One woman's personal experience changes community service
I was on my way to my scheduled carpool day for the private school my daughter was in and was hit head-on by an oncoming car. This accident left me with deep tissue injuries, and after a year I had to permanently leave my job in pharmacy management to work part time at a trucking company, since this was a sedentary position. With a couple setbacks, I was unable to return to full time work for more than 17 months.
At the time, I was a divorced mother with no child support. It wasn't long before I went through my savings and was forced to sell everything I could to makes ends meet. It was during this time that I moved to our beautiful Coeur d'Alene for a new start. After being here one month, I was taken off disability and did not have a job secured.
Since I had been making good wages for years, I did not know what resources were available or where to go to receive assistance during this time of need. My neighbor told me about a small food bank and I went through its door with no knowledge of the process to receive food which we desperately needed at this low point. As I waited in line, I overheard the food bank workers talking, loud enough for me to plainly hear, that I certainly didn't need food by their visual assessment. They continued to speak about how I was taking food that 'other people' could use.
What they didn't know is that I had sent my daughter to school with the very last thing in our refrigerator, a tortilla that I put jam on, rolled up and tried to make sound special to my daughter, like no one else had thought to make a "Mexican sandwich," as I called it. I will never forget my daughter's words as she got out of the car for school that day, "It's OK mama. When kids don't have a lunch, other kids give the best stuff out of theirs."
What those workers didn't know, is how hard it was for me to even walk through their door. What they didn't know is that I had my cosmetologist license for 15 years (how I supplemented my pharmacy income before the accident), and that I cut and highlighted my own hair and manicured my own nails with my excess leftover products. What they did not know is that my daughter got a scholarship to keep our temporary situation from affecting her education.
What I heard that day made me turn from someone who just needed a hand up to someone who had been degraded to a beggar with my self-worth dropping to the lowest level imaginable. After that one visit, I sat in my car sobbing, and I vowed to someday make a difference.
- Carolyn Shewfelt
Anyone from any walk of life can be faced with extreme challenges and find themselves in need of receiving vital community services to support themselves. After remarrying and 14 years of working her way back into a promising residential lending career, Shewfelt still could not forgot the feeling of shame she felt that day. It was her heart's passion that led her to apply and accept the position for Food Bank Manager at Community Action Partnership in October 2009.
Community Action Partnership food bank serves more than 20,000 unduplicated individuals per year with respect and humility. Shewfelt was essential in starting a homeless distribution, Veteran and ElderHelp outreaches, and USDA government commodities distributions to the five northern Idaho counties. With a recently remodeled food bank and warehouse area to accommodate the ever increasing demand in the same repurposed space, and the 286 annual volunteers (a total of 15,807.75 hours in 2014), the Community Action Partnership is the only food bank that serves all residences in Kootenai County.
"I am so grateful to be able to serve our community at this capacity," said Shewfelt. "It is at a much greater scale than I ever imagined." Since her employment, Shewfelt has developed an inventory tracking system that automatically populates monthly government reports. She was privileged to be asked to share this system to her peers at a state conference, making it available to other warehouse distribution sites throughout the state of Idaho. This has decreased approximately 40 hours of work per month depending on the volume of inventory. Shewfelt also inspects the intake process of more than 30 food bank and meal sites in the five northern Idaho counties and takes pride in the fact that these sites are serving their communities with a smile and doing a fabulous job.
As a United Way of Kootenai County Community Partner since 1997, Shewfelt understands our mission of improving lives of people in our community. "I needed to work where I can help people with the basic needs of food as they pass through less than favorable times in their lives," claims Shewfelt. "Our local United Way has proven to be our community (behind the scenes) cheer leaders. They recognize our community's needs and set out to create a connection of relationships, resources or events to help identify and fill the gaps within our community. United Way of Kootenai County supports an instrumental hub of valuable resources and partnerships with like agencies that allows us to unite in serving our communities."
Carolyn Shewfelt has lived in Coeur d'Alene since 1992 and is married to her husband Mike of 22 years, who shares in her desire to make a difference. They enjoy their pets and volunteering at The Orchards (formerly Coeur d'Alene Homes) every Sunday for church service.
The Community Action Partnership food bank is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 4144 Industrial Loop in Coeur d'Alene.
Volunteer Opportunities:
The Idaho Youth Ranch provides troubled children and families a bridge to a valued, responsible and productive future. Volunteers are needed to sort products for our thrift stores, and keep our merchandise stocked and organized to better serve customers. Also seeking a Healthy Meals volunteer at Anchor House to help prepare meals for the residents in our home and must be 18 years old, submit application and criminal background check, complete interview and comply with all Idaho Youth Ranch Volunteer Policies and Procedures. Needed weekly during business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information on how to register for these volunteer opportunities, visit www.kootenaiunitedway.org, click on the "VOLUNTEER" link to view this listing and other volunteer opportunities in YOUR community, or contact Jeanette Laster at United Way of Kootenai County, (208) 667-8112, Ext. 101.
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The United Way of Kootenai County Volunteer Center
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* "One-Stop Volunteer Resource Center" for the whole community
* Ongoing and one-time volunteer opportunities
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(208) 667-8112
Visit the United Way's Volunteer Center website: www.kootenaiunitedway.org
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