- Volunteers
We need volunteers to assist with shopping. Please join us!
For some, shopping isn’t just a fun outing. It’s also a life-affirming experience that brings meaning to their lives.
That’s how Marin County JFCS volunteers Zhenya Fridman and Judy Barr see it. Zhenya and Judy are both members of JFCS’ Special Delivery Grocery Program–volunteers who shop weekly at a local grocery store and then deliver needed items to the homes of JFCS clients who can no longer get to the supermarket themselves.
“I have elderly parents myself, so I know how difficult it can be for people to take care of all of the tasks of daily living,” says Zhenya. “It is my pleasure to do this. I think that we all, sooner or later, will be in a position where we will need to rely on the kindess of others. Our society is judged by how we care for our elders.
“Besides,” Zhenya adds, “I love the clients whose homes I visit. Some have had very hard lives, but they are full of wisdom and generous with their stories. I am humbled by them.”
Judy shares Zhenya’s sentiments. “I have made some wonderful connections with the clients we serve,” says Judy, who began volunteering in the Special Delivery Grocery Program four years ago, after she ran into a friend at the market who was picking up items for JFCS clients.
Lorraine Harris, the JFCS volunteer coordinator who oversees the program, says that volunteering couldn’t be easier. “You meet each week at the grocery store,” she says, “where one of the volunteers presents you with a list. You buy the items, and then you go straight to the client’s house to deliver them. You don’t have to worry about paying for them, either. We have already established accounts at the grocery store for clients enrolled in the program–there is no outlay on the part of the volunteers.”
“I can tell you,” Lorraine continues, “this is one of the most joyful volunteer experiences for both our clients and our friends who assist them. In addition to bringing them eggs, milk, and cheese, our volunteers are delivering warmth and human contact–also needed sustenance.”
Volunteer with the JFCS Special Delivery Grocery Program today. Contact Lorraine at 415-419-3635 or [email protected].