By Chiara Coddington
Michael Meyer grew up in a small town with excellent academics and athletics, but he went through a rough patch and left school without a plan. Without a plan, Michael was stuck.
Eventually, he had to find a job after spending some time in a halfway house.
“One of my roommates was very confident about finding us jobs,” Michael remembered. “In February of 2001, my roommate and I went to the FoodBank for interviews. On March 19, 2001, I began working there. I started in general maintenance, clean-up jobs, painting, and after 23 years, I’m now the Director of Operations.”
On a typical workday, Michael does a lot of meetings, planning, and touching base with other managers to make sure everything is running smoothly.
When asked about CFBNJ founder Kathleen DiChiara, Michael shared: “Kathleen was the type of CEO that was always present.”
He also recalls that Kathleen knew every FoodBank employee. She would acknowledge any person who was working, even while she had tours with donors or important people.
Michael is grateful for how things turned out for him because he doesn’t know what would’ve happened if he hadn’t decided to work at the FoodBank. He wonders what his life would be like today if he hadn’t.
“I kind of became a man because of the FoodBank ,” Michael said. “It helped me grow and changed me entirely.”
He says that everything he has obtained, from having a daughter, to getting married and buying a house, to learning how to manage his finances, he got while he was working at the FoodBank. Michael has a deep appreciation for the FoodBank.
“Knowing what I do and what I’ve been doing for the past 23 years helps me sleep well,” Michael said. “I see all the food that comes in, and I have been involved in receiving it for a very long time. Seeing yourself grow can be kind of bittersweet but knowing that you’re making an impact on society means a lot to me. My work is basically helping other people survive.”