After 36 years working as a counselor at a community college, Peter retired to Vermont and started volunteering at the Foodbank. A couple of shifts per month turned into one, two, then three days a week. More than nine years and 1,000 shifts later, Peter shares why he keeps showing up.
“Years ago, I ran into a quote by President Teddy Roosevelt… He said the greatest prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. And every time I come in here, I say to myself, This is absolutely work worth doing. I go home at the end of the day, and I’m dead-as-a-dog tired, and I gotta drive home, but I say to myself, What a great day, I’m glad I came… So that’s how 1,000 shifts goes by, I guess.”
Peter enjoys putting together food boxes for older adults at the Foodbank’s Barre warehouse. “Someday, many, many years from now, I’m going to be a senior citizen,” he chuckles, then grows serious. “And I hope somebody puts one of these boxes together for me.”
“I used to go out and meet the trucks that would deliver the boxes… The truck would pull in and there’d be 30 or 40 cars waiting there in line. You’d put the box in somebody’s backseat, and they would just have this look of relief on their face.”
“I tell the other volunteers that, and I say, ‘These boxes, it’s not just a box of cans. This is really important stuff, for whoever’s getting that box.’”
Once a week, on his way home, Peter delivers a carload of fresh produce from the Foodbank to the food shelf in his town.
“I think sometimes folks feel like there’s so many issues, there’s so many problems in the world that need solving, and everything’s complicated. But bringing a load of vegetables is not complicated. Bringing a [food box] to the trunk of somebody’s car, it’s not complicated.”
“As an organization, I think the Foodbank is obviously having a tremendous impact on a lot of peoples’ lives…Where would Vermont be if this organization wasn’t here? How different would so many people’s lives be? So, it’s good to be a part of it… This is clearly work worth doing.”
Keeping Vermont nourished is a big job that wouldn’t be possible without dedicated community members like you and Peter. Thanks for continuing to show up.
Learn more about volunteer opportunities at Vermont Foodbank.
Vermont experienced catastrophic floods in July and December 2023 that damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure across the state. In 2024, the state experienced flooding again. Here’s how recent flooding[...]
In Bennington and Rutland counties, BROC Community Action has developed programs to make it easier for neighbors to put together nourishing holiday meals. Turkey tickets, a Holiday Shop, and creative thinking are filling pantries this holiday season thanks to help from you.
Across the state, the Foodbank is sharing recipes and cooking demonstrations with visitors at fresh produce distributions. Together, we’re making sure more people in Vermont can bring home the fresh food they want and need, along with information on how to prepare and enjoy it.
