90-year-old Norrell Weisenborn of Harleysville was recently honored by the Keystone Opportunity Center for her 26 years of volunteer service. (John Worthington – MediaNews Group)
After retiring as a bookkeeper, Harleysville resident Norrell Weisenborn was searching for an activity to occupy her time.
“And I saw an ad for a food pantry volunteer in the paper,” said Weisenborn. “I thought, ‘I could do that.’”
At the time, the Keystone Opportunity Center was a small food pantry run out of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church basement. Weisenborn quickly got to work stocking shelves and carrying cases of food. Enjoying the work, she remained with the center through three different moves and eventually began training other volunteers.
“I enjoy doing it, and there was a need there, so I just stayed,” she said. “Somebody’s gotta do it.”
But now, after 26 years of service, 90-year-old Weisenborn is hanging up her hat as an in-house volunteer. She will, however, remain involved but on a smaller scale.
“I have too much trouble getting up and down on my knees,” she said. “So I decided, instead of coming and straightening up the shelves, I’d leave that for somebody younger and just take home the snacks and the cereal and pack them at home.”
Weisenborn is one of dozens of dedicated volunteers at the Keystone Opportunity Center. Formed in 2009 from the merger of the Indian Valley Opportunity Center and the Indian Valley Housing Corporation, the center is a comprehensive social service organization that encourages and empowers community members to become self-sufficient.
“We serve about 270-280 families a month out of our pantry,” said Executive Director Brandon Trombetta.
The pantry relies on both government funds and private donations. While recipients currently receive pre-packed bags of food, Keystone is in the process of implementing “Smart Choice,” a new system that will allow families to virtually customize the items in their bag.
“We have pre-packed bags that people can select now which results in some food waste,” said Trombetta. “With our smart choice system, it’s gonna allow us to manage our inventory better and give people the ability to virtually select what they want in their bag.”
Keystone also holds a weekly produce distribution event on Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m.
“Last year, we distributed nearly half a million pounds worth of food, free for families, households, individuals, seniors, kids facing food insecurity,” said Malcolm Friend, Director of Resource Development. “There’s no reason why anyone should be hungry.”
In addition to the food pantry, Keystone offers housing assistance, education programs, including English as a Second Language (ESL) and naturalization and GED prep classes, and a case management program with a full-time and part-time bilingual community case manager.
“Anyone in the community can walk in the front door, and we’ll get you connected with them,” said Trombetta.
Trombetta notes that Keystone is currently contending with unprecedented levels of need amidst declining donations.
“We’ve seen a 25% increase in the number of families coming to us for assistance, but at the same time, we’ve seen a 40% drop in donations from the community,” said Trombetta. “A lot of that has to do with the economy.”
Trombetta adds that there are “constant waitlists” for the housing program.
“While we’re interested in seeing other opportunities where we can add additional affordable housing to our stock, it’s just not possible right now because we don’t have a lot of turnover,” he said. “So we do have a waitlist for people to get into our housing.”
The growing need underscores the importance of volunteers. Keystone recently held a Volunteer Appreciation Day on April 13 where Weisenborn, among others, was honored for her service. She was later presented with a certificate.
“In my short time here, you’ve been a mainstay, and I thank you for everything you’ve done,” said Trombetta to Weisenborn. “For over 26 years, you’ve been a strong supporter, and you’re gonna continue to be a supporter just in a different way. We’re not saying goodbye; we’re saying see you later.”
For her part, Weisenborn intends on continuing her volunteer service to the best of her ability.
“I try and work with what I have,” she said. “It’s fun. It gives me something to do, and I enjoy doing it.”
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