The Ottawa Food Bank is incredibly fortunate to have a number of volunteers who join us on a regular basis. Mason is one of those volunteers – and we are honoured to have had him as part of our team for the last 7 years. The next part of his adventure takes him overseas, and while we are so proud of him, he will definitely be missed.
From all of us at the Ottawa Food Bank best of luck on the next steps of your journey! Thanks for all you have done in setting an example for youth and young adults engaging in volunteering.
You truly are one of Ottawa’s Best Volunteers!
“My journey as an Ottawa Food Bank Volunteer began in 2015 as part of the student program. During my first-year volunteering at the food bank, I would come in once a month during my PA days and volunteer with other high school students and experienced volunteers. During these shifts, the experienced volunteers would guide us through the food shorting process and answer any questions we had. After completing the hours, I needed for graduation, I continued volunteering at the food bank in many different roles, from volunteering in the warehouse to helping with food drives in the community.
After all the fantastic experiences I had with the food bank as a student volunteer, I had the privilege of helping out with the student summer volunteer program as an experienced volunteer. During the summer program, I was able to pass on my knowledge, tips, and tricks on the food sorting process to the new volunteers.
Overall, my experience as a food bank volunteer journey has come full circle from being a shy high school student trying to complete their high school volunteer hours to helping out and guiding new high school volunteers. I’ve been asked many times during the summer what motivates me to return volunteering at the food bank. The answer is simple: it is to help people.
Next, I will be heading to England in October to participate in an academic exchange to complete my final year of university studies.”Mason
