Volunteers

Volunteers
10 Jun

Giving Back, Growing Up, and Giving Hope – Jose Fernandez

Four years ago, Jose Fernandez visited our Pantry Partner Adelante Conejo Comunidad for community service hours but quickly found a deeper purpose volunteering at their community marketplace. “It’s been really fun,” he said. “I want to be here as long as I can.” Volunteering has helped Jose connect with his community, gain mentorship, and build life skills. “Through this work, I’ve met people who have guided me on college and career paths,” he shared. At the same time, Food Share supports his...

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10 Jun

Healthy Food for Every Family – Leslie

Leslie Saloki has been volunteering at Food Share for about a year, often bringing her high school son along. “I feel like food and shelter are the most essential things people need,” she says. “Volunteering here is my way to make an impact in the community and show young people the importance of helping others.” Even as a working professional, Leslie sometimes relies on Food Share herself. Rising grocery costs make meal planning a challenge. “When I go to the store,...

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10 Jun

Volunteer Spotlight – Dave Orr

Dave Orr, a volunteer who runs Food Share’s gleaning program, is passionate about saving crops from being wasted. “We are so lucky to live in an area with abundant fresh food, yet so many people in our community can’t afford to buy it at the supermarket,” he notes. “Gleaning gets fresh food that would go to waste onto the tables of people who really need it.” Dave Orr Dave started gleaning with Food Share about eight years ago....

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21 May

Finding Joy in Giving Back – Janie

“I love working here, it’s a blast. I just wish I had found it sooner.” That’s how Janie sums up her experience volunteering with Food Share and her words say everything. What started as a simple decision to give back quickly became something she looks forward to. Not just because of the impact, but because of the experience itself. At Food Share, Janie found more than a volunteer opportunity. She found a community. Each shift is filled with conversation, laughter, and connection. Side by...

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19 May

A Decade of Compassion in Action – Kim

What keeps someone coming back to volunteer for over a decade? For Kim Dallape, it’s simple: people. Kim has been volunteering with Food Share since 2014, showing up month after month to support seniors and neighbors facing food insecurity. In this heartfelt story, she shares what she’s seen, who she’s met, and why this work matters so deeply. “This is a critical, critical need for a lot of people. Without it, they don’t eat.” From building lasting relationships with fellow volunteers to recognizing familiar...

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19 May

For Food Share’s Oldest Volunteer, Service Never Retires – Herb

At nearly 89 years old, Herb shows no signs of slowing down. A dedicated volunteer with Food Share since 2018, Herb spends his Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays helping assemble senior food kits—ensuring our older neighbors have the nourishment they need to stay healthy and independent. When he’s not volunteering, you’ll find him at the gym… because giving back and staying strong go hand in hand. But ask Herb what keeps him coming back, and he’ll tell you—it’s the people. The friendships he’s built...

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15 May

17 Years of Showing Up – Jerry

For the past 17 years, Jerry Mendelsohn has been a familiar face at Food Share — packing produce boxes in the warehouse, helping distribute food at College Park, and supporting the mission as both a volunteer and donor. For Jerry, volunteering with Food Share is deeply personal. His connection began decades ago when his mother-in-law helped launch Food Share’s early computer systems in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Ever since, his family has remained connected to the organization and its...

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24 Oct

Harvesting Hope: Fresh From the Tree to the Table – Dave

Excess crops are an essential source of fresh food for our neighbors. In 2024, 101,643 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables were gathered through 184 gleaning events — all thanks to the dedication of Food Share volunteers led by Head Gleaner, Dave Orr. For the past 10 years, Dave has led Food Share’s gleaning program, coordinating volunteers, scouting for fruit to pick, and managing the logistics that bring fresh produce directly to families in need. Dave’s work begins long before anyone sets...

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05 Oct

Gina and Walter’s Story

Gina Howey, and her husband, Walter Burstein, were busy family doctors in Ventura County before they went into semi-retirement and began volunteering with Food Share in 2020. They stopped to chat on their way back from an early morning “bread run” about Gina’s passion for truck driving and how food insecurity can hide in plain sight. “A Harvester newsletter came to the house, and I was reading about volunteer opportunities,” says Gina Howey, explaining how she and...

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