Tulsa Family Finds Connection Through Volunteering

What began as a school volunteer opportunity has grown into a meaningful family tradition for Tulsa mom Gretchen Sterba and her three children, Colter Price, 16; Ophelia Price, 13; and Juniper Price, 9.

For the family, volunteering together has become a way to meet people they might not otherwise encounter, learn about their community and put their family’s values into practice.

“It’s a chance to not just talk about values, but to live values,” Gretchen says.

For the past several years, the family has regularly volunteered with Food On The Move, helping distribute fresh produce, set up community events and spend time with families and children attending the organization’s Community Food & Resource Festivals.

An Opportunity the Whole Family Could Share

Gretchen first connected with Food On The Move through Undercroft Montessori School, where she teaches. She quickly saw that it offered something especially valuable: meaningful ways for people of all ages to serve together.

“We started doing it as a school every month,” she says. “It was amazing how accessible it was for whole families.”

Gretchen’s partner, Ryan Price, also regularly volunteers with the family.

That accessibility was especially important because Gretchen’s children were young when the family began volunteering. At festivals, volunteers can unload and organize fresh produce, set up tables, distribute food, assist with activities or help tear down after the event.

For Gretchen, seeing how naturally children could participate made a lasting impression.

“It opened my eyes to wanting to serve more,” she says.

Learning About People—and Perspective

The family’s connection with Food On The Move deepened when Gretchen saw the organization’s work helping Afghan families resettling in Tulsa.

Food On The Move coordinated meal distribution for families temporarily living in local hotels while waiting for permanent housing. Gretchen and her family volunteered to deliver meals and quickly discovered how meaningful those personal interactions could be.

“We loved meeting some of the Afghan families and giving meals,” Gretchen says.

One family they met eventually moved into their own neighborhood. Gretchen’s children helped the family’s children practice English, writing words together and learning through conversation. As the families got to know one another, Gretchen and her family also helped with practical needs such as transportation, furniture and job searches.

The experience reinforced something Gretchen wants her children to understand: being part of a community means building relationships with people whose backgrounds and experiences may be different from their own.

“We are with, not without, compared to the rest of the world,” she says. “That’s why I wanted us to start volunteering.”

Her son recently reflected on what volunteering has taught him. Meeting people from different economic situations and backgrounds, he told his mother, has helped him become more comfortable talking with new people and less afraid of differences. He has also learned that work can have value beyond earning money.

“They’re going into communities they wouldn’t necessarily always go to,” Gretchen says. “It helps them interact with people who are not like them.”

Small Moments, Big Lessons

Each of Gretchen’s children has found a favorite part of volunteering.

Her youngest daughter, Juniper, enjoys spending time with other children.

“I like helping them draw,” she says.

Gretchen’s daughters, Ophelia and Juniper, enjoy helping at the children’s activity table, coloring and playing with younger festival attendees. Her son, Colter, particularly enjoys walking through events with a wagon, helping families collect food.

“He felt so proud when he came back in,” Gretchen says. “He was chatting with people and doing that. He said that’s his favorite.”

Those moments—handing someone a bag of produce, making eye contact or helping a child color—may seem small, but Gretchen believes they can leave a lasting impression.

“I realize the impact that kids have on hope and life,” she says. “Don’t wait until they’re older. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Like many parents, Gretchen admits her children don’t always feel excited about giving up an evening or weekend to volunteer.

“Sometimes they don’t want to go. But every time after we go, they love it.”

More Than Charity

One reason Gretchen appreciates Food On The Move is its approach to serving communities.

“It doesn’t have a charity-type feel,” she says. “We give as a friend, not as a charity case.”

Gretchen says learning more about the organization’s farming and food initiatives also helped her family understand the complicated barriers that can affect access to healthy food.

Transportation, sidewalks, grocery store locations and the cost of nutritious food can all play a role.

“I had heard about food deserts,” Gretchen says, “but seeing some of these issues firsthand makes more sense to me.”

She hopes the experiences plant seeds in her children that will continue to grow long after they leave home.

“Who knows what seed has been planted in them that they’ll uncover later on?” she says. “They may not decide to be a community servant, but that will be in their lives when they’re older.”

Getting Involved

Food On The Move offers a variety of volunteer opportunities, including Community Food & Resource Festival setup, food distribution and tear-down, bag and H.O.P.E. Box assembly and Farm Days. Current volunteer opportunities and registration information are available through Food On The Move’s volunteer page.

Lindsay Morris is a native Tulsan, writer and founder of Tulsa Places, where she highlights local businesses and family fun. She works in healthcare marketing and communications.