Community service is not a two-month long season.

Nonprofit organizations need as much help as possible. Faith Mission, established in 1966 on East Long Street, is the only shelter in Columbus which serves three full meals every day to residents and nonresidents of the community.

Laurie Pappas, spokeswoman for Faith Mission, said 200,000 meals were served to Columbus residents in 2002.

“We are always looking for volunteers to work in our community kitchen and resource center. We especially need students to help staff our resource center,” Pappas said. “The resource center is a computer center that allows residents of our men’s and women’s shelters to look for jobs online. Students would basically be offering computer assistance to our residents.”

Students also can donate food such as canned goods, spices and meat products to the community kitchen Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

During the holidays, most community service projects revolve around serving food, but the Mid-Ohio Food Bank needs volunteers to evaluate and sort goods donated by Kroger and Big Bear supermarkets.

“Mid-Ohio Food Bank has been in operation for 23 years. It was created by a group of concerned Columbus citizens,” said Beth Thompson, volunteer coordinator at Mid-Ohio Food Bank. “These citizens started a task force in hopes of eliminating hunger. Our organization is under Second Harvest and we serve the central and southeast Ohio communities.”

There are two shifts, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Various pantries and food shelters throughout Ohio are members of the Second Harvest agency. Each kitchen decides how much food they need each week to serve their guests, and the Mid-Ohio Food Bank does its best to fill each order.

“There is a way to help. Just coming down here is a real eye-opener. We have dietetic majors, nursing students, graduate law students and people in hospitality management tour our facilities every quarter. They find it hard to believe with all of this food, there is still all of this hunger,” Thompson said.

The Mid-Ohio Food Bank started an after-school program this year. Local high school students worked separating goods one Thursday a month. The program became so popular that now, 30-60 children come to help out two Thursdays a month, Thompson said.

Frances Carr runs the Holy Family Soup Kitchen and Pantry on South Grubb Street and refers to everyone as “honey.” She unloads trucks and helps serve a lunchtime meal everyday.

“This soup kitchen has been here for 23 years. We started serving 50 people a day and now we serve 750 to 800 people a day. We have families and people from the woods eat here everyday,” Carr said. “If you’re from the neighborhood and have a proof of residency, you can receive a week’s worth of food, but you don’t need anything to eat with us, just grab a number and sit down.”

“Honeys” who want to help prepare the meal need to arrive at 7:30 a.m. The meal is served from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. everyday. In addition, a truck of supplies needs to be unloaded once a week and volunteers are always welcome to help, Carr said.

Volunteers looking to find a program that best fits their personality and interests can take a volunteer aptitude test at First Link.

First Link is an association which works with a volunteer to match his or her expectations with a great volunteer opportunity.

“Any nonprofit organization wants help,” said William McCulley, spokesman for First Link. “Knowing what you’re looking for is important. If you know what you’re interested in doing, we can find something for you. Our informational referral service links volunteers into service departments and community resources. Our volunteer center provides training for individuals interested in becoming volunteer leaders. We encourage people to peruse our Web site and find what fits them.”

Most of First Link’s listings feature volunteer opportunities in central Ohio, but it does include statewide organizations for those who do not live in the Columbus area. Upcoming events in Columbus during Thanksgiving include preparing and serving meals for the homeless and packing and distributing food baskets.

“College students are a part of the greater Columbus community. Students are lucky that they are at Ohio State because Columbus has one of the strongest commitments to volunteering in the United States,” McCulley said. “Don’t let people think that students are transient and they live here for just four years and then move away. Show us your pride.”

People interested in what volunteer opportunities best fit them can go to www.firstlink.org for more information.