More and more of Albuquerque’s working poor are struggling to feed themselves and their families. Money is tight for everyone, but one illness, a reduction of work hours, or any setback can leave a family wondering where their next meal is coming from. According to the New Mexico Human Services Department, New Mexico is ranked 12th in the nation in food insecurity (not knowing where your next meal will come from). 21% of New Mexico residents face food hardship of that 1 in 5 children and 1 in 10 seniors do not know where their next meal will come from.

On Monday, November 16, 2015, students from the Albuquerque Job Corps Center (AJCC) travelled to the ECHO Food Bank – a local program for senior citizens – to help fill boxes to ensure New Mexico seniors had something to eat. Ms. Saiz, the Business Community Liaison, states that one vision of the Center is to ensure all students are given the opportunity to experience the joy and benefit of volunteering. One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks, like in this case, filling boxes for the seniors of Albuquerque can make a real difference to the lives of people and organizations in need.

Learning career success standards is another great benefit of volunteering. Students at AJCC work alongside of each other and build relationship skills. These skills are necessary in our community as well as when developing and implementing workplace relationship and ethics. Students understand that through volunteerism they learn that one way to strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together whether it is at a food bank or in an office setting.

Volunteering also offers an incredible networking opportunity. Not only will AJCC students develop lasting personal and professional relationships but it is also a great way for everyone to learn about people from all walks of life, different environments, and new industries. Networking is an exciting benefit of volunteering and they will never know who they will meet or what new information they will learn and what impact this could have on their life. One thing they will know for sure is that on November 16, they gave back to the community who has helped them achieve so much while at the Albuquerque Job Corps Center.