BENZONIA -- Danielle Perry began volunteering at a Benzie County food bank as a stipulation to participating in a state job training program.
She spends four days a week at Benzie Area Christian Neighbors, near M-115 in Benzonia, where she stocks shelves in the small pantry and helps visitors find groceries or clothing.
There isn't a job now that will support her two young children, although Perry, 22, wouldn't quit her volunteer work even if there were.
It's obvious she enjoys it. But there are more personal reasons, generally left unspoken, that fuel her desire to offer her time: She gives back because she's been given so much.
"I never expected all the help they're giving me," said Perry, who is studying for her GED and receives food from the pantry where she volunteers. "I look forward to coming here."
It's a fairly common practice across the region -- people in need seeking assistance from food banks and other agencies, then adding their names to volunteer calendars at those same organizations.
For the unemployed, filling grocery orders for a few hours a week helps occupy their days. In some cases, it even can lead to a job. But many say they donate time because they have little else to offer, and they don't feel right about taking without paying.
"It's frequently the thing that changes people's whole outlook on life," said Kay Bond, executive director of Benzie Area Christian Neighbors. "It makes you feel like you're contributing."
The recession strangling the state's economy has led to the highest unemployment rate in the country, and many of the out-of-work turn to nonprofits for survival.
More than a year of increased demand has been a reality for several organizations, who rely on volunteers to keep up.
At the Women's Resource Center Thrift Shop in Traverse City, people can receive free credit for working there, manager Carol Rose said. When staff positions become available, they're often filled with long-time volunteers.
"They're really a key part to this whole agency," Rose said, adding that shoppers make up a large part of the store's volunteer base. "This is their way to pay back."
That's how Nancy Chamberlain sees it.
Her husband was injured in 1975 while working on a General Motors Corp. assembly line and has had multiple surgeries. She was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and a degenerative hip, and has had two heart stents.
Chamberlain started bagging groceries at Benzie Food Partners in Honor while waiting for her own -- the couple has received food for at least five years -- and now helps unload a delivery truck two Wednesdays a month.
"It got to where they didn't have to call me, I was just a regular," said Chamberlain, 61, of Thompsonville. "Since I didn't have the money, I think I should just help with the time."
Kim Kucharek started volunteering at the Mancelona Food Pantry & Resale Shop about six months ago. Unemployed for nearly three years, she said jobs are hard to come by in the Antrim County village.
She was bored without work, so she sought out volunteer opportunities at the same pantry where she receives food. Depending on the week, she spends four or five days in both the food bank and shop.
"I do just about everything but run the till," Kucharek said. "I enjoy giving back to the community."
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