READY “It Just Didn’t Seem Right to Walk Away” — Volunteer Matthew C. King's Journey with Make-A-Day
“People didn’t have to show need, everyone got a meal. That blew me away. Even more astounding was that it happened every week.”
The first time Matthew C. King came across a Make-A-Day Street Outreach, he stopped in his tracks. A food truck was parked on the curb, its window open wide. Steam curled up from the grill. The team moved quickly but with ease, plating meals that looked like they’d come from a restaurant kitchen. There was no sign-up table. Just here’s a plate, you’re welcome to sit and eat.
“I’ve never heard anybody else doing it,” Matthew says.
That moment stuck with him. Service had been a steady thread in his life for years; he’d spent nearly every week at a food pantry back in Dayton before moving to Columbus. So when he saw Make-A-Day’s approach, it felt like an open invitation.
“I knew I wanted to keep giving back. Just the fact of the food truck giving away all this free food, gourmet food with the chefs, that was amazing. I was even surprised weeks into it that it was actually free.”
At first, his connection came through Food Rescue, where the focus on sustainability and food justice drew him in. Coincidentally, the drop-off spot he was assigned to was the same place Make-A-Day held street outreach every Tuesday. He’d hand off rescued food, exchange a few words, and head out.
But the more he saw, the harder it was to walk away.
“It didn’t seem right, while this was taking place, for me to just go, ‘Okay, see ya.’ So I decided to stay for the entire two hours.”
Matthew encouraging neighbors to join us for a free lunch and International Overdose Awareness Day celebration.
Matthew handing out cold waters at our Mindful Connections Pop-Up Care Village.
That decision reshaped his weeks. Now, Matthew is one of the first faces guests see at Pop-Ups, leading food service volunteers, and offering steady, judgment-free conversation.
He treats it like a job, one that matters deeply.
“I haven’t had paid work since I moved here, so I consider this my job, even though I’m not getting paid for it. I show up and help where I can.”
His care doesn’t stop when the service ends. On the West Side, he often checks in on a neighbor who uses a wheelchair after losing her leg.
“I can't even fathom what homelessness would be like. She is an amputee, missing a leg. She gets around on a wheelchair. I’ve sprung for propane & I know the three or four items she wants from Kroger, so when I’m able and see her I get them. I probably will never feel the struggle that she has to make every single minute of every day. That is a sobering thought, to stay grounded.”
Matthew keeps his cars stocked with essentials, Narcan, snacks, ponchos, body warmers, test strips, flyers, ready to hand out whenever the chance arises.
“I’m doing what I can. But then I see the same people every week bringing huge amounts of food, clothing, and supplies. It surprises me, but it also makes me want to do more.”
For Matthew, volunteering is about noticing the need right in front of you and staying long enough to help.
It’s volunteers like him who make Make-A-Day possible: people who don’t just talk about compassion, but carry it with them, two hours at a Pop-Up, a bag of groceries, a few items in the trunk, ready for whoever needs it next.
❤️ Inspired by Matthew? Join us at the next Pop-Up, and show up with your community.