When SNAP benefits were paused for millions of Americans, Mark Morse knew he had to do something immediately. The University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing student picked up the phone and called Metro Caring Food Bank in Denver.
Within days, he'd organized the first of two volunteer shifts for his classmates in the Accelerated BS in Nursing (UCAN) program. And the response was overwhelming.
"We wanted to do something where we could have a positive impact on our community, and there's been a huge spike in food insecurity," Morse says. "If we can make some level of impact, then we should."
The idea had been brewing since earlier in the semester, when one of Morse's professors made a comment in pathophysiology class that stuck with him.
“Theresa Nino told us it’s great if you want to go to a developing country and help people, but she said to remember that there’s also a need here in Denver and there are all kinds of things you can do in your own community,” he says. “If we can make some level of impact on our community, then we should.”
When the SNAP benefit pause hit the news, Morse saw his opportunity. He reached out to his classmates to gauge interest, and "overwhelmingly they said they wanted to get involved."
Morse coordinated two volunteer opportunities in November and December for himself, his classmates, and faculty. They worked three-hour shifts, helping dozens of families struggling with food insecurity.
Another Way CU Anschutz Nursing is Giving BackKatie Johnson, an undergraduate placement scheduler with the college's Experiential Learning Team, is also helping make a difference. She connected with Kraft employees at a local community event in early December. They called her the next day and dropped off 1,000 boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese. The boxes have been distributed to the CU Anschutz Strauss Food Pantry, a pantry in ED2 North, and a pantry at Legacy Campus in Lone Tree. |
“You feel so inspired when you’re volunteering, and the Metro Caring Food Bank is such a well-oiled machine,” Morse says. “There are a lot of steps involved to get people the food they need, and I was helping people pack food in their cars or carrying it to a bus stop.”
“There’s such a willingness for volunteers to jump in and start helping right away,” Molly Maier says, who is a classmate of Morse’s and volunteered at the food bank when she was in middle and high school. “They told us to grab gloves and start sorting food, so it’s great to see that engagement.”
A Rewarding Experience
Metro Caring Food Bank typically serves hundreds of individuals and families a week, allowing them to pick up food boxes or shop in a grocery store environment. Volunteers help in several areas, including sorting donations, stocking shelves, and weighing and packing food.
“I had conversations with three or four of my classmates as we left, and we all decided we wanted to go back and volunteer,” Maier says. “It’s great Mark helped facilitate this as a way to serve the community because our group is committed to taking care of people.”
“I think as future nurses and caregivers, we’re really invested in helping people,” Maier says. “And that happens not just at the bedside or a clinical environment, but in the community as well.”
Maier also saw the experience as an opportunity to be with her classmates and faculty outside of the classroom.
“It was great seeing Dr. Laura Rosenthal there and chatting with her as we were sorting through food,” she says. “We can form connections and have interactions outside of the rigid parameters of being in school.”
UCAN students volunteering at Metro Caring Food Bank. |
They say it’s also a way to connect to the community – and become better nurses in the process.
“I believe as healthcare providers we need to recognize and edify the dignity of every human being,” Maier says. “And part of that is being fed, being housed, and having a community. All the social determinants we talk about in our health promotion course are real, but I also think connecting with people in our community builds empathy and our shared sense of humanity.”
A Bigger Impact
Morse and Maier plan on volunteering again at Metro Caring Food Bank – and Morse has his sights set on making it an even bigger initiative.
“I knew once I left, I wanted to come back and find out ways to become more engaged and get more people involved,” he says.
Morse and his classmates are volunteering at the food bank in January, and he hopes to eventually expand the volunteering opportunities to the college's other nursing students, staff, and faculty.
“It wouldn’t take much effort to get other people at the college involved,” he says. “If you find yourself in a position where you can make a difference in someone else’s life, there’s sort of a moral imperative to do that as a human being.”
“As future nurses and caregivers, we’re really invested in people’s wellness. And that happens not just at the bedside or a clinical environment, so volunteering is a way for us as students to show how we care for people holistically,” Maier says.
