The Capital Area Food Bank couldn’t do the work of providing access to nutritious food across the region without our incredible volunteers. Each year, thousands of individuals give their time in our warehouse locations in DC and Northern Virginia — packing food boxes, sorting donations, and helping move food out the door and into the community.
Among them is a dedicated group of volunteers who return again and again, becoming familiar faces in the warehouses and helping guide others along the way. We call them our superstar volunteers.
Meet two of those volunteers, Olivia and Carol, who have made volunteering a regular part of their lives and continue to show up for their community.
Olivia
Olivia began volunteering with the food bank in January 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many at the time, she was looking for a way to get out of the house and do something meaningful.
She was introduced to the food bank through a friend who was a volunteer, and has been hooked ever since. Olivia has become a regular volunteer, typically coming in once a week or every other week. During her shifts, she helps with a variety of tasks, from sorting food and assembling boxes to working along the assembly line. Over time, she’s also become someone who the CAFB staffers can rely on to support other volunteers.
Her consistency and willingness to step in wherever needed has earned her a nickname among staff: “They call me Supervisor.”
Even after a full day of work, Olivia makes time to volunteer, describing it as something she genuinely enjoys and a way to relieve stress.
At the core of her commitment is a strong connection to our mission. She says that it’s a blessing to know that the food she packs goes directly back to her community.
For those considering volunteering, her advice is simple:
“Just do it. Sign up and do it. It’s for a good cause. You cannot go wrong being a volunteer at this organization.”
Carol
Carol has been volunteering with the food bank for nearly four and a half years, starting shortly after she retired from a career in counterintelligence.
“I retired, and I was looking for something to do,” she said. “I worked for the federal government and helped protect people, and I was looking for a way to help again.”
She found that opportunity at the food bank and quickly became part of a regular group of volunteers who show up week after week.
“I come on Tuesdays because there’s sort of a group of us that come, and we check in with each other, and so it’s a social thing, too.”
That sense of community is paired with a shared goal of getting as much food out as possible during each shift.
“The coordinator will say today we need to fill 300 boxes, or 400, and we keep going, ‘Come on, you guys, come on, we can do it,’ and at the end they say, ‘You did 430 boxes.’”
For Carol, volunteering is both about the people she’s met and the impact she knows she’s making in the community.
She also sees it as a way to give back based on her own life experiences.
“This was another chance for me to pay it forward. While I was never food insecure, others helped me when I was younger, and now that I am in a much better position, I feel it is very important for me to help others who need it.”
And like many volunteers, she finds that the experience gives something back to her, too.
“It’s fun, and it’s rewarding. It’s both. I mean, what more could you ask for?”
From first-time volunteers to longtime leaders like Olivia and Carol, our volunteer community plays a vital role in helping ensure food reaches neighbors across the region. Their time, energy, and commitment make this work possible.