“I hate to see good food go to waste,” says Sharlene, who volunteers regularly at the recently opened Brevard Branch in Melbourne.
She started volunteering with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida a few years ago while living and working in Orlando. Her company came to the main distribution center and sorted food donations.
Sharlene was shocked to see the sheer volume of food donated from local stores and distribution centers. She was glad to play a part in helping get it into the hands of her neighbors facing hunger. After that first eye-opening experience, she volunteered on her own, even making the trek from Brevard County after she retired.
Last year, Sharlene volunteered at WESH 2 News's annual Share Your Christmas food drive to collect donations from her Brevard County neighbors at the Brevard Zoo. She met other like-minded volunteers and learned about the Brevard Branch distribution center and new volunteer opportunities closer to her home.
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I'm going to do what I can. It's who I am.”
“I've always been very blessed and never needed this kind of help,” Sharlene says. “But these days, you never know how close you could be, and I'm glad to do my part.”
Sharlene has become a regular volunteer at the Brevard Branch. She sorts donations from grocery stores, checking expiration dates and resealing damaged boxes to ensure food safety for the families who receive them.
Sharlene strongly believes that everyone should help out if they can. The more people get involved, the more we can do to reduce food waste and help those in need.
“When I was working, I didn't have a lot of time, but now that I do, I'm going to give what I can,” Sharlene says. “It's just who I am.”
