With purpose and positivity: How Laura Anglin supports our volunteers

At The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, our staff work tirelessly behind the scenes every day—securing and processing donations, organizing fundraising events and campaigns, sorting and storing food, and delivering orders to the 54 organizations in the Community Food Assistance Network. They also support our volunteers and collaborate with Network partners, all with one clear goal: to ensure no one in our community goes hungry.

Laura Anglin in The Food Bank’s warehouse.

One of our dedicated team members is Laura Anglin, who joined The Food Bank in May 2023. As an operations trainer, she provides training, guidance, and support to warehouse volunteers, ensuring they have the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to perform their tasks effectively and confidently.

“I like to talk,” Laura says with a smile. “I like to be around people. And now I get to come here and do that and help my community and feed people at the same time. It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

At The Food Bank, volunteers play a crucial role in all aspects of our operations. They accept donations, sort food into categories, pack food hampers, and help deliver food orders to the Network partners that provide direct food support to the more than 73,600 people in Waterloo region accessing food assistance.

“Volunteers are the heartbeat of this organization,” Laura explains. “None of this would happen without them. They take pride in what they do and they truly believe in the purpose of what we do here which makes it so easy to get things done because we’re all on the same page of wanting to help and make sure we get food out to people who need it.”

For Laura, training is about more than teaching tasks. It’s about instilling purpose.

“I’m very big on not just teaching volunteers what they’re doing but why they’re doing it,” she says.

Alongside that sense of purpose, Laura strives to create a welcoming, positive atmosphere.

“I tell every volunteer the three things they have to do while they’re here is be safe, be kind, and have fun.”

She hopes this mindset helps volunteers leave each day with a sense of accomplishment and pride.

“I want people to leave every day knowing that they did a good job… knowing that they helped their community,” she shares.

One of Laura’s favourite parts of her job is getting to know the volunteers.

“Every time a new volunteer comes in, you’re building a relationship with them,” she explains. “We’re a community inside of the community. You really do get to know these volunteers and who they are as people. They come from all walks of life, and they can teach you so much. I try to listen. I do talk a lot for my job but when I get the opportunity, I try not to. I try to listen more, ask them questions, engage with them, and get to know them as a person. It’s not all about what volunteers do for us. Sometimes, it’s about what we can do for them, to help them out so they can be pillars of the community as well. That’s what I strive to do.”

For anyone considering volunteering, Laura’s advice is simple.

“Volunteering isn’t about passing or failing. There’s no test involved. It’s about showing up with a smile, learning the ropes, and having fun while helping the community.”

To become a volunteer, visit thefoodbank.ca/volunteer.