MFB New England volunteers 'thinking outside the box'

Friends and volunteers Janice Grant and Phil Crosby help Midwest Food Bank, New England, one box at a time. Actually, it's about 1,000 boxes a month. Their volunteer time is one of the many ways volunteers make it all happen at Midwest Food Bank.

Janice and Phil are active in two area food pantries. They discovered MFB about a year ago when they drove by the New England warehouse and stopped to see if the pantries they support could receive food.

Those pantries then became some of MFB's first food partners in 2021. They also learned that MFB uses and needs boxes for re-packaged bulk food.

"We rely on these boxes to hold our re-packaged bulk food like cereal, graham cracker snacks, and ground coffee," says Jan Young, Executive Director of MFB New England.

Janice and Phil pick up boxes daily from Whole Foods, Stop and Shop, and ShopRite. They are so dedicated that when they can't pick up boxes, they arrange for someone else to do it.

"Phil and Jan's selfless gift of time and energy to collect and bring us boxes is an incredible blessing and a true answer to prayer," says Jan.

Besides helping MFB, Jan and Phil volunteer at Charity SDA, Amazing Grace Pantry, and East Hartford Grange. They are members of the Garden Club and enjoy hiking. Jan is also a member of Sweet Adelines, and Phil sets up risers for the group.

"We are both thrilled that we can provide this small service to an organization that does so much for our community," says Janice.

At all MFB locations, volunteers find unique and creative ways to serve. Each year the number of hours they volunteer is equivalent to more than 150 paid staff. We often say there is a task for everyone, and Janice and Phil are perfect examples of how our volunteers see a need and get it done.

Click here to begin your MFB volunteer life. You can find MFB New England volunteer opportunities here.

MFB New England volunteers 'thinking outside the box'

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