I love the feeling of giving back and I am able to do that through my employment. I started working for Helping Harvest in October 2020, as the Outreach and Mobile Market Coordinator, In July 2021, I transitioned to my new role at the food bank as the SNAP Outreach Coordinator.
My time spent here has allowed me to work closely with the community and help those in need. I take pride in my daily actions to help create a positive impact, especially when knowing that our clients may be experiencing tough times and need assistance or guidance to help with their current situation. It’s the small things sometimes that make a huge impact on someone’s life. Listening, being empathetic, and looking for solutions.
I love to partake in activities that involve being in direct contact with the community, it allows them to know who I am and to know that Helping Harvest is here to assist as an organization, and I am there for them as an individual. My responsibilities include reaching out to the community and assisting with the SNAP application process as well as referring clients to other organizations for additional resources. However, I love to go beyond for them and really try to help them from beginning to end.
I frequently visit senior centers and share important information regarding resources and SNAP, I visit schools where I have the opportunity to speak with parents and grandparents as well as the children. I often have the opportunity to also speak to educators and other service providers about all of the resources and programs we have available at Helping Harvest.
Attending community events is so important, spreading awareness of what we do is essential to giving back as your local food bank and it feels so good to be part of it.
Melissa Beltran Del Rio
