For over 7 years, I have volunteered at Family Table. Once a month, my mom and I head out to JF&CS in Waltham to package and deliver groceries. We sign in, get our assignments and get to work. We’re usually assigned 3 families so we split up to be efficient with our time. Once we finish packing, we carry the groceries to our car and group them by client to make sure not to mix them up and then we head into Boston. Family Table always needs volunteers to deliver to the city; it’s a good opportunity for us to see all types of communities, very different from where we live in Sherborn.

We talk a lot on the way to Boston, about school and current events; it’s nice to be together. Once we get to our destination, we collect the groceries and head out. Most families live in apartment buildings so we often deliver to a few clients in one building. As we travel down the hallways, you can’t help but notice the unique smells spilling out into the halls from the residents’ kitchens. Sometimes the scents are wonderful and mysterious and sometimes, well not so much.

Clients are always happy to see us and grateful for our assistance. Often, a client will give me a treat like candy or a cookie or a piece of fruit that was saved just for me. This small token of appreciation helps me realize the importance of what we’re doing. After we’ve made our deliveries, we get back in the car and we talk about how hard it is to struggle. We both share that we feel so lucky that we don’t have to worry about food insecurity. These experiences are something that I will always remember.