Emerging Leader Gary Hsu shares with us his experience volunteering at FamilyWorks on Day of Caring.

I recently had the opportunity to volunteer with Emerging Leaders as part of the team that spent United Way’s Day of Caring at FamilyWorks, a local food bank and resource center in Wallingford. The organization’s small core staff, along with many volunteers, provides a plethora of services to those in need in the community. Their goal is to provide a warm, welcoming environment for people in need. It’s an ambitious goal – but Seattle’s an ambitious city, and FamilyWorks rises to the challenge.

When our group of Emerging Leader volunteers arrived at the Wallingford branch, we were split up into two teams. Each team was designated a zone and various jobs that needed to be completed. One team was sent to the food bank storage center to prepare the food line for the afternoon rush of guests. Personally, it was quite amazing to see the quality and variety of healthy food being distributed. The volunteers were tasked with moving food from distribution trucks, washing crates, and physically setting up the food on distribution tables. Once the line was opened, the volunteers were tasked with restocking the distribution line as needed and making sure every family left with the correct combination of items.

The second team was tasked with reorganizing the children playpen. Unlike most food centers, FamilyWorks offers a play center for children, complete with toys, art supplies, and books. This team was initially tasked with cleaning and organizing the play equipment. A few volunteers went above and beyond by decorating the whiteboard with drawings found in the playroom. With time to spare, the volunteers moved on to sorting children’s clothing from the large donation box. Clothes were sorted into different categories and stored for upcoming distribution events.

With the food line dying down and the play center looking like new, we wrapped up for the day. The volunteer team was treated with much appreciation and even chocolate cake! It was a busy morning full of hard work, but we were happy to give back with this wonderful organization. We hope that our time here will inspire more to come help in the future!

Emerging Leaders is United Way’s young professionals group for people in their 20s and 30s. Sign up for the program and join us for our upcoming volunteering and networking events.