Volunteer of the Month: Nate Koch | April 2024
Each month Hunger Task Force is honored to recognize an individual or organization that goes above and beyond in their service to the organization.
Hunger Task Force relies on the help of more than 16,000 generous volunteers every year. From food sorting and building healthy food boxes for seniors to helping individuals shop the Mobile Market and harvesting at The Farm, volunteers help Hunger Task Force feed people today and support our work in ending future hunger.
Since 2020, Nate Koch has been a committed volunteer, contributing over 70 hours to various initiatives. Nate not only participates in packing Stockboxes for local seniors but has collected donations during the Thanksgiving phone bank for Hunger Task Force. Engaging in Kohl’s workplace giving program, which matches each employee’s volunteer hour with a $25 donation to end hunger, Nate’s dedication has personally contributed over $1800 in support. We are honored to recognize Nate as Volunteer of the Month for April 2024.
Nate: My first introduction to volunteering for Hunger Task Force was at a Kohl’s-lled food sort in February 2020 — the last event like this before the pandemic hit. But my real time with Hunger Task Force started when I joined a group at Kohl’s that did a monthly Saturday morning Stockbox builds. I started out just thinking I’d do a few, but it quickly became part of me and my partner’s Saturday routine once a month – and we’ve never stopped.
Q: What volunteer activities have you helped with?
Nate: Packing Stockboxes is always my favorite activity. I absolutely love putting together all the boxes themselves with that fancy tape machine (I think I love it too much!) I’ve also helped answer phones at the WISN 12 Thanksgiving Phone bank for Hunger Task Force. I even got to wave to my mom on TV!
Q: What’s your favorite part about volunteering?
Nate: My favorite part has been getting to know other folks through various volunteering events where we might not have crossed paths otherwise, yet here we are coming together month after month to positively impact our community. Reminds you of how much good there is out there in the world.
Q: How did you get involved?
Nate: It’s easy to get overwhelmed by everything going on in the world, and it’s also easy to feel like there isn’t anything you can do to change the way things are. Every community benefits from engaged volunteers who support worthy causes. By donating my time, I can directly contribute to making our community a better place. The more people who step up and volunteer, the greater the collective impact we can create.
Q: Why do you continue to pick Hunger Task Force?
Nate: Through the work our group does at the Hunger Task Force, you can directly see the impact you’re making. We’re building boxes of food that are going directly to individuals who needs that support and to be able to that directly see how your work is impacting someone just pushes you to want to show up as often as you can.
Q: What’s been your most memorable experience volunteering?
Nate: I loved doing the phone bank on Thanksgiving Eve. The intensity of your phone ringing the second you hang up from your previous call is quite a thrill and keeps you on your toes. But it’s a good reminder, again, of how much good there is in our Milwaukee community and that was something exciting to be a part of.
Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking about volunteering at Hunger Task Force?
Nate: Just show up ONE time, and you’ll be back!
