Melissa Volk has taken her two sons to Pine Hills Elementary School in Albany for the past four summers to help prepare more than 4,000 pounds of food each week for families living with food insecurity.
They are among 20 volunteers who spend their summers unloading and sorting food for the Albany Fund for Education’s weekend meals program, a partnership between the nonprofit and the Albany City School District, which provides low-income families in the district with free breakfast, lunch and dinner options during the summer months.
“I don’t think this is something my kids would choose to do on their own, but I want them to experience helping other people,” Volk said. “Food insecurity is something they see in their school, and I want them to see that there’s more to life than just themselves.”…