Members of the McCall family are no strangers to the fight against hunger. Jean, a dedicated volunteer Care Crew member, shares that her family’s involvement began with her husband, who has been with US Foods for over ten years, working in food distribution and closely with food banks in the area.
The McCall family first participated in hunger-relief efforts when they attended corporate volunteer days at US Foods, which they spent sorting produce. Jean’s journey with CFBNJ began when she attended Chef’s Tableside and Women Fighting Hunger Luncheon in 2019. From there, she began volunteering on a regular basis and was soon invited to become a part of CFBNJ’s Care Crew Team, our Volunteer Warehouse Ambassador Program for training dedicated volunteers into becoming leads and points of guidance and information for volunteer groups.
“I feel like I’m making a real impact, especially when the staff points out how many meals we prepared or how many boxes we packed and what kind of impact that that’s going to have on the community,” Jean shares. “Knowing that we packed 800 cans of chicken in boxes and that that’s going to feed that many children is rewarding because you know exactly what’s happening in the community.”
As a family of hunger heroes, Jean and her daughters also joined us at our inaugural 24-Hour Pack-A-Thon for two shifts, including one very early in the morning! Her eldest daughter, Sarah, has also been part of our Teen Leadership Council for two years. Jean tells us that though Sarah is getting ready to go to college this year, she intends to continue participating in the fight against hunger and is already looking at food banks near her university.
“I’m proud of her because it’s an empowering group to be a part of,” Jean told us. “This year, she joined me at the Women Fighting Hunger Luncheon because it was important for her to be able to see the impact that women have when they come together to put their skillset and influence together.”