In spotlight: Micky Sands, a Feeding San Diego super volunteer

Published On: December 16th, 2019By Categories: Stories1.7 min read

What motivated you to volunteer with Feeding San Diego?

When I retired, I was searching online for volunteering opportunities. I found Feeding San Diego and when I looked at their website, I loved how many different opportunities there were to be involved and it was obvious this could be a long-term role for me. I had worked at other food banks where you simply process the produce. At Feeding San Diego, there are so many other roles.

What is the one highlight of your involvement at Feeding San Diego?

There are so many! I love seeing all the kids coming through the volunteer program and the staff is so patient and kind, helping them through the shift.

The biggest highlight for me, quite simply, is the variety — every day is different, you never know what to expect when you come in to volunteer. Feeding San Diego is such a dynamic organization. We are always changing procedures if we can find better ways of doing things. We are never stagnant. I love that my ideas are considered. For example, I recommended that we find a knife sharpener as we were going through so many pairs of scissors because they became blunt quickly; the batteries for the weighing scales were running down, so I suggested we moved to lithium nine volt for better lasting batteries; I built a lazy susan turntable to make it easier to work with the mesh bag material. I am always looking for ways to help improve things!

What is the one message that you would like to convey to others about the issue of hunger in our community?

If you want to be involved with a great organization that is making real change, Feeding San Diego is the place. We are helping empower our partner agencies to become more self-sufficient. Feeding San Diego is different from other food banks that I have worked at. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!

Thank you, Micky, for volunteering with Feeding San Diego. We are grateful for all you do.