At the heart of Duluth, the Damiano Center has been a beacon of hope and support for families in the community since the early 1980s. Among its various programs, the Kids’ Kitchen initiative was established in 2001 to cater to the needs of unaccompanied children who would come to the Damiano Center’s Community Kitchen. Despite its long-standing commitment to serving the community, the Damiano Center is struggling to adequately meet the needs of such programs due to a decline in volunteerism. 

 “It’s pretty evident that there is a need for volunteers there and with the Kid’s Kitchen there was an obvious need with the number of children coming in there,” UMD senior Broden Bunnell said. 

The decline in volunteerism, not only at the Damiano Center but also nationwide, is a concerning trend. According to a recent U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps survey, formal volunteer participation in 2019 was 30% and by 2021, the volunteer participation dropped by 7% — the largest decrease the survey has recorded since it started in 2002. 

Bunnell highlighted the current shortage of volunteers in the area, emphasizing the importance of individuals stepping up to help fill this community's needs.

 “I know this year we have a low number of volunteers, so it feels good to know that I’m filling in where a volunteer is needed in the community to make a difference,” Bunnell said. 

Bunnell began at the Damiano Center in the Spring of 2021. Since then, he has been dedicating his time to the Kid’s Kitchen every Wednesday. 

Bunnell’s interest in volunteering began as most university students do: to build and enhance their resumes. However, Bunnell feels differently about his volunteer experiences at the Kid’s Kitchen. 

“It wasn’t just a volunteer situation where ‘I’m just gonna do it because it’s a resume builder,’ but more so, I was trying to find where I was needed to give back to the community,” Bunnell said.

Bunnell's dedication to the Damiano Center and the Kids' Kitchen program is an example of how one individual can help make a difference in the community. His commitment has not only provided much-needed support but he hopes it also inspires others to follow in his footsteps and give back to the city of Duluth. 

“Even if you can only give one hour a week at the Kids’ Kitchen, it’s really appreciated by the program,” Bunnell said.  

The Damiano Center is currently in need of weekend help at the Community Kitchen and weekday help at the Free Store. If readers are interested in getting involved, please click here to complete an online volunteer application.