#WorkingWednesday with Kent Social Servicces
The Kent Social Services is our 2022 Inclusive Volunteer Partner. The program, part of Family & Community Services, was originally established in 1920. KSS has a long history of serving the residents of Kent. In the late 1990s, Sister Jordan Haddad began the hot meal program and operated it out of a rotation of donated spaces in Kent. During this time, KSS merged with Family & Community Services, Inc. after the retirement of long-time KSS Director, Marie Miller. FCS then purchased the former L&K Restaurant on South Water Street for KSS so that Sister Jordan’s hot meal and food pantry programs could have a permanent home.
Today, KSS serves over 20,000 hot meals a year and provides over 100,000 pounds of groceries to households in need. Additionally, KSS serves as a facility that builds support networks between people. Senior citizens, people with disabilities, and individuals experiencing homelessness all regularly gather here, helping to strengthen relationships and allowing them to gain information about other area support agencies.
Longtime volunteer, Joe Persavich had this to say: “I love helping , preparing meals, seeing people, it feels great! Really wonderful! Volunteering at KSS even helped me get a job as it taught me how to prep food, serve food and even run a dishwasher” Joe has volunteered here for 7 years and loves working with Bill Bowen.
How to give back: KSS is always accepting non-perishable food donations in order to provide a greater variety of food options to their pantry patrons. However, they do not accept expired food items.
The following food items are always in high demand:
Peanut butter
Canned tuna
Cereal
Fresh produce
They also accept donations of coats to provide to patrons as the weather gets colder.
They are always in need of monetary donations because they enable them to purchase food from the Akron-Canton Food Bank. KSS can purchase more food on the dollar from the Food Bank than a donor can purchase from a retail grocery store.
In addition to donations, KSS is in need of volunteers to perform tasks such as cooking, stocking shelves, sorting non-perishable foods, clerical work, weeding, cleaning, and shoveling snow. Please call in advance to schedule a time to volunteer. If you want to contribute but have limited time, please consider hosting a food drive or sponsoring a fundraiser!
Volunteer Coordinator
PHONE : 330-297-7027 ext. 322
EMAIL: volunteer@fcsserves.org
Volunteering is also a gateway to jobs. The study found that
volunteers have a 27% higher likelihood of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers.
volunteers without a high school diploma have a 51% higher likelihood of finding employment.
volunteers living in rural areas have a 55% higher likelihood of finding employment.”
Other ways Volunteering helps lead to a career:
Learn new skills : Volunteering can be a get experience in areas your current or past jobs didn't provide.
Meet new networking contacts: You never know who you'll meet doing charity work.
Impress employers: Candidates who volunteer stand out in a positive way because of their passion for their community.
Resume Builder: Fill in employment gaps, add experience
Boost your self-esteem: Giving back makes you feel good and can boost your confidence.
Previous #WorkingWednesday Spotlights
John Atkinson
Sharon Parker
John Bingham
Donovan Laurenzi
Kevin Wilson
Michelle Reed
Jackie Bucalo
Jim Folan
Mike Havel
Jenny Sly
Donny Shardy
Georgia Pollard
Eric Curry
Nena White
Jonathan Floyd
Julia Frantz
Ashley Wilson
Chris Dejanovitz
Justin Bloomquist
Kathy Wagar
Darlene Petty
Maria Bednarik
Rick Debolt
Kathy Montieth
Heather Montogomery
Amy Gage
Logan Cox
Earl Moton
Mason Marino
Dorien Kazadi
Josh Ebie
Adam Baldwin
Luci Carey
Roberta Ebie
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