The North Canton Cares Pantry is well-known for helping out around the community by providing food and support to local families in need. On the second and fourth Monday of each month, the Pantry opens its doors to serve many, offering everything from fresh produce and bread, to canned goods and personal care items. Most of the food is donated by local organizations, churches and community members. Members of Hoover High School’s Leadership Club volunteered at the Pantry Oct. 13, helping to distribute food and assist families. Junior John Apgar was among the students who stepped up to help.
“What mainly motivated me to get involved was my desire to help out my community,” he said. “I really felt like I could do some good in helping out with the pantry.”
During the event, student volunteers were assigned one of three main roles: greeter, shopping cart assistant, or store assistant. Apgar served as a store assistant, guiding families through the aisles and answering their questions.
“It was surprising, more than anything, to see the very long line trailing outside of the pantry before it was even open,” Apgar said. “Working with the pantry really made it clear that anyone can have food struggles.”
To him, one of the most memorable parts of the experience was seeing the sense of care among those who came through the line.
“I remember seeing a number of people going through the pantry for multiple families,” he said. “It was saddening, yet inspiring all the same.”
He thought that while it can be emotional to see others facing hardship, it’s also such a good feeling to know that the Pantry provides consistent help.
“It’s better to think of the good rather than the bad,” he said, highlighting the positive impact the Pantry has on the community.
Leadership Club’s advisor, Mrs. Alicia Martin, organized the group’s volunteer effort. She explained that the Pantry experience was a short-term service project rather than a long-term partnership.
“When we volunteered, it was a one or two time thing, not so much a full-on collaboration,” she said. “We don’t want to take away too many spots for other members of the community to help as well. I hope to coordinate and work with them once or twice more, perhaps in the winter and spring.”
Even with the challenges of organizing a group of students, Martin was grateful for the opportunity and impressed by how welcoming the Pantry staff were.
“They are all so kind there,” she said. “Matt Ile made sure to introduce, thank, and compliment our group in front of all of the workers.”
For many students, the experience was more than just volunteer hours, it was a chance to grow and learn to connect with others in need.
“I hope that the students walk away with a feeling of accomplishment for branching out of what they typically do day-to-today,” Martin said. “I hope that they feel appreciated for their work and satisfied by putting themselves out there and helping others.”
Apgar agreed that volunteering offered perspective.
“I learned a little more about my community and about how I and others can help those in need,” he said.
He also offered some advice for others considering getting involved in the community.
“The best advice I can give is this: don’t focus on what you could do or what you didn’t do before,” Apgar said. “Anyone helping out their community at all is doing so much more. In the end, it doesn’t take all that much time to help out your community.”
Both Martin and her students left the Pantry with an appreciation for what it means to serve others. The experience emphasized the power of small actions, a few hours of sorting, greeting, or assisting, to make a big difference in the lives of others.
“Helping out those in need was by far the most rewarding part of my experience,” Apgar said. “For me, helping out my community is not a question of ‘why,’ but rather ‘why not?’”
