This review is regarding volunteer experiences at the Regional Food Bank…read more I've volunteered at the food bank about 8 times with a service organization (we have an ongoing monthly "date" scheduled with them) and overall my experience there has been positive. The people are generally friendly and flexible. Volunteer duties generally involve sorting and re-packaging donated goods for distribution to local charities. If you're looking for ways to contribute to the community, this is a good place to go. Approximately 75% of the food bank's labor hours are provided by volunteers so they're open and appreciative of volunteers.

This is an excellent place to volunteer. You email them to sign up, they get back to you in a…read morereasonable amount of time. When you show up they are ready for you with a plan and they are thankful for your help. There is plenty of work to do while you are there so you feel like you are making a difference but they do not compel you to stay longer than your assigned shift- which I appreciate. You work hard for the time you are their and they respect your time. They do great work in the community and I am happy to have helped them out on three occasions now. I look forward to returning.

I had the wonderful opportunity of volunteering at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and it was…read moresuch a great experience! The staff was wonderful and I loved how they have tips for staying healthy and low budget recipes to try which I can't wait to share with my friends and family. Thank you for all you do!!

Quote from Main Page "The Rhode Island Community Food Bank…read moreworks to end hunger in Rhode Island by providing food to people in need. We envision a day when all Rhode Islanders have access to nutritious food and a healthy lifestyle." The amount of goodwill provided by this organization is amazing. Through programs like the Community Kitchen, Kids Cafe and the Express Pantry, Rhode Islanders in need have access to food and can work on learning critical skills for life. Volunteers are always welcome here. I could not think of a better organization to become a part of. From sorting in the food bank, to working in a community garden or even helping out in the Community Kitchen, there is something for everyone. Please go to the website if you are in need of assistance or are looking to become a part of the organization!

You may have donated a few cans of soup to Foodshare over the years, but did you know they have…read moreCommunity Service volunteer opportunities for you and your team, either in Windsor or Hartford? Our offices sent a team of 14 over to Windsor this morning and we spent three hours sorting meats and poultry donated by local supermarket chains. There were many job functions and stations necessary for us to sort through 5,950 pounds of food. When the food is donated by supermarkets, all of the different meats are stored in a Foodshare walk-in freezer in big plastic bins- so the bins were full of every sort of meat found in your supermarket's meat and poultry cases. Here is what we did: Station # 1 - Big pallets full of the bins that the frozen meats were packed were delivered to us via forklift. We opened up the bins and sorted the meat by type- beef, ground beef, poultry, pork, lamb, veal, specialty, sausage, bacon, etc. Stations # 2, 3, 4, 5, -The sorted meats went to a dedicated line where teams packaged cartons for the specific types of meats. We put a sticker on the outside of the carton (beef or poultry, etc.), inspected each package for damaged packaging, marked over the UPC with a Sharpie, put a Foodshare sticker on each package, and weighed the cartons we were creating so they clocked in between 28 and 32 pounds. When a box was completed, it was stacked on a rolling cart. Station # 6 -The rolling carts were brought over to a ten degree walk in freezer where the finished cartons were stacked by category onto pallets - 24 boxes to a pallet. Station # 7 -The bins we emptied out had to be wiped down, sanitized and restacked. It was a lot of fun to see how everyone worked together doing all of these different tasks. After a while, we were efficiently working as though we were a team that had been doing this work for 5 years. It was quite a rewarding experience. Go grab your work buddies and give it a go.

In lieu of favors at our wedding last month, Jason M. and I made a donation to Foodshare. It was a…read moreno-brainer to select this charity because they have served many families in-need in the Hartford area. Making a donation was very easy to do online. Not only did I get a thank you card, I also got a thank phone call from a representative! I felt good that my donation was very appreciated. Thus, I will continue to support Foodshare whenever I am in the financial situation to give.

"Because I'm hungry for those good things, baby Hungry…read morethrough and through I'm hungry for that sweet life, baby With a real fine girl like you" (Hungry - Paul Revere and the Raiders) "Hungry" should be a word in a song lyric and never a word needed by someone in real life. The Windsor Food Bank's Mission Statement is simple. It strives to ensure "that no resident goes hungry, is cold, or is without basic necessities". They offer community assistance in the forms of food, fuel, prescription medication, public transportation passes, and vouchers and gift cards for their clients to buy household items and clothing. I became involved with the Windsor Food Bank when I was asked to run a charity event at work. After speaking with their Windsor Social Services, we agreed to host a food drive for delivery in early November. The WFB was very responsive to my e-mails and always answered my questions promptly, like when I asked if they had their own collection boxes we could use. We borrowed six of their plastic crates that folded up flat and were very easy to transport and set up. WFB also gave us a list of their most needed items -Peanut Butter and Jelly, Pasta and Spaghetti Sauce, Macaroni and Cheese, Canned Meats, Crackers, Cereal, Baked Beans, Canned Vegetables, Canned Fruit, Fruit Juice, Condiments, Coffee, Tea, Hot Cocoa, Paper Towels, Tissues, Personal Care Items, Soap and Shampoo, and Baby Wipes. They also gave us a list of Thanksgiving items - Instant Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, Gravy Mixes, Canned Vegetables, Bread and Muffin Mixes, and Dessert Mixes. We printed these on some flyers and posted them in four of our different business centers. We set up their collection boxes around our work campus and delivered everything today. They were waiting for us with manpower and rolling carts to unload our three cars and a truck. We all worked together to move the cans and boxes and jars and packets inside. After we took a group photo, we were walking back to our vehicles and it struck us all as to how good it felt to have done this collection program. The WFB needs your help, and they need food donations more than they need volunteer hour donations. They accept donations from 9 am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

December 13, 2020 I…read moreglad support any Food Bank. Each dollar turned into seven dollars worth of food, so if I send dollar five cents, is turned into seven dollars and thirty five cents worth of food. That is the start to help children, this situation children of Windsor, Connecticut. This is second review of this Food Bank. Glad help children of Windsor, Connecticut, The Constitution State. As I write this, I know tomorrow is another date mark of the shooting at the school of Newtown, Connecticut. My thoughts and my prayers still with friends in Newtown and all over state of Connecticut.

The Windsor Locks Food Pantry, under the umbrella of Social Services, provides food weekly for many…read morefood deficient families in town. I've been volunteering there since the beginning of this year (minus the three months when I was recovering from a broken wrist). Couple things. Stockpiles / shelves are getting seriously low. Our pantry is mainly dependent on Foodshare and donations from locals. Families are vetted. Some of the recipients are homeless or live in cars. Consider volunteering at a local pantry or soup kitchen, and consider donating money and / or food. It seems as though our director is weekly shopping at Walmart to buy canned and boxed non-perishable items that we would otherwise run out of. Finally, if any of the readers of this review want to donate to the Windsor Locks Food Pantry, message me and I'll send you specifics on how to do so. Thank you

Wonderful Catholic parish in Southbridge! Welcoming people and beautiful spaces for worship. There…read moreare both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Masses and it's beautiful when the entire community comes together in a bilingual Mass. The priests are very caring and dedicated.