Volunteer Profile: Belinda Cheng

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: Devin Yang Devin Yang joined Food Bank as a volunteer for our 2022 VITA season, serving both in-person and virtually. In total, Devin was able to prepare tax returns for more than 60 clients, totaling just over $125,000 in refunds! Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? "I wanted to give back to my community and fight food poverty using my knowledge as a rising accountant. Food Bank’s mission is important to me because it aligns exactly with that, the prevention of food poverty with the organization of food and knowledge." What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? "When I was waiting for my train at 116th St, I met a client who thanked me for doing their tax return, and how much it meant for them that I did their tax return correctly and professionally. It really showed me that what we did mattered, and that we changed someone’s life for the better." Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. "Spring rolls are a very special meal to me. We always have them on special occasions, and they’re both delicious and easy to make!" Who inspires you to serve? "My family inspires me to serve. I heard my parents’ stories of their hardships when growing up, one of which was their sacrifice of education as kids so they could get food for the next day. I wanted to prevent situations like this from happening ever since, which is why I volunteer when I can."

Volunteer Profile: Anna Lynn Oppenheimer Anna Lynn (pictured center) started volunteering with Food Bank in March 2022 and has since become a regular volunteer at our Community Kitchen & Pantry, serving over 20 hours! Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? "I am passionate about ending hunger in New York City. I strongly believe that access to healthy food is a fundamental human right and I admire the innovative ways that Food Bank works to provide New Yorkers with access to food and other important services and resources to help alleviate poverty." What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? "I was fortunate to be a volunteer the first day that the Community Kitchen was able to welcome volunteers again. It was inspiring to see Food Bank in action helping New Yorkers and also to meet the dedicated staff who had been courageously working on the front lines throughout the pandemic." Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. "I have been in New York for nearly 30 years, but as a Louisiana native, I love cooking, eating, and sharing a big pot of gumbo with family and friends. We even named our puppy “Gumbo,” in honor of our favorite meal. " Who inspires you to serve? "I am inspired by my fellow New Yorkers, those who are in need of some sort of assistance and those who are able to lend a hand to help others. We are fortunate to live together in this amazing, if complex, city and anything we can do to lift one another up benefits us all."

Volunteer Profile: Lee Brown Lee Brown (pictured left) is a longtime Food Bank volunteer and has served over 1,000 hours with us. Lee is a familiar face at our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry and we were thrilled to recently welcome him back to in-person volunteering after a two-year pause! Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? "Food Bank helps a lot of people in the community that are going through hard times. Sometimes it's not just food, but other things like helping enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). They also have programming for seniors as well." What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? "When the NFL players from the New York Jets and Giants came to the Community Kitchen to give out turkeys and hams to the community. " Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. "The Thanksgiving meal or the holiday when they have a special guest." Who inspires you to serve? "The staff here are great and, no matter what, always have smiles on their faces. That’s what inspires me to serve."

Volunteer Profile: Sheryl McFadden Sheryl McFadden is serving with Food Bank as a NYC Civic Corps Member from September 2021-July 2022. Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? “Food Bank's mission is important to me because everyone deserves essential needs. Food Bank taking on that mission and helping to feed the city makes all the difference and shows how united we can be.” What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? “The most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank was the Thanksgiving Turkey pop-up distribution in Brooklyn. It was amazing to give away whole turkeys to the community and watch how it brightened their spirits.” Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. “Not a meal, but every year our Christmas tradition is to make my mom's famous banana pudding. It is extra special to me because of all the memories I have in the kitchen with my siblings helping mom. Food really does bring people together.” Who inspires you to serve? “Serving others has always been a love of mine, and I believe that worrying about the happiness and humanity of others (not just yourself) is so important to living a full life. My Grandmother taught me that and I never forgot it!”

Volunteer Profile: Michaela Phipps Michaela Phipps recently joined the Food Bank to volunteer for our Virtual MLK Day of Service on January 17, 2022. Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? “The Food Bank’s mission is important to me because it serves the community in a way that provides one of the most essential needs for every person - Food. Food gives all of us the means to function in life: school, work, play, and taking care of family, community and the world.” What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? “I just recently started volunteering through the Dear New York Program writing letters. This virtual activity gave me the opportunity to revisit both my love for art and giving words of support and motivation to others - something I had lost during the 1 1/2 years of remote learning.” Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. “Stir-fry vegetables. This meal is healthy, quick and easy to make. We all get involved by preparing a variety of vegetables (mushrooms and broccoli is my favorite) - add favorite seasoning or Asian sauce (meat or seafood optional). It’s special because everybody plays a part in making the meal.” Who inspires you to serve? “My mother is the person who has inspired me. She is a social worker in a hospital. She often tells me about the patients she works with, the hardships they experience and the ways she helps to make their lives less challenging. That’s what I want to do too.”

Volunteer Profile: Toby Jackson Toby Jackson served with Food Bank as an Event Lead during the 2021 New York City Wine & Food Festival. Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? “When COVID hit, I saw how much the pandemic caused so many more people to fall into hard times. I decided that my time devoted to volunteering needed to be more robust and consistent.” What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? “While I was helping give out groceries at a distribution. I saw everyday New Yorkers with jobs and families suddenly finding themselves in a desperate state. The gratitude for small acts of kindness was heartbreaking.” Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. “I would say Thanksgiving. It’s never about the food when we come together. It’s the comfort of home, family, and gratitude for our blessings.” Who inspires you to serve? “My parents were both avid supporters of charitable causes. After my dad retired, he built houses for Habitat for Humanity until he was well into his 80s.”

Volunteer Profile: Rehana Khan Rehana Khan served with Food Bank as an Event Lead during the 2021 New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF). Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? “I’ve worked with many people who have struggled with food insecurity and rely on pantries, including the parents of my students. It’s important that we all understand that food is a necessity, not a privilege.” What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? “Volunteering at NYCWFF has given me an opportunity to help others contribute to Food Bank’s mission. This experience has taught me a lot about what donating my time as an Event Lead can do for New Yorkers in need.” Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. “Any meal that we eat together (usually dinner) is special because I'm grateful to have that interaction. It's what bonds us as a united front against any hardships that come our way.” Who inspires you to serve? “The human spirit. My sense of justice to help others and their smiles as payment is what keeps me going and gives me life.”

Volunteer Profile: Naftaly Henriquez Polanco Naftaly Henriquez Polanco volunteered with Food Bank For New York City during this year’s Five Borough Pop-Up Tour for Hunger Action Month. Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? "Because there are so many people in my community that go hungry or have to choose to pay a bill over getting a meal." What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? "Being able to give back to my community and seeing how happy they were to receive help and to get good quality food." Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. "Dominican Sancocho, which is a meat and root vegetables stew. This meal signifies comfort and, warmth. It indicates celebrations. It always reminds me how important it is to eat a meal with my loved ones." Who inspires you to serve? "As a nurse serving my community is a passion. The inspiration to serve comes from seeing them express how grateful and happy they are to be served by Food Bank."