Christine – Volunteer
“I’d been retired for 18 months and I was bored. I’d worked almost 40 years as a secondary school teacher, used to working 60-70 hours a week. I thought, what do I do…
“So I started looking at volunteering and I came across FareShare. I like that it’s not wasting food, which is just a no brainer when people are going hungry – that’s what attracted me.
“It’s more than just redistributing food though. I like that the Charity has a broader social mission than just feeding people.
“You see people progressing, like the lads from the residential. It’s nice when you see them move on and get a job. It’s nice to see someone complete a journey.
“At one stage I was also teaching someone to read – that was good, I really enjoyed that.
“I loved my job teaching – the teamwork and making things happen, everyone pulling together. Here it’s a different context but the work has equal importance.
“It’s kept me sane being able to come out and work during lockdown and in a sense I’m very lucky. I know a lot of people have been very bored.
“I love being here with the team, knowing we make a difference to communities. And there’s always a sense of fun. Everyone mucks in and does whatever they can. We’re doing something good.”