Woman sees food bank work as personal mission

Jessica VanderKolk

Editor’s note: “Helping Neighbors” features an exceptional volunteer in Centre County each Monday. To nominate someone for a future story, e-mail cdtnews tips@centredaily.com.

CDT/Nabil K. Mark

Chris Kohlhepp has been volunteering at the State College Food Bank for the last 5 years. CDT/Nabil K. Mark November 4, 2009

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About five years ago, State College resident Chris Kohlhepp was reading "The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time" and searching for a local volunteer opportunity.

One of the messages in Jeffrey Sachs’ 2005 book is that people around the world needn’t go hungry.

That spoke to Kohlhepp, who has spent every Wednesday morning since volunteering at the State College Area Food Bank, collecting donations and filling food bags for residents in need.

“I’m from the generation of going to college and having a cause,” she said of the Vietnam War era. “I had donated through food drives and things like that.”

Now Kohlhepp spends her Wednesday morning collecting about 150 pounds of leftover soups, lasagna and seafood from local restaurants, which she weighs and packages to help feed other State College residents. She doesn’t have contact with those who receive the food, but she prepares it for them and keeps the food bank tidy and ready to give.

“I get an awful lot out of it, which was a surprise to me,” she said. “We come out of there at the end of our work and we’ve had a good time.”

Kohlhepp, who also works for her family’s business in Julian, Kohlhepp Stone Center, called it a “high” working with other volunteers to make sure people have enough to eat. After reading Sachs’ book, she said other countries need help to successfully grow more of their own food, to feed the 1 billion who are hungry.

“How do you accomplish it? I don’t know,” she said. “So I just do it on a small scale.”

Kohlhepp said people are generous in their donations to the food bank, and even gave more last fall when many others were laid off from their jobs in a rough economy. The food bank receives bread and pastries from local grocery stores, and fresh produce from local farms.

“It’s nice to be part of something that helps others in need,” she said. “This community is really very giving. I’ve never seen a shortage.”

Ernest Boyd, the food bank’s manager of operations, calls Kohlhepp an “exemplary” volunteer, especially in the way she works with others.

“She brought a card to sign for one of our Wednesday crew who was in the hospital for a hip operation,” he said. “She has that wonderful ability of keeping us all connected.”

She also provides transportation to food bank events for other volunteers and helps those volunteers with special needs.

“They’re just so happy to be there, helping to put the food on the shelves,” Kohlhepp said. “They’re so positive and kind. That’s always been a big part of working there.”

When Boyd is out of town, Kohlhepp can lead the other volunteers in their duties, and supervises during her Wednesday morning shift.

“She performs her weekly volunteer tasks perfectly,” Boyd said. “There are, surprisingly perhaps, many exigencies and situations that can arise and we only have a few, like Chris, we can leave in charge.”

About 40 regular volunteers staff the food bank and about 200 students volunteer each school year. While volunteer hours vary, the group logged 487 hours this September.