Food Pantry Spotlight: Sianna Niedzolkowski

Get to Know our Wonderful Food Pantry Coordinator

Last week, we talked about all the amazing things Liz and Barb do around the food pantry. This week, we're going to highlight the person who makes so much of that work possible. Below, you will see an image of a group of wonderful smiling faces, some of our incredible food pantry volunteers. Each and every one of them makes a significant impact in our community, and we are so grateful for their dedication. Today, you’ll have the opportunity to read about the person who helps make all of that possible: our food pantry coordinator, Sianna Niedzolkowski. For those of you who don’t know Sianna and are looking to put a face to the name, she is the wonderful woman in black standing in the middle of all those amazing volunteers.

Sianna recently celebrated her first year at the food pantry and has already made a significant impact. The first question we asked Sianna was, “What do you love about your job?” Sianna shared about her deep desire to help others. She previously worked in the restaurant industry and always felt called to serve people in a more meaningful way. As the food pantry coordinator, she feels that this calling is being fulfilled, her needs are met, and her heart is full. We were also curious to know, “What made you want to become the food pantry coordinator?” She described feeling a spiritual calling to help people in an impactful way. With her background in the restaurant industry, she has been able to transfer many of those skills into coordinating the food pantry in a meaningful and effective way, ultimately fulfilling her goal of being of maximum service to others. Sianna’s role involves many challenges, so we asked, “What keeps you going when you experience those challenges?” Sianna prides herself on her ability to remain patient and caring toward others. She uses what she calls the “seven-second rule”, taking seven seconds to pause during a challenging moment before resetting. This practice helps her continue serving each and every food pantry shopper and volunteer with a positive attitude and a caring heart. Lastly, we wanted to know, because she is constantly showing up for others, “What helps you show up every day?” Due to her strong sense of being called to service, Sianna feels a deep responsibility to show up for others daily. In many ways, she says it feels like she doesn’t have another option; she feels “born to serve.” Sianna has also experienced food insecurity herself, which makes this work deeply personal. Her vision is to create a safe space where she would have wanted to shop during her own challenging times. That vision fuels the passion she brings to running the food pantry each week. Sianna is truly a powerful example to us all.