More Than Benefits: How Aubrie Helps People Feel Seen

Humans of NHC: Meet Aubrie Rhoades, Lead Benefits Outreach Coordinator at the Food Bank of Delaware! 

My name is Madison Shiuh, and I am a 2025-2026 National Health Corps of Delaware member serving as a Family Pantry Coordinator for the Food Bank of Delaware. In my role, I help with pantry operations, connect clients with food resources, and work alongside staff to create a welcoming environment for the thousands of individuals and families who visit the pantry every year. Serving at the food bank has given me the opportunity to witness the many ways our team works to address barriers to food security, often extending far beyond food itself. One colleague who has especially stood out to me is Aubrie, whose compassion, dedication, and willingness to go above and beyond for both clients and coworkers serve as a model for what it truly means to serve the community. 

Every week, people walk through the doors of the Food Bank of Delaware carrying more than grocery bags. Many are navigating unexpected life changes, complex benefits systems, or simply the stress of asking for help. As the Lead Benefits Outreach Coordinator at the Food Bank of Delaware, Aubrie helps clients apply for SNAP and other public benefits, connects them with community resources, and builds partnerships that expand access to services. But after serving with her, it's clear that her work isn't just about completing applications. It's about making people feel seen. 

Aubrie's connection to this work is personal. "I have been someone who received those benefits, and I know how hard it can be to navigate the system and the application process," she shared. That experience made gravitating towards benefits outreach natural, she explained. "Just being able to alleviate a bit of that stress for the clients I work with means a lot to me." She now serves as the guide she knows many people need in navigating a process that can feel overwhelming, on top of already difficult circumstances 

"Food insecurity isn't just about food sometimes,” she added. For her, that means benefits outreach is also understanding the barriers that often accompany food insecurity and working alongside clients to navigate them. She helps gather required documentation, follows up with caseworkers, advocates when paperwork slips through the cracks, connects families with workforce development programs and other community resources, and builds partnerships that bring additional services directly into the pantry. When clients encounter barriers, she works alongside them to find a path forward.

When our conversation turned to trust, Aubrie's answer wasn't centered on knowledge of the benefits systems or completing applications correctly. Instead, she spoke about something much more fundamental: approaching every interaction with patience, kindness, and a conscious effort to make people feel seen rather than judged. "This sounds so cliché”, she said, “but just patience and kindness can go a long way." She explained that when someone comes in overwhelmed or emotional, meeting them with frustration only creates more barriers. "It will only make you both frustrated, and you're not going to get very far talking with those clients." Rather than expecting clients to understand every step of an unfamiliar process, Aubrie believes it's her job to meet people where they are. "Some people genuinely just don't know the ins and outs of how to apply for benefits," she explained. "We'll figure it out together." 

That commitment doesn't always fit neatly into a schedule. Some conversations last fifteen minutes. Others stretch to two hours. “It's all about meeting them where they are at. A lot of times, people just need somebody to talk to," she said. 

Having served alongside Aubrie, I've seen her bring this mindset countless times. Whether she's answering questions over the phone, helping someone complete an application, or out in the community connecting people with resources, she approaches every interaction with the reassurance that they don't have to navigate this alone. 

Just last week, a gentleman arrived at the pantry after spending several months without SNAP benefits. During a hospital stay, he had missed the phone calls and renewal notices required to keep his case active. Confused about what had happened and unsure where to begin, he came to the Food Bank specifically asking for Aubrie. Together, they gathered the documents he needed, stayed in contact throughout the process, and completed his renewal application. Because he had been living in an assisted living facility and couldn't easily access his paperwork, Aubrie worked alongside him each step of the way until everything was submitted. For Aubrie, the most meaningful part was not just helping restore his benefits. It was seeing the trust that was built that brings clients back to the Food Bank when they need support. "Clients always come back to us," she said. "That's a great feeling too, knowing the client trusts you enough to come back to you and say, “She took care of me before. She'll be able to take care of me again.” 

If there was one message Aubrie hoped people would take away from our conversation, it was that food insecurity doesn't have one face. "Somebody could be making $150,000 a year two weeks ago, and anything could have happened," she said. "Anyone can need help, and it's okay to ask for help."

Serving alongside Aubrie this year has taught me that addressing structural barriers isn't only about expanding access to programs but is about creating spaces where people feel respected enough to ask for help. The way we show up for people can either become another barrier or the bridge that helps them move forward. This begins with something quite simple: patience, kindness, and a willingness to meet people exactly where they are.