Past Spotlights

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Carole, Beverly, Steve, and Kimberly

The Diaper and Personal Care Bank is an additional outreach for SPO clients.  The first Tuesday of each month the Diaper and Personal Care Bank is set up for distribution.  SPO clients are able to choose from a wide variety of personal care items that have been donated and collected by various groups, clubs and organizations such as Shippensburg University’s Women’s Leaders of the College of Business and Shippensburg Area Youth Athletics (SAYA).   SPO clients that have children age 5 and under can also sign up to receive diapers or pull ups each month.  The Diaper and Personal Care Bank is one of the many ways that SPO is here to help and support our community.  Together we are all better!

Pictured left to right are SPO volunteers Carole, Beverly, Steve and Kimberly

Volunteer Spotlight

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Glenn Franklin, Jr.

Produce Gleaner

My name is Glenn Franklin and I currently glean fresh produce for three Cumberland County food pantries: Project SHARE – Carlisle since 2009, SPO since 2015, and Big Spring – Newville since 2017.
I received the US Army Veteran Award Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Army Commendation Medal and Bronze Star Medal for service in Vietnam 1970-71. I retired from the US Postal Service in 2007.
I am a member of the Green Spring First Church of God and serve on their Mission Board.

SPO Spotlight

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Suzanne Shuey

Site Delivery Coordinator

My name is Suzanne Shuey and my husband and I have been involved with SPO since it formed in 2008. I am on the SPO Board and serve as Chairman of the PR & Development Committee. As chairman some of my tasks include managing the SPO Facebook site, keeping SPO’s website current and providing clients with a monthly food and free meals community calendar. One of the programs I am most passionate about involves being the SPO Site Delivery Coordinator. In 2010 SPO expanded its outreach by establishing this program to those with disabilities, transportation issues or work schedules that conflict with our regular 4 to 6pm distribution hours. The program is offered once a month on the 4th Tuesday and currently delivers to 74 individuals at five site locations. For me this is another example of SPO’s ongoing commitment to meet the nutritional needs of our community by “Responding to hunger, Focused on health.” From my dedicated volunteers who organize and assemble, to my faithful drivers who make the deliveries, the continued success of this program is largely due to their support. We are always looking for more drivers to assist. For more information please contact us at 717-477-9100 or message us through Facebook or our website at shipout.org

Officer Spotlight

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Derek Wadlington

Vice President

Derek has been volunteering with SPO for almost all of its ten years and currently is the Vice President, serving on the Administration and Warehouse committees. He is a past President and has volunteered in many ways at SPO over the years, starting as a driver helping with the Project SHARE run back in the early days. Since then he has been active in helping with setup, attending auction, and serving at distribution. He has been a member of the Board of Directors for the last eight years.
Derek serves as Chaplain at Wilson College, where one of his responsibilities is to oversee Sarah’s Cupboard, the college food pantry. Derek’s motto for all who come to SPO is “Treat everyone you meet with dignity and respect.” Derek’s wife, Kim, and their three children have been regular volunteers over the years as well.

Volunteer Spotlight

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Angie, Patsy, and Justin

Volunteer Neighbors

Angie Handshew, Patsy Jumper, and Justin Wilson have been volunteering at SPO since Fall of 2017. Angie, Patsy, and Justin are participants of Neighbors – Shippensburg (formerly Branch Creek Neighbors), which is part of UCP Central PA. Neighbors is an adult day program that serves those with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing meaningful activities and community participation for its participants. Every Tuesday afternoon, Angie, Patsy, and Justin come to SPO with their UCP support staff to help prepare food items for SPO’s weekly distribution later that day. Among other tasks, they weigh, measure, package, and sort fresh produce and other items. Angie, Patsy, and Justin always bring their positive energy and diligent work ethic to SPO to help serve their fellow community members.  Their commitment has not only benefitted SPO, but also has enhanced their own sense of pride in giving back to the community.

SPO Spotlight

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Max Mixell

Warehouse Overseer

Max has always been a square peg in a world of round holes. He’s been involved in SPO for so long now no one can quite remember how long it’s been, but it was a little before the great cardboard avalanche for those that remember.☺ He became involved when Karen asked him to help haul produce that was not going to keep. After seeing a dark warehouse full of slip and trip hazards he definitely saw that he could do some good there. You see, Max takes care of odd little bits around the edges that makes doing what we do a little easier and safer for everyone. As the “behind the scenes master of everything,” he might be fixing wheels on carts or climbing into a 700 lb. bin of green beans! “Volunteering at SPO has been rewarding over the years and it’s allowed me to meet and get to know some really amazing people!”

Officer Spotlight

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Amanda Smith

Vice President

My name is Amanda Smith. I am Vice President of Shippensburg Produce and Outreach and Coordinator of “Booty Bundles” Diaper Bank for SPO. I began volunteering with SPO in 2016 after being a long term client and wanting to be more involved in the community and civic engagement. I found a true passion for helping those facing food insecurities and enjoy talking to our clients each week, many of whom I know by name. Currently, I am pursuing my degree in social work, am a board member of the Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition, and founder of Circle of Love Community Outreach Program. I have two beautiful children and am enjoying a new relationship after being widowed for almost 4 years. SPO was definitely a blessing to my family and I during some very difficult times, and I am humbled at the opportunity to serve beside so many amazing individuals who have a true heart for those in need.

VISTA Spotlight

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Danelle Wagner

AmeriCorps VISTA
My name is Danelle Wagner, and I am currently serving as the AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) working with Shippensburg Produce & Outreach (SPO), along with the Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition (SCRC), and Shippensburg University. My role for this year is to assist SPO with sustainability and capacity building. You can meet me most Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. during our produce distribution or Tuesdays from 12:30-2 p.m. if you are interested in volunteering with our weekly set-up. I am originally from Halifax, PA and I have my Bachelors and Masters degrees in social work from Shippensburg University. Before joining AmeriCorps, I worked for Halifax Communities That Care, as a community mobilizer. I am excited to be part of the Shippensburg community for the next year!

Officer Spotlight

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Karen DeShong

President

My name is Karen DeShong and I have been working with SPO since it began in 2008. We are passionate about our mission: “Called by the grace of God to love one another, we reach out to those in need with food and or services.” As the current president of the organization, it is my responsibility to coordinate the many facets of our organization including grants, fundraising, procuring healthy food, developing partnerships, developing policies, and making sure all areas of the acquisition and distribution process run smoothly.

Last year SPO distributed 152,626 pounds of food. Of that amount, we bought 113,386 pounds from Central PA Food Bank and 8,820 from other sources plus we received 30,420 pounds of produce as in-kind contributions. Every month we continue to grow!

Our greatest blessings come from those who support us with funding, growing produce and volunteering. We are supported in our efforts by local churches and organizations, as well as individuals from the community that donate their time every Tuesday to gather, bag, and distribute fresh produce, eggs, lean meat and dairy.

This year, with the support of our VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), which we share with Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition and Shippensburg University, we are striving to develop sustainability for the future.

I invite you to visit SPO any Tuesday for set-up at 1:00 or distribution from 4:00 to 6:00.

SPO Spotlight

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Sabrina Becker and Lauren Stokes

Interns

Sabrina Becker

(Pictured on the left)

Hi, my name is Sabrina Becker. I am currently a senior at Shippensburg University and I am doing an internship at Shippensburg Produce and Outreach (SPO) and Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition (SCRC) as a part of my studies. In May, I will be graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. After I graduate from Shippensburg University, I plan on sticking around Shippensburg for a few more years to pursue a Masters in Social Work. When doing this, I will help SPO out when I can. Currently during SPO’s distribution, my main tasks are client assistance and signing up new clients to SPO. Client assistance means that I help clients through the Market Place and to their car with all of their fresh produce. When it is not distribution night, I tend to research different topics that are useful to SPO and attempt to figure out the pattern of clients showing up to distribution night.

Lauren Stokes

(Pictured on the right)

I am a senior at Shippensburg University studying Public Administration. My job here at SPO is to help build an administrative structure for the future of SPO. I am helping to get things organized to ensure that once under a director, SPO will be able to continue strong. Also, I am here to learn about how a small grassroots organization works and gain knowledge for my future organization.

After this year, I plan to go to continue my education and pursue my Master in Non-profit Management. My long term goal is to open/run a nonprofit resource center that caters to all income levels, and as many needs as we are capable to meet. I would like to help provide resources and referrals for those who just don’t know where to start in search for whatever their need may be.