Thank You, Valerie, for Putting Meals in the Hands of Families in Need!

Apr19

As a school teacher years ago, Valerie saw firsthand hungry kids at school. She began keeping food at her desk and made it available to anyone who was hungry. The kids knew where to find it and could grab some without feeling embarrassed.  

Though she doesn’t teach anymore, her experience with children facing hunger made a lasting impression.

Each year, the warm Texas winters bring Valerie and her husband down from Ohio. Back home, Valerie works at a homeless shelter and is in charge of a food pantry. While her husband worked remotely during their winter trips, Valerie wanted to give back to the community in Austin.

She found her way to the Food Bank’s product recovery warehouse and through word of mouth learned about the Mobile Food Pantry volunteer opportunity.

“I chose the Food Bank to help people. It’s hard to see people hungry, especially children and elderly, struggling to have something to eat,” Valerie said.

Valerie signed up to volunteer at the mobile food pantry site nearest to her and has been volunteering at Mobile Pantries since 2011 from January to April. She has volunteered 547 hours hours to-date. 

As a mobile food pantry, volunteer she helps set up tables of food and hands food out to clients as they make their way through the line.

“I went to them and I just sort of fell in love with the Mobile Pantry,” Valerie said. “I like talking to the clients.”

After five years of volunteering at the St. John's site, Valerie is a familiar face there during the winters. She has gotten to know clients on a personal level and knows about their backgrounds and families.

“They all know me. They all know when I leave and when I come back. You really build relationships with the clients and really see how the food is helping them, whether it’s once a month or twice a month,” she said.

Though Valerie volunteers in the community kitchen and in our product recovery warehouse, there’s no comparison to the feeling she gets when she interacts with the clients at a Mobile Pantry.

“They are very grateful and they say thank you and good morning. There are lots of smiles,” she said. “To me all volunteering is good, but giving the food to somebody and getting a thank you, is even better.”

During Volunteer Appreciation Month, we’d like to thank Valerie for her enthusiasm and passion to put meals in the hands of families in need. Thank you, Valerie!