Volunteers Living Out Love Through Service

A faithful volunteer at Midwest Food Bank in Normal, IL, Benita Payne shares the reflection below in her own words.

Hi, my name is Benita Payne. I'm a 59-year-old widow of two boys and a bonus daughter from my late husband, Stanley, along with two grandsons and one bonus granddaughter. My husband was a kind, generous, well-respected man who passed away in May of 2014 from congestive heart failure. Ever since I retired from IDOC in January 2021 as Dietary Manager after 25 years, I've really started to enjoy family time. Gathering at home or away, cooking, laughing, playing games, and having music playing is such a blessing. I started volunteering at Midwest Food Bank after COVID in 2021 with other colleagues from IDOC, when things were trying to return to normal, but we were still wearing face masks. I always felt like giving when I could and trying to make people happy or smile with a little kindness out of the blue.

A few of my colleagues would get together about once a week and volunteer for a service project, and afterwards go to lunch. Time passed, and our group got smaller. Now it's just a few of us coming. As for me, I continued and ventured into different areas, such as distribution and grocery runs. For all my working years, I've enjoyed working around food. I believe food is one of the bonds in life. I would have to say distribution is my favorite area to volunteer, and I hope to continue doing it as long as possible. I get to meet and talk with different people and see how important what we do is for others in need or in a temporary situation. A few of my family and friends joke about volunteering as "my free work." I don't think I have ever worked so hard in my life, and I love it. I have been blessed with mostly desk jobs. Besides, I feel it's my way of giving back, doing what God wants us to do, 'SHARE'!

Benita is an absolute joy to have as part of our Midwest Food Bank family. Her warm presence and willingness to serve wherever she's needed make her a true gift to our mission.

I first met Benita while she was loading carts during distribution. Her quiet strength and steady work ethic immediately stood out. When I asked if she'd be interested in helping with grocery runs, she didn't hesitate; she jumped at the opportunity!

But Benita's involvement doesn't stop there. She's also a dedicated member of our Faithful Friends group, always ready to take on service projects both big and small. From day-to-day tasks to special events like our Golf Outing and Gala, Benita shows up with a servant's heart and a can-do spirit.

Her compassion and commitment to serving others are truly inspiring. We're so grateful to have Benita on the Midwest Food Bank team!

For the past nine years, Mary Hohulin has been a treasured part of the Midwest Food Bank team. As our volunteer bookkeeper, Mary carefully manages accounts receivable and supports accounts payable, keeping vital details in order with steady devotion.

After 43 years of teaching, Mary brings wisdom, patience, and a love of learning to every task. She faithfully serves about 12 hours each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, offering a calm, dependable presence that strengthens our mission.

Originally from central Illinois, Mary enjoys reading and playing Euchre in her free time. Her quiet strength, joyful spirit, and consistent commitment reflect the grace that shapes our work.

Thank you, Mary, for your faithful service and generous heart. We are deeply grateful to you.

Lisa Carter was first introduced to Midwest Food Bank Morton in 2018 during a distribution day. She loved the environment from the start and often came during the summer while still working as a special education teacher. Those visits planted a seed, and she knew that once she retired, she wanted to devote more time to serving.

In 2024, Lisa retired after thirty-five years of teaching elementary and high school students. She and her husband, who has been involved in education and coaching for decades, enjoy spending extra time together outdoors while gardening, hiking, biking, birdwatching, or traveling. Lisa also discovered Fun Fridays at Midwest Food Bank, where she found community, laughter, and the blessing of making a difference.

After a few weeks at Fun Friday events, Lisa expressed interest in doing more. She was trained to lead volunteer groups. "This has been a perfect fit for me. It is basically teaching in a different form. I have such a blast working with the volunteers, making sure they have a positive experience and want to come back again," Lisa shared. She also noted that in retirement, "volunteering fills my time and gives me purpose that I had lost when I retired."

Brittany Parker, Volunteer Coordinator at Midwest Food Bank Morton, said, "Lisa's upbeat personality helps groups of all ages feel welcome when they come through our doors. She even brings her friends and mother-in-law when she attends Fun Friday, which has been a huge blessing to our volunteer times. We are so lucky to have her as an advocate for Midwest Food Bank."

Midwest Food Bank is grateful for Lisa Carter and the steady joy, care, and compassion she brings to serving the community. 

Some volunteers arrive at Midwest Food Bank New England through long-standing community service connections, and John Colli is one of them. He first learned about the food bank through a friend working at the New London division, who noticed the need for CDL drivers and encouraged him to get involved.

John earned his CDL while serving as a firefighter in East Hartford, where driving a Tiller required a Class A license. His history of service runs deep. He began as a volunteer firefighter in Windsor Locks at age fifteen, spent thirty years with the East Hartford Fire Department, and continues to volunteer with the Andover Fire Department in retirement.

Although he had driven trucks before, he had never backed a trailer into a dock. He approached the learning curve with determination, even coming in on the Fourth of July to practice in the lot. When a few volunteers stopped by and found cones lined up as John worked on precision backing, they saw his dedication firsthand.

John says he feels grateful for his health and his resources, and he welcomes the chance to give back. His steady presence in the driver rotation strengthens the work of the New England team and helps keep food moving to nonprofit partners across the region.

Over 100 volunteers and ILP staff gathered on October 30, 2025, for a Friendsgiving celebration honoring the faithful hands that uphold our food relief and disaster relief mission. HyVee catered a full turkey meal with every comforting side, paired with pies and crisps from Breaker's Market and warm apple cider from Tanner's.

Over 100 volunteers and ILP staff gathered on October 30, 2025, for a Friendsgiving celebration honoring the faithful hands that uphold our food relief and disaster relief mission. HyVee catered a full turkey meal with every comforting side, paired with pies and crisps from Breaker's Market and warm apple cider from Tanner's.

Service awards were presented to volunteers with 15+ years of dedication, and gift raffles blessed more than two dozen attendees. Every core volunteer—present or not—received a Christmas ornament as a small symbol of gratitude for their steadfast service.

This evening held extra grace: volunteers arrived to enjoy fellowship, not to work. Quarterly thank-you gatherings usually take place during distribution hours, making this restful celebration especially meaningful.

We offer humble thanks to Tom Reiker, Steve Schmidgall, and the gifted decorators from Northwoods Church, whose preparation transformed the space into a warm, welcoming venue.