During this spring semester, I volunteered for 40 hours at the Hope Helps food pantry. My activities included stocking pantry shelves, sheapeading—which involves assisting pantry visitors and shopping with them—and helping to unload the food truck that included many canned goods and boxes of cereal. I enjoyed every aspect of this experience because I got to work hands-on with visitors, helping them select what they need to take home. Additionally, I learned how the food pantry operates both in the backend and the front end. I also met a lot of people and have made connections that I believe will last a lifetime.

I have learned several leadership insights over the course of this semester, and some of the most valuable have come from my volunteering experience at the Hope Helps Food Pantry. Firstly, I have developed the right attitude to leadership – be adaptable and resilient. As a leader, you need to be able to change and respond to changes. It means that a great leader should be positive to change and always see an opportunity for improvement and change in any situation. These skills are vital in any dynamic environment. Secondly, leaders should always be great communicators. As a leader, you should be able to give your team a clear understanding of what you or your organization believe in. Being on the same page with your team members will allow you to proactively communicate when bad things happen. Thirdly, I have learned to collaborate through encouragement. As a leader, you should be able to create an environment that allows your team to easily share ideas with others. A leader, who can cultivate a safe and supportive environment, can help innovation and help a team work together as well. Delegation is another leadership attribute that I have seen firsthand. One person cannot achieve an organization’s common goal alone. Instead, you should trust other people and distribute responsibilities. That empowers individuals and helps them feel that they should also contribute to the team. Finally, the most profound leadership lesson I have learned from Hope Helps is that the leader should lead by example. For example, volunteer leaders command the respect and loyalty of employees when they volunteer. I have seen this leadership insights first hand in the Hope Helps food pantry.

I wrote a thank-you letter to a supervisor who positively impacted me and embodies many of these insights as well!