Volunteers don’t just support WayForward’s mission to create food and housing security—they illuminate it. Thanks to our volunteers’ dedication, neighbors find greater stability and our community navigates its way forward together. Our constellation of over 1,100 volunteers shines brightly through cooperative work—each team tackling different areas of impact throughout our organization. In celebration of their work, we’re illuminating stories from folks across the Donation Team, Food Rescue Team, Community Service Committee, and Hospitality Team.

Directing Donations & Helping Hands

WayForward’s Donation Team welcomes donors at the Distribution Center, helping channel our community’s generosity to neighbors experiencing challenges. Their energy and warmth lends every drop-off of food, clothing, and personal care products the shining care it deserves. We asked Donation Team members Meghan Schaefer and Tony Sellers about the meaningful moments they’ve shared with our community.

Schaefer, who previously worked in the field of social work, feels most moved by the compassion she saw from WayForward donors during difficult times: “I was especially blown away by the community outpour when the SNAP benefits were being taken away. It was so heartwarming to understand that in times of crisis, people genuinely want to help . . . . People are always showing up. Donating food and clothing might seem simple enough but it makes a big impact.”

Sellers draws meaning from the tender nature of many donations that come through the Distribution Center’s doors: “When donors bring in items from a loved one who recently passed, these moments can be emotional, and it’s important to let the donor know that their contributions will be handled with care and put to good use to support others in the community. I’m continually impressed by the generosity of individual donors, sponsors and local businesses.”

Shopping with Dignity & Support

The Hospitality Team offers a warm welcome to our food pantry guests and ensures their visit goes smoothly. From greeting folks in line, to engaging in cross-language communication and keeping the lobby comfortable during shopping hours, Hospitality volunteers are vital to creating a supportive atmosphere in the pantry.

Pam Delfosse, who recently retired from working in education on a state, national, and global scale, feels highly motivated by the opportunity to support neighbors close to home. “Food, safe housing, context-appropriate clothing—the need in our communities for these essentials is significant and invisible. I am grateful to lend my time and spirit to helping those in need, and to do so in ways that honor people’s dignity as they face hardships.”

Volunteers Behind The Wheel

WayForward’s Food Rescue Team helps turn generosity into tangible support by collecting large-scale donations from partners out in the community and transporting it safely to the WayForward Distribution Center. Two members of the Food Rescue Team, Curt McCallum and Bruce Dammann, shared the sense of community pride and purpose that accompanies their work.

McCallum notes, “I was struck by the commitment and passion staff at WayForward carried with them in their mission, and I wanted that too… On my first food rescue mission, I was really taken aback by the quantity of food we were helping to rescue. Our vendors are equally committed to helping others, and I could feel that when meeting the employees.”

“Volunteering at WayForward allows me to see the very best in humanity,” Dammann shared. “From the people dropping off food and clothing, to being thanked by store employees for picking up their donations, to the people who are shopping at the pantry and thank us for bringing out produce from the warehouse.”

Congregation Connections

The Community Service Committee (CSC) is composed of dedicated volunteers from local faith-based organizations who act as a connection point between their congregations and WayForward. Each CSC volunteer attends quarterly meetings as representatives of their churches. The connections and information they provide to their congregations help further our mission.

Janet Bybee, who has been a WayForward volunteer for almost two decades, serves as her congregation’s representative on the CSC. Bybee noted, “I think it’s a very valuable way to learn about all the resources WayForward has to offer the community . . . . I am on our outreach committee. We are very conscious of the community’s needs, and how WayForward is serving, and how that can impact what our congregation can accomplish.