Volunteer Profile: Anna Perris-Rigoutsos & Franklin Rigoutsos

Volunteer Profile: Belinda Cheng Belinda Cheng has served as a volunteer since 2012. She most recently served with us as a VITA volunteer for the 2022 tax season. Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? "I like that Food Bank’s mission has tangible, immediate impacts in our communities, whether it’s pantry distributions or helping clients file their taxes for free to secure much-needed refunds." What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? "I’ve served in many capacities with Food Bank over the years: the annual New York City Wine & Food Festival; repacking at the Warehouse in the Bronx; and, most recently, as a VITA volunteer tax preparer. I like the in-person interactions with clients, and my fellow volunteers." Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. "Lunar New Year meals are always a special time for family reunions and tasty food!" Who inspires you to serve? "I am inspired by the joy, gratefulness, and smiles on the clients' faces. If you have the ability to serve, you should! "

Volunteer Profile: Eleanor Haskin Eleanor Haskin is a volunteer at our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry who has served more than six hours of service, with hopes for returning as much as her schedule allows. Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? I’ve always appreciated that Food Bank’s mission extends beyond food distribution and focuses on maintaining dignity and sustaining the community with things like tax help and the senior center. What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? Not a specific memory, but my sister is the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator at the Community Kitchen & Food Pantry, so I visit her there. It feels like a real community— I love coming back and seeing familiar faces and catching up with the staff and clients. I feel like I know people there now and they know me. Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. I went vegan as a teenager, and it’s been special to rediscover meals from childhood made with new ingredients. My mom used to make spaghetti Bolognese a lot. I started making it with walnuts and mushrooms as “meat.” My mom was skeptical at first, but she loves it now and it’s become a staple. Who inspires you to serve? My fellow New Yorkers!

Volunteer Profile: Noah Becker Noah has served more than 25 shifts at our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry since he first began volunteering with us in April 2024! Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? Food security is a precondition for everything else in life. Food Bank's commitment to providing this foundation—and so deliciously and nutritiously at that—is important to me because when we take care of the community, we enable everyone to lead healthier, more active, more meaningful lives. What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? After volunteering at Senior Lunch for several weeks, some of the regulars and I started to get to know each other by name. Phoebe shared memories from her college years with me, Arnold and I laughed as he recounted how his mother named him at birth, Kevin excitedly showed me a new magnetic dartboard he had just picked up… Sweet new connections, and lots of smiles all around! Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. My family is Jewish, and some of our lineage can be traced to Austria. We have a family recipe for a Viennese noodle kugel that we often make around holidays, rich, buttery and savory, just delicious. Who inspires you to serve? Three of my four parents are social workers. They're strong-willed people, and from a young age I was deeply affected by how their beliefs and values guide their commitment to service and all aspects of their lives. I'm also a professional musician, which in my mind is about providing another layer of care and support to communities around me.