From building homes to ushering theater-goers to re-enacting medieval history for middle-schoolers – yes, you read that right – acts of volunteerism have remained vital for communities across the country. And not just for people in need.

This year, many volunteers have also reported seeing an increased need for food assistance across the country, as a temporary pause on the federal program known as SNAP left millions of Americans unable to buy food during the recent government shutdown. Ransom Miller, who co-founded a project that distributes food ahead of Thanksgiving for the past three decades, says he received more calls than ever this year.

In this episode, Miller and others featured this past year as part of NPR’s Here to Help series explain why they’re motivated to give back to their communities. 

This episode was produced by Matt Ozug, Jason Fuller and Jonaki Mehta. It was edited by Ashley Brown. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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