Through the Eyes of a Volunteer: Liza’s Story

High school student Liza started volunteering with her parents at Rainier Valley Food Bank in the early stages of the pandemic. Little did she know she would start volunteering by herself and assist our guests as our organization transitioned to a new location and back to in-person shopping.  

Liza first began volunteering through her school. However, the experiences weren’t as memorable. “You do the work, but you don't really have any interactions with anyone,” she shared. “You don't really get to see the impact that you're making on other people.”

That changed when she joined her parents for the home delivery program, packing bags at RVFB’s previous location and driving to deliver them to guests’ houses. But her favorite part? The return of in-person grocery shopping. Liza enjoys seeing the impact of volunteering as she interacts with guests, whether it’s talking to someone passing by or giving out food like ice cream to the younger guests.  

“One time, I was put at the ice cream station for in-person shopping. Every time there'd be a family with little kids, the kids would try and cut the line and come over to my station or they'd get really excited to come over.” She’d give them the kid-sized rainbow sherberts or ice cream with sprinkles. “They would carry it out like it’s the most precious thing they had by themselves. And I think that was really, really special.”

Liza also appreciates how everyone at Rainier Valley Food Bank is inviting and welcoming to the community. She loves joining different projects thrown her way and meeting different volunteers. “Everyone is willing to work together, and I feel like we all have the same goal,” which, she shared, makes the experience more fun.

              Another reason why Liza keeps coming back to RVFB is because she wants to contribute to helping people access nutritious and fresh foods. She realized how much she and others take for granted when having easy access to groceries and meals. She wants everyone to access healthy and plentiful food without worrying about retrieving their basic needs.

              She encourages others, like her peers, to volunteer with RVFB. “I think it's a very worthwhile experience… I gained a lot of perspective from it.” Some of her friends volunteer at different food banks, but she recommends exploring multiple locations. “Even just [seeing] the different areas or different communities that I wouldn't really normally be surrounded” at RVFB was special to Liza.  “I’m really grateful for this experience because I think it has opened my eyes.”