Volunteer Spotlight: Jacqueline Andrews
March 2, 2016
By Lindsey Hargett, Communications Intern
It was May of 2014 and Jacqueline Andrews, a former teacher, and her husband had just retired to Delaware. She was looking for a close-knit community to get involved with.
“I taught higher education for so long, that when I retired I was looking for that community feeling again that I had while teaching,” she said. “The hunger issue is really important to me, so volunteering [at the Food Bank] was a natural fit, I love it.”
Andrews volunteers two to three times a week in the kitchen, packing snacks and light meals for schools and other sites around Delaware, and they are delivered to 62 sites she said. Jacqueline packs snacks for the Food Banks Backpack Program as well and does some of the spread sheets to determine how many backpacks were distributed.
“Those spread sheets really tell a story, there are so many kids who go to bed hungry, it’s awful,” she explained “But with programs like these we are making the difference in some kid’s lives. It is definitely my favorite aspect of volunteering here.”
There is no downside to volunteering at the Food Bank, said Andrews. She says everyone pitches in and there is never any complaining; people are just happy to be here. Andrews smiled proudly when describing the volunteers she says that; anyone can find a home here, because there is such a diverse group of volunteers. People of all races and ages come together for a common cause.
“Everyone is always looking for a new way to do things, and they are always picking each other up,” she said.
You can tell immediately how passionate Jackie is about the Food Bank of Delaware. Her face lit up when talking about her work and the other volunteers. She described it with so much love and compassion; it was heartwarming.
“If I cannot solve the hunger problem on my own, I can at least help the people who do,” she said.
Want to volunteer at the Food Bank of Delaware? Visit our online scheduling site at www.fbd.volunteerhub.com.
