.” 

In early February the Reeds’ bus pulled into the Vermont Foodbank’s Barre distribution center and the crew of five spent an afternoon sorting donated food for delivery to the Foodbank’s 215+ network partners. Working at a pace that only comes from experience—the Reeds had already visited 30 states prior to arriving in Vermont—the family quickly organized cans of vegetables, boxes of ready-to-cook meals, baking supplies and other food items into boxes at the Foodbank’s facility in Barre. From there, Vermont Foodbank staff weigh and further prepare the donated food for distribution throughout the state. 

Father Keith Reed explained how the Reeds on The Road tour was a dream of Cynthia’s and said the trip had been going great so far. He said that serving others on a daily basis is a richly rewarding experience that was allowing the family to connect with people from all walks of life and witness the caring that happens in the country every day through service work and the need for it that exists. 

“Losing yourself in service is so rewarding,” Keith said while watching his family hustle around sorting area. “You know you always think about hoping to benefit somebody else, but you never really know how much it’s going to affect you until you’ve done it. And it becomes kind of addictive.” 

Sons Bryant, age 22, Matthew, age 16, and Tyler, age 14, all echoed this sentiment as they effortlessly moved about one another dropping food into boxes. A fourth son, Spencer, began the journey with his siblings but had to step back when life circumstances got in the way. And life hasn’t paused for the Reeds during their volunteering across America tour; all three boys are continuing their high school and college educations online from the RV as they move from state to state. 

“As long as we have a signal and reception, I’m pretty good, I can work while we’re driving, it’s pretty easy,” said Matthew, following up by stating that he loves doing manual labor and any inconveniences are far outweighed by the benefits of helping others. Regarding the hunger issue facing America, Matthew said he was aware of the issue, but not to the extent that he’s aware of it now. And he’s grateful for the opportunity to play a role in ending hunger.  

“It hurt to see a lot of homeless people asking for money and I just didn’t have any cash to give them,” he said. “But since we’ve been doing a lot of food pantries, it’s really given me the opportunity to make up for all of that.”

Keith Reed, center, and son Matthew discuss where to sort canned goods while son Tyler looks on.

In Vermont, hunger touches one in four people and annually over 153,000 residents of all ages access services through the Vermont Foodbank. Reaching that many people through the Foodbank’s more than 300 partner food shelves, meal sites, schools, and hospitals is work that couldn’t be accomplished without an army of volunteers committed to working for good, said Kate Steward, Volunteer Services Coordinator for the Foodbank. 

“We have over 1,500 volunteers come in to help us each year doing everything from sorting food, to gleaning in farmers’ fields, to administrative tasks,” Kate said. “And it makes a huge difference in the lives of so many people. One hour of volunteer time here at the Foodbank can feed a family of four for 51 days. The impact really can’t be overstated.”   

The Reeds understand this situation all too well, from both the giving and receiving side of the issue. And that’s why, Cynthia said, it’s so important to be out doing the work and getting to know the issues on a personal level. 

“My husband and I, we’ve had situations where sudden job loss or health issues have [led to] the humbling sensation of someone being generous,” Cynthia said. “Need doesn’t wear a name badge. You can’t look down the street and identify what other peoples’ needs are. Some person may be suffering financially, some person may be suffering emotionally, another person may be suffering physically, and unless we rub shoulders with people, we won’t know what the need is.” 

The Reeds were heading out to another state the following day and are expected to return home to California in June. They’re documenting their experiences and posting regular updates to their YouTube channel in a further attempt to increase awareness of the issues the country faces. More specifically, Cynthia said, she hopes people come to understand that issues such as hunger run deeper than most people know, and it affects individuals from all strata of society. 

“That is what I wanted my boys to learn,” Cynthia said. “I wanted them to see how other people live, to see what the needs are of our nation, and to know that whether it’s manual labor or whether it’s skilled labor, whatever, there’s always a way to help.” 

Thank you, Reed family, and thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers for your selfless action and commitment to helping our neighbors. Please visit our Volunteer pages for information on opportunities available at the Foodbank.