Volunteer Of The Month: Theresa Rottman Helps Nourish Bodies And Hearts At ACAN Food Pantry

Though Theresa Rottman has spent much of her adult life moving, one thing has stayed consistent: her love of volunteer work. Now a resident of Arnold, Rottman has volunteered with Asbury Church Assistance Network (ACAN) for nearly five years, where she helps with the weekly food pantry and with reviewing and editing grants that help keep ACAN open.

“She is a very positive individual and always sees the good in the clients that come to the pantry,” said Peggy Wilson, executive director of ACAN. “She often says there is no shame or judgment here.”

ACAN’s food pantry is open from 10:00am-noon on Mondays and Tuesdays. Rottman typically checks people in and completes paperwork for them. At the end of the line, people pick up a big box of food. Rottman explained that ACAN focuses on healthy food such as fresh vegetables and meat, while also giving access to things like desserts as they go through the line. ACAN holds the occasional baby pantry or elder pantry as well as the regular food pantries.

“It’s opened my eyes to a new realm of need in our community,” Rottman said. “Although you always know that there are people who are hungry, it’s different when you stay at a food bank for a while and get to know the people who are coming through.”

Rottman has volunteered since she was 22 years old. Though her years as an Air Force spouse meant frequent moves, Rottman always made time for giving back. In addition to wanting to help people, she also appreciates the way volunteering connects people with their community. Before her husband retired, she spent 30 years working with other Air Force spouses. She has also helped with Hospice and new moms learning how to breastfeed.

“I honestly feel that everyone should get their hands dirty,” Rottman said.

When she’s not volunteering, Rottman enjoys playing piano, reading and playing mahjong. Spending time with her family is also important to her. Rottman and her husband moved to the area from Northern Virginia and enjoy visiting their adult kids, who live with their spouses in Washington, D.C.

Rottman knew when she moved that she wanted to continue volunteering, and she’s been working with ACAN ever since. Though she didn’t have a specific type of service in mind when she started looking for a way to get involved in the community, she found that she appreciates the grassroots feel of working at the food pantry. Since she moved to Arnold, Rottman has made ACAN her focus.

“It feeds people where they are. And there’s something very beautiful about that, so that appeals to me,” Rottman said. “It’s different to be at the food bank than it is to write a check to the food bank.”

Rottman’s favorite thing about her work at the food pantry is the way that it connects people. She has loved having the chance to get to know both her fellow volunteers and the people who come through the line. “I always say that we are theirs and they are ours,” Rottman said.

To learn more about ACAN, go to www.acanfoodpantry.org.