Volunter Spotlight: Burke Shiffler
After retiring from the Des Moines Public Library in 2020, Burke Shiffler knew he wanted to spend his next chapter giving back.
“I thought I would like to do something useful with my remaining years,” he said. “So that same month, I started at Food Bank.”
Now, more than three years later, Burke is a regular presence at the Food Bank of Iowa—and loving it.
“You know, I don’t know if you can think of volunteering at the food bank as fun, but it is fun,” he said. “You work in groups. A lot of the people that come to volunteer come at the same time, same day, same shift. So you get to know the people. I have a lot of new friends now.”
Burke appreciates the structure and camaraderie of his shifts. “It’s organized. There’s something to do. You come in at nine, you work till 11:30,” he said. “The volunteer coordinators—Rob and Teddy—are great guys. They’re easy to work with. They’re fun. They make the shifts fun.”
While the work is enjoyable, the mission is deeply meaningful to him. “I wish we didn’t have to do this, but somebody does,” Burke said. “It feels good to be part of probably the premier organization in Iowa that helps people with hunger.”