Meet John Vogan: Brand Ambassador for The Food Bank

Volunteers are essential to our work at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region and have a crucial role in all aspects of our operations. From accepting community donations and sorting food to packing hampers and delivering food to the 120+ programs and agencies within the Community Food Assistance Network, we couldn’t do our work without volunteers. 

Volunteers are also needed at fundraising events. We call our event volunteers brand ambassadors because they are the face of The Food Bank at events, campaigns, and speaking engagements. They interact with the public and help them understand the impact of their financial and food donations. 

John Vogan is one of our brand ambassadors. Here’s why he enjoys being an event volunteer. 

In John’s words 

John collecting donations at a grocery store.

I’ve been a volunteer for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region for close to two years now. It has been a tremendously rewarding experience for me. I think I’ve benefited from it as much as The Food Bank has. 

I started volunteering near the end of what many would call the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, there were plenty of opportunities to participate in food sorting sessions because the pandemic had prevented group sorting efforts, leading to a backlog of sorting that needed to be done. 

I would recommend attending a sorting blitz. The sessions only last for two hours, you get to meet a lot of interesting people, and there is a definite feeling of accomplishment as you watch the piles of food in the large bins from the grocery stores disappear and the stacks of sorted boxes in the warehouse grow. It was during one of these sessions that a staff member told me about the brand ambassador program and encouraged me to join.  

The process of becoming a brand ambassador is an easy one. It begins with a simple online form that is followed by a short interview. I had to provide the names of two references who were also asked to fill out an online form. Once I was approved, I was sent a short video and slide presentation to view, and then I was off to the races! 

The Food Bank’s volunteer portal lists upcoming brand ambassador opportunities two to three months in advance. Their volunteer program officer also sends emails about upcoming events. Once I register for an event, I receive a confirmation email as well as a reminder email closer to the occasion. The latter has all the information I need including background information on the event such as its history and why it’s important as well as practical logistics like location, time, and parking. Volunteer shifts are usually two to four hours long and The Food Bank staff are there to provide guidance and answer any questions.   

Being a brand ambassador is a great way to learn more about Kitchener-Waterloo. I’ve set up tables at The Food Bank for Waffles in the Warehouse, helped at Lazaridis Hall at Wilfrid Laurier University for Empty Bowls, and taken tickets at the door of a local restaurant for the Uptown Waterloo Comfort Food Crawl. Some of these places I would have never visited otherwise. Volunteering has been a great way to discover more about the community I’ve lived in for over 25 years. 

The biggest benefits I’ve received as a brand ambassador involve the people who I’ve met during my shifts collecting food and cash donations at my local Zehrs store, most recently during this summer’s Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. campaign. 

John collecting donations at a grocery store.

The Food Bank’s message that a dollar can make a big difference encourages all types of people to donate, which has led to some of my stereotypical beliefs being broken. For example, last Christmas, a group of four teenage boys walked by me in a haze of Axe cologne. I certainly wasn’t expecting much from them. However, after a quick conversation, they turned around and emptied the change from their pockets into the donation can, giving me big smiles and wishing me a happy holiday as they did so. That made the whole shift worthwhile.    

I’ve met some other neat brand ambassadors as well. I volunteered at Canstruction in Conestoga Mall with one lady who was in her 80s. She had travelled the world working with a global relief organization, spending several years in Saharan Africa. 

Another man I met while volunteering had arrived in Canada from India only five months before our volunteer shift. It was fascinating hearing about how he and his family had saved for his education. I introduced him to butter tarts and some Canadian slang. He was calling me ‘buddy’ by the end of our shift! 

Another woman I met was only 22 and a recent graduate from a local construction technology program. She told me how she had overcome initial skepticism at her job at a small construction firm run by folks who have been in Kitchener-Waterloo for generations. She had wowed them with a special lunch of homemade, very lightly spiced (her words) Indian food the Friday before our weekend shift. 

I have also volunteered at the Uptown Waterloo Night Market and Kitchener Ribfest in Victoria Park. The people I’ve met as well as the places and events I’ve learned about while being a brand ambassador over the past several months have been a great experience. I would recommend it highly. 

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