This year for MLK Day, the RSI Team gave back to our communities by volunteering. The idea came from RSI COO Kevin Koonce - who is no stranger to volunteering and being incredibly active in his community. We decided to share some insight into some of the volunteering that was done. Partly because we’re proud of our team, but also in an effort to inspire other teams to create similar initiatives on important days like MLK Day.

RSI COO Kevin Koonce volunteered with a local organization called “Feed My Sheep” (https://www.feedmysheeptemple.org/) which is a grassroots organization that feeds the local homeless and housing-unstable population (referred to as “clients” which he loves) through daily meals (365 days a year), a resource center to fill the needs of their clients, and the Well-Women’s facility which is a safe place for women to shower, commune, do laundry, etc.  Kevin’s specific job was helping prepare and serve the daily lunch in the café. 

He helped package 80 “sack lunches” that can be taken with the clients, as well as the hot meal for the day.  Yesterday’s menu was sausage and beans, bread, salad, and dessert.  

The needs are so great, and it was incredibly satisfying helping.  Kevin met a woman who suffered from mental illness, and sadly nearly all of her support system passed away suddenly in a short period of time a few years ago.  She has then found herself in a very tough situation but the meals and resources help sustain her.  She has a Master’s degree, but obviously has challenges too and FMS is helping her get back.

Going forward Kevin plan’s to make this a regular occurrence as one thing these folks need is creative cooks to help prepare meals, as nearly all food is donated from local grocery businesses and they never know exactly what they will have because it just shows up…and creative cooking is one of Kevin’s passions and creative outlets!

RSI Operations Manager Ryker Frandsen volunteered at The Refuge https://therefugeinc.com/. Ryker chose it because it offers food and personal hygiene products as well as homebound delivery to those in need in my community. He’s been giving to the Refuge ever since he was a kid and have volunteered their multiple times over the years. He put together office furniture (the kind that you gain your 1,000th allen wrench from) for a the food pantry. Most notably, Ryker remembers when this place started off as a small pantry in a different organizations facility in 2007 and has now grown to be a community resource in their own facility serving the entire Southside. This was a great experience to give back to people directly in his community, equipping the facility, so that way they can give back better.

RSI Supply Chain Expert Adam Reed and RSI Owner Maureen Cook helped an elderly man who was cited for his property being a "wildland urban interface".  In his case, he has/had a ton of downed/dead trees and brush with some dead trees leaning on his home. With the help of our local fire department and Adam's wife, Janine, we were able to clear a ton of dead limbs and cut down 4 trees (the big ones were pretty fun to watch go "timber") near this man's home.  There is a lot more work to be done on this property, but it felt good to help this man and his family get a start on the clean-up. We plan to return to help burn the giant pile of limbs/brush with the use of an incinerator that our fire department owns.