Gifts of Hope: Getting to know the Wellesley Food Pantry volunteers - Wicked Local Wellesley

Jennifer Zarate

This week, the Townsman highlights volunteers who devote their time to helping others at the Wellesley Food Pantry. The story is the second part of our 2017 Gifts of Hope series, an annual project that profiles the work of a community nonprofit that could benefit from the donations of readers.

Since 1989, the Wellesley Food Pantry has drawn dozens of volunteers who stay committed to supporting the community for many years.

Resident Elliot Putnam said he’s been volunteering with the food pantry for roughly 10 years. At the time, he was looking for opportunities to volunteer since he started working from home. "When I walked into the food pantry after reading about it, I asked, ‘Do you need help?’ They said ‘Yes,’ and I stayed," said Putnam, who helps carry bags for pantry clients.

To Putnam, volunteering is being a faithful servant to people who have a need and to do so on a continuing basis. "Everybody [at the Wellesley Food Pantry] is there to do work," said Putnam. "Everybody is committed and folks [who volunteer] have been there for many years, some significantly longer than I have."

People volunteering are devoted to helping others, he said, and "you can count on them being there."

And it’s nice, he added, being part of a group of volunteers who have a real commitment to their job. "I’m normally there at 8 a.m. on Tuesdays and I stay long enough to help clean up."

When it comes to clients, treating them with respect is key, Putnam said. The volunteers "are very professional about being supportive of clients and respecting that they have a need."

Volunteering as a family

About six years ago, a local family joined the Wellesley Food Pantry to give back.

On Thursdays, the Cohen family collects donations from the food pantry bins at Whole Foods and Roche Brothers to bring back to the pantry. They do it "week after week, year after year," said Cynthia Scott, a pantry board member and director of operations.

Lori Cohen said she and her husband were looking to do something as a family with their kids and wanted to get involved at the local level.

"I’ve volunteered on the more national level and with different societies like the American Cancer Society, Pan-Mass Challenge, and Dana-Farber," said Cohen. "But, we were looking to get our kids (who were in high school at the time) involved and saw [the food pantry] as a great opportunity to participate."

Every week, Cohen said, they’d do runs to pick up food donations to bring back to the pantry. "Now that they’re at college my husband and I either go together, or we take turns, or sometimes when we go together we call it a ‘date night’... which feels good being able to contribute together."

"I think for us volunteering is really important [because] it’s important to give back," she said. "We wanted to give a good example for our children to understand the message and value of giving back. Not only to folks locally, but to people who don’t know where their next meal will come from."

For Lori and her husband, getting the kids involved also showed them how fortunate they are and "to appreciate what we have, but also to give back and pay it forward."

The importance of volunteering

"Volunteering is important to contribute to the community of which we’re all a part of," said Scott. "We each can and should do a small bit to make the world a better place and it’s good for you too."

She went on to say that not only are there demonstrated health benefits to volunteering, "but I think all our volunteers would agree that the experience has added meaning to their lives."

In 2004, Scott would occasionally volunteer with the food pantry through the Wellesley Service League. By fall 2007, she had become a weekly volunteer. And a year later, in 2008, Scott took over management.

She became a director in 2009, and then became board president when the food pantry incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in spring 2011.

This past summer, Scott stepped down as board president, but remains in charge of operations.

Elizabeth Matera, a board director, has been with the Wellesley Food Pantry for the last four and a half years.

"We’re very fortunate [at the food pantry]; Wellesley is very generous because there is a need," she said.

Matera said she has a strong belief that no one in our country should go hungry, especially children.

"We’re a nation with plenty and we need to make sure that we see that everybody has what they need – food and shelter," said Matera. "Children are the future of this country and the elderly should not be left behind."

As of September, Jan Jurgelon, of Dover, started volunteering for the food pantry.

"I’m all about food," Jurgelon said, who also volunteers at the mobile food market at MassBay Community College and at the Greater Boston Food Bank.

Resident Susan Kemp has been with the Wellesley Food Pantry for more than 10 years.

Kemp said they’re fortunate to have good client relationships, where "a lot of [our clients] are very warming and appreciative."

How to donate

To donate to the Wellesley Food Pantry, mail a check, payable to the Wellesley Food Pantry, to: Wellesley Food Pantry at 207 Washington St. in Wellesley, MA 02481.

You may also donate using PayPal or a credit card by clicking on a link on the website: http://ift.tt/2A5IyAY.

The pantry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; so all contributions are fully tax deductible.

Coming next week: Where do the donations come from?