Employee's Original Painting Helps Stock Food Pantry

Duc Bui, left, was the winner of the original painting by Christina Volz. The painting helped employees raise more than $440 for the North Central Family Resource Center's food pantry.

When it comes to raising money to stock the food pantry at the Health and Human Services Agency’s North Central Family Resource Center, employee innovation and talent is the key.

The food pantry is an emergency option that employees tap into to help clients that either have a delay in getting benefits or a determination of eligibility cannot be made right away.

“It’s a resource we use to give them something until they can access their benefits or other community services,” said Susan Gengor, a supervising human service specialist who oversees the food pantry. “It’s used to provide for someone who would otherwise go hungry that day.

“It’s about giving a hand to your fellow man and woman.”

The pantry is stocked entirely by donations of food and money from employees of the resource center and the public health center housed in the same facility on Ruffin Road.

“We use their time, talent or cash and make the most of it,” said Gengor.

Employees have done a variety of fundraisers over the years. They have sold homemade egg rolls, had drawings for hand-made afghans, sold fast food coupon books and auctioned off a variety of gift baskets.

The most recent fundraiser was a drawing for a painting done by employee Christina Volz. The painting, called ‘Monarch,’ helped raise more than $440.

“I just took up painting a few years ago in night school,” she said. “I did a painting and brought it in to work and people liked it.

 “I’m still learning, but I just finished the one I donated and my teacher thought it would be a good one to donate.”

Volz, who used to oversee the food pantry and has remained heavily involved, said the need is always there and she was glad to offer up an original painting.

“I know some of our clients really need help and I just wanted to do a fundraiser to help out,” Volz said. “I used to do client intake and I know the need is there and it’s important to help people out.”