National Volunteer Week is April 16 to 22. Throughout the week, we’re celebrating The Food Bank of Waterloo Region’s more than 2,600 volunteers and recognizing the contributions they make each day so that people in our community have access to healthy and nutritious food. We’re also featuring some of our amazing volunteers on our blog and social media accounts to learn more about them and why they volunteer at The Food Bank. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn so you don’t miss a post.

Meet Stephen Jones

Stephen is pictured in the Fresh Approaches Food Centre.

Stephen Jones first became involved with The Food Bank of Waterloo Region when he was teaching Grade 8 at a Catholic school. Since his students were in the eighth grade, it was their confirmation year and as part of this process, his students were required to do some volunteer work. Stephen’s students volunteered at The Food Bank. Stephen joined them and helped with sorting food.

It was this experience that led Stephen to volunteer at The Food Bank later in life. He’s currently retired from teaching and has been regularly volunteering at The Food Bank one or two times a week for the last two and a half years.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Stephen says. “It’s a good place to volunteer.”

Stephen has sorted food and worked on the hamper line too, but now he spends most of his volunteer shifts in the Fresh Approaches Food Centre, our award-winning, onsite food processing facility. In this space, our staff and volunteers slice, dice, and repackage dry, fresh, and frozen food, extending shelf life and increasing the variety, quality, and quantity of food distributed to our agency partners through the Community Food Assistance Network. More than 40,500 people are supported by the Network.

“I always knew [The Food Bank] was important, but I didn’t realize the magnitude of how important it is,” Stephen explains, reflecting on what he’s learned since becoming a volunteer.

Stephen enjoys the flexibility that comes with volunteering. He chooses the shifts that work for him and every summer, he takes a break to go camping with his family. His favourite part about volunteering though is the people.

“You get to meet a variety of different people that are from all different walks of life,” he says.

When asked what advice he would give to a new volunteer or someone considering volunteering at The Food Bank, Stephen says, “Just do it. It’s worth it.”

Are you interested in volunteering? Visit the volunteer section to learn more about the different volunteer roles and how you can help people in our community access the food they need.