2026 Volunteer of the Year Yolanda Adkins: Expressing Her Passion For Feeding Kids

Congratulations to 2026 Volunteer of the Year Yolanda Adkins. Each year, volunteer leaders at the Maryland Food Bank nominate one of their peers for this honor. And this year, Yolanda’s commitment to service rose to the top!

While we celebrate our volunteers every day, during Volunteer Appreciation Month, we wanted to shine a bright light on the incredible fact that last year, Yolanda and 8,001 of her peers helped us share 43.6M meals with our neighbors in need, by donating their time and energy to a variety of food bank projects.

Collectively, these incredible human beings volunteered for nearly 42,000 shifts – that’s a value of $1.85M!

Why Volunteer at the Maryland Food Bank?

People offer lots of different reasons when asked “Why do you volunteer at the Maryland Food Bank?” For some, they, or someone close to them has experienced hunger and choose to “give back”; for others, they’re continuing a tradition initiated by their parents or other role models; we even hear that people like the opportunity to build community with those who share similar interests.

Regardless of the reason, there are so many different ways to match your passion with a way to lift up your food-insecure neighbors through volunteering at the Maryland Food Bank.

And today, there are different places you can volunteer. While our Halethorpe headquarters has the most opportunities, our Salisbury and Hagerstown branches offer a number of ways to help!

Yolanda Shares What Motivates Her to Volunteer

“I enjoy gardening, so I value being able to help in the Maryland Food Bank’s garden, where kids learn about the journey of nutritious food from garden to table,” Yolanda said.

Over the past seven years, Yolanda has also happily answered phones at the front desk, and worked in the warehouse, but feels that her work in the kitchen was especially impactful.

When he learned that the Volunteer Leadership Council (VLC) had selected Yolanda, Doug Vitro, Senior Manager, Volunteer Program said “We’re fortunate that Yolanda chooses to spend her time volunteering at the Maryland Food Bank. Her energy and spirit are so endearing and motivating, that it was not surprising that her comrades wanted to acknowledge her.”

While many of these volunteers have been with us for quite some time, we welcome volunteers for the first time nearly every day, and there is no experience required!

“Strength or specific skills aren’t necessary—training is provided, and tasks are matched to your comfort level. Even a few hours make a tangible difference,” said Yolanda.

With continued high prices at the grocery store and gas pump, neighbors are finding it increasingly difficult to put food on their table. But as Yolanda said, your gift of time can make all the difference in helping neighbors build a thriving future.