Volunteer Profile: Lee Brown

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: Javier Gonzalez Javier Gonzalez is an avid Food Bank supporter and volunteer who has served more than 70 hours at our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in West Harlem, providing pantry bags to our clients with compassion and excitement. Why is Food Bank’s mission important to you? I love that Food Bank offers more than just food to the community. It offers a range of tools and services that empower clients to thrive and overcome hunger. I love seeing this work in action. What was your most memorable moment while serving with Food Bank? During my first shift at the Community Kitchen & Food Pantry, I met so many clients: one had cool personal style, another one's funny jokes cracked me up, yet another showed off award-worthy dance moves. But what stuck with me were the countless clients offering their heartfelt gratitude for Food Bank’s generosity. Tell us about a meal that is special to you and your family. Whenever I visit my parents, my dad makes café con leche con tostadas for breakfast: a piping hot mug of frothed, steamed milk with traditional Cuban coffee and buttered Cuban bread. Having cafe con leche for breakfast reminds me of my grandmothers, who drank it daily. Who inspires you to serve? In the last few years, my priorities have shifted, and I've felt compelled to do meaningful work. I wanted to do more than donate to important causes. The pantry distribution shifts afford me the opportunity to connect with my community face-to-face and spend a few hours each week helping people.

April is Global Volunteer Month, a time for us to celebrate the Food Bank volunteers who devote their time and energy to our mission of empowering every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. Each volunteer has played an indispensable role in serving our neighbors and building a stronger, healthier community for all of us. Our Food Bank volunteers are amazing! Click here to join our volunteer community. A member of our Food Bank Junior Board greets a client at our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in Harlem. Reflecting on a Year of Volunteerism Over the past year, our volunteers have embarked on inspiring journeys, fearlessly taking on the challenges our community faces. The impact of their commitment can be felt across every borough of our amazing city. A Food Bank volunteer greets New Yorkers at a Mobile Pantry distribution. Whether it was packing boxes of nutritious meals for seniors at our Warehouse, distributing groceries to Harlemites from our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry, or packing personal hygiene kits at home, our volunteers have made a difference in the lives of food insecure New Yorkers. Because of their dedication, families have found hope in times of hardship, and individuals have felt the warmth of a caring community around them. Food Bank volunteers packing food at our Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. We’re excited to share the extraordinary milestones we have hit together: Since February 2023, 7,662 volunteers have served 23,502 hours, translating to $742,663 in value to Food Bank's mission. On March 25, we re-engaged volunteers in our Senior Lunch Service and Community Meal programs for the first time since March 2020. From Food Bank’s Community Pantry, volunteers helped serve 38,957 households. Volunteers at Food Bank’s Warehouse & Distribution Center packed 953,056 pounds of food, converting to 779,595 meals. Additionally, Food Bank’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteers have processed more than 3,000 tax returns, helping to put over $5,720,000 in tax refunds back into the pockets of New Yorkers already this year. Food Bank volunteers celebrate the end of a packing shift at our Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. The Power of Volunteering and Encouragement for the Future Volunteering is the heart of our organization, and its power to bring about transformative change is undeniable. We invite each member of our Food Bank community to consider the profound impact they can make by joining us on this incredible journey. If you're ready to join us in empowering our neighbors to achieve food security for good, click here. There, you’ll learn more about our various volunteering opportunities and how YOU can become part of our volunteer family. A smiling volunteer at our Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. Thank you to all of our volunteers for your service, determination, and compassion. Together, we are transforming lives and making progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for ALL New Yorkers. We are so thankful to volunteers who help power our mission every day. Click here to join us on the ground as a Food Bank volunteer!