August's Volunteers of the Month: Melanie Goddard and Katherine Laumas

From left: Katherine, Melanie

 For the month of August, we want to give thank two awesome warehouse sorting volunteers, Melanie Goddard and Katherine Laumas. Both ladies have shown dedication to the Food Bank of Yolo County (FBYC) by coming weekly—rain or shine—to help sort food for our variety boxes, which are part of our Rural Food Delivery (RFD) Program. Without the work of exceptional volunteers like Melanie and Katherine, it would be impossible for us to distribute food to the communities and individuals that benefit from the program.

With us since August 2009, Melanie first heard about the Food Bank from her cousin, who is our former grant writer. As a retiree with extra time on her hands, she thought it sounded like a wonderful program with which to volunteer.

When asked about her favorite part of volunteering with FBYC, Melanie said, “I love meeting other volunteers, but I especially love the satisfaction of packing boxes of food and thinking of the meals that will be created...”. She also went on to say, “Volunteering is a satisfying, productive way to use my time to help others”.

Besides volunteering, Melanie’s interests include: traveling with her husband, attending Giants and Rivercats games, kayaking, reading, gardening, and enjoying wine, art, and music.

Katherine, who often works on Tuesday’s with Melanie, has been a volunteer since December of 2010. Though she is a busy student, she thought the Food Bank would be a great place to volunteer because of her passion for food and cooking.

As a volunteer, Katherine appreciates the atmosphere at FBYC, friendly staff and volunteers, and low key vibe that makes her work enjoyable. She said, “When I go home on Tuesdays, I feel like I did something meaningful. It’s a wonderful feeling. Just a little work goes a long way”.

When not volunteering or studying, Katherine enjoys doing Bikram yoga and spending time with her beagle, Emma.

A huge thank you to both Melanie and Katherine for all of your hard work!