Only a few blocks from Longwood University, FACES, or Farmville Area Community Emergency Services, has the motto, "Lending a helping hand…One bag at a time." Even while close enough to walk to, the location of FACES is easy to not notice when passing by – an old, steel building with the white paint peeling off, the wooden planks still pale with the word "Texaco" on one side of the adjacent, red brick building, and a cracked and damaged parking lot that stuffs cars in like fruits in the produce aisle. FACES is another example of why a person should not judge the exterior of anything before getting to know what's inside it first – a community of people helping their neighbors the way neighbors should.
This Saturday, September 3rd, a line of people waited for their turn to fill up supermarket carts with brown paper bags filled with food, ranging from fruits and vegetables to pasta and canned goods as they meandered out the front door and long into the parking lot. When exiting out through the FACES building, volunteers hand out dry or frozen goods or carry bags to client's cars.
"Honors students and many other groups, such as service organizations and Greek organizations, have been a major benefit to FACES in recent years," says Geoff Orth, former director of the Cormier Honors College and FACES coordinator. "With an effort that helps feed about 1600 people a week – approximately 8% of the Farmville/Prince Edward population – their assistance is invaluable."
"Certainly, in Farmville, there are lots of things that can be done," agreed Ellery Sedgwick, a member of the school board, FACES treasurer, and retired professor of Longwood University.
"Basically what the Honors LSEM students do," says Leighan Worden, a peer mentor at Longwood, "is make two trips to FACES to help the food pantry…We require Honors LSEMs to volunteer at FACES to make them aware of their new community. It is always great to give back and it is really a shocker for people who have never been. It's a way to raise awareness of food issues while making them see how lucky they are at the same time."
Leighanna Freeser, a senior at Longwood who volunteered for the day, said that typically "over 850 bags" are picked up each week. "It really isn't the equivalent of people who will walk through the line." She notes that people may pick up multiple bags for their friends and family.
Longwood student and sorority sister of Sigma Sigma Sigma, Nicole Raslan, often volunteers at FACES, saying it "build[s] sisterhood," and that, "more people on campus should get involved. I think that it's a great opportunity, and not a lot of people utilize it."
Coordinator for USDA distributors, Bill Hendley has been a part of FACES for 12 or 13 years and attends FACES once every month. Happy to see Longwood students volunteering for the community, Hendley describes the volunteers as "essential," and that he "appreciated [the] commitment to [bring] service to the community."
Carl Hickson, one Farmville resident, attends FACES twice a month. Unemployed and disabled, Hickson thanks the organization and praises FACES for the "good people" who work there. "They're helping the poor."
Not only are Longwood University students involved, but so is the Farmville community, including Reverand Chris Cunngham of Johns Memorial Episcopal Church who attends FACES once a month.
Virginia was ranked 9thin the nation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for rate of unemployment. The unemployment rate of the US as a nation, while wavering, continues to stay stable around 9.9%.
Monday, September 5th, President Obama, gave a speech in Detroit Michigan for Labor Day, saying, "These are tough times for working Americans. They are even tougher for American who are looking for work, and a lot of them have been looking for a long time."
As Longwood students graduate every year, getting thrown head first into the employment market, while weighed down by student loans and debt, having the experience of volunteering for people who have experienced unemployment or low minimum wage helps prepare Longwood students that life after school is hard work, discipline, and accepting the help of others.
FACES was ranked third in central Virginia in the amount of food distribution in the year 2009, documenting 658,950 pound of food in a year, or 12,700 pounds of food distributed in a single week. FACES has been helping the Farmville community since 1981, and every year gives more food to more families, growing the numbers of bags given and families provided for. If interested in helping out your community through FACES, be sure to check the website of FACES at www.facesfoodpantry.org.
