To celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week, we have the pleasure of introducing you to a few of our dedicated and valued Food For Free volunteers!
Meet Howard Sard of Arlington MA, who has been a Healthy Eats volunteer for several years.
Tell us something about yourself!
I am retired as of March 2021. I was a chemist at a laboratory in Woburn for 35 years. My hobbies include jogging, rollerblading, and duplicate bridge. I also keep busy volunteering with Food for Free, Arlington Eats (formerly known as Arlington Food Pantry), and Arlington’s Council on Aging, where I help out by giving seniors rides to their medical appointments.
What’s your favorite Food For Free volunteer shift?
My preferred shift at Food for Free is helping Simon with the Healthy Eats home deliveries on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I have also packed grocery boxes at Food for Free for the truck. It is most gratifying for me to be able to assist with deliveries that are so important for this needy population. Simon is a great boss, and my favorite part of volunteering is the interesting discussions we have while making deliveries. I have also enjoyed getting to know Damian better during my volunteering shifts.
What motivated you to start volunteering with Food For Free?
I started volunteering at Food for Free at the Inman Street location in Cambridge when I was still working full time since I could take weekend shifts there, and most other local volunteering opportunities were only available during working hours. Since my retirement, I have also been volunteering with Arlington Eats and the Arlington Council on Aging, but I still try to schedule about one shift per month on the truck with Simon.
What’s a quote that sums up how you feel about volunteering at Food For Free?
A quote that summarizes how I feel about volunteering at Food for Free is that it ‘helps me not take for granted how fortunate I am’.
Howard is just one of many volunteers who are committed to Food For Free’s mission of bringing consistent access to fresh, healthy, delicious food to everyone in our community. Join us!
Thank you, Howard, for your continued support of Food For Free!
