One Birthday Trip, a Lifetime of Service

Libby Hammond’s unexpected PORCH journey

Libby’s journey with PORCH Yellow Springs began with an annual birthday trip. Every November, she and her twin sister take a trip together, and in 2017 they visited their aunt and uncle in Chapel Hill. That weekend, her uncle Mike Smith—one of the early helpers at PORCH—invited them to lend a hand. Curious, they tagged along, not knowing it would change the course of their own community involvement.

They picked up a donation bag from a local home, then followed the process to the end. Watching volunteers re-bag food and organize deliveries to schools and families, Libby was struck by both the simplicity and the impact of the model.

I thought “I can do this.”

“What they were doing there was fascinating to me,” said Libby. “I just was so impressed with how it was running. I thought, ‘I can do this.’”

Back home in Ohio, Libby got her local pantry leader’s blessing to run the PORCH program. The leader was both thrilled and surprised by how simple and convenient it would be: instead of spending money and shopping for groceries, donations would now come directly to the pantry.

In an area with a population less than 4,000, when PORCH Yellow Springs launched, collections started off small. At first, it was just Libby and another volunteer, driving around town and picking up a handful of bags. After a local newspaper article spotlighted their work, however, momentum picked up. Today, they now have five regular drivers who collect groceries from about 45 households, take them to the pantry, and shelve them.In 2024 they donated food worth approximately $15,000.

Genuine joy in making a difference

“Everybody that does it loves it,” Libby said. “They love driving around, picking up groceries, and helping people.” 

To Libby, what’s so special and different about PORCH from other organizations is that each town is responsible for their own people– all of their people. As a result, it is a very intimate and fulfilling experience. She said that she loves meeting the people who donate food each month and spending time with her regular volunteers.

“The people really make it special,” Libby said.

Libby describes her branch as a group of people who love what they do and find genuine joy in making a difference.

“We all have a blast doing it,” Libby said. “To help other people is a lot of fun, we found.”