The holiday season often inspires us to give back to our communities by donating our time and efforts with local organizations.
Earlier this month, some of our staff spent the afternoon at Community Servings, a not-for-profit food and nutrition program providing services throughout Massachusetts and in Rhode Island to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses. Staff spent the afternoon preparing and packaging meals for their clients. We are so grateful to be given the opportunity to feed our neighbors living with critical and chronic illnesses.
New England Dairy & Food Council and New England Dairy Promotion Board staff also volunteer their personal time with other local organizations.
Amanda, Program Manager of School Nutrition, spends much of her free time giving back to her Connecticut community. In addition to her monthly volunteering at the Naugatuck Mobile Food Pantry she is also a Boy Scout leader and Ski Patroller, both of which are volunteer. She has been a Scout Leader with the units of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Naugatuck since her son was in the first grade and is still an active leader even after her son graduated high school in 2016 and is away in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Amanda has also been a Ski Patroller at Mt. Southington in Southington, CT since 2016. Patrolling includes being an ambassador for the mountain and helping injured people with first aid and transportation down the mountain. Check her out in action!
Nutrition Specialist, Hilary (me!), volunteer teaches nutrition and cooking classes with Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters Massachusetts, an organization that empowers families with the skills to stretch their food budgets so their children get healthy meals at home. I started with Cooking Matters in 2015 during my graduate school Community Nutrition dietetic rotation and enjoyed teaching the six-week courses so much that I’ve stayed on as a volunteer and have almost ten classes under my belt!
Diane, Program Manager of School Wellness, has served on her community’s school councils for 11 years and was recently recognized with a Hoosac Valley High School PRIDE award for her volunteer service to the school.