MEET SHANNON
Name: Shannon Brenock
Town of residence: Marlboro
Which United Way program(S) have you volunteered for? I volunteer for the Pearl St. Cupboard as well as the Café
How long have you been volunteering at the Pearl St. Cupboard & Café? I have been here since April 13, 2020.
Do you volunteer regularly or occasionally? I volunteer every day.
Why did you decide to volunteer? I decided to volunteer because I needed to be active during COVID-19.
How did you decide to volunteer? I met Joe once and I admire him so much. He is friendly, respectful, and hardworking. Those are the people I want to work with.
What do you do when you volunteer? A typical day involves making bags of groceries to distribute to pantry clients, coaching new volunteers, and cleaning and organizing shelves. I also break down pallets and put merchandise away accordingly.
How does volunteering make you feel? It makes me feel responsible and helpful, especially during a pandemic.
Why do you think it's important for people to volunteer? I do. It shows a strong sense of community.
If you work, can you tell us where and what you do? I don’t work as of right now, but I am sending out resumes.
Tell us a story of a time when you knew your volunteering made a difference: I don’t have just one story. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I feel the gratitude from each person who comes here for food.
What's your best advice for someone interested in volunteering? You make a difference. At the end of your day it makes you feel very worthy.
Do you have any comments you would like to add? Working with Joe and the rest of the team has made a huge impact for my inner self. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of such a great place.
MEET JEFF!
Name: J.G. Cosgrove
Town of residence: Northbridge
Which United Way program(S) have you volunteered for? I volunteer for the Pearl St. Cupboard and the Café
How long have you been volunteering for the Pearl St. Cupboard and the Café? I have been volunteering in the Cupboard since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, so about mid-April 2020 and in the Café since 2017.
Do you volunteer regularly or occasionally? I come to the Pearl St. Cupboard three to four days a week and to the Café one evening a month.
Why did you decide to volunteer? I am a member of the Framingham Auxiliary Police. Our mission is to “protect and serve” the community. I believe that during this COVID crisis, helping to feed families in need is providing meaningful community service.
How did you decide to volunteer? I got a group email from Paul Mina, looking for volunteers to help feed families in need. I think I got on the distribution list because I had previously volunteered at the Pearl St. Café.
What do you do when you volunteer? When I volunteer I offload the trucks, stock shelves, pack groceries, and load customer carts.
How does volunteering make you feel? It is a win/win. I feel like I’m doing a good deed and I’m getting a good workout.
Why do you think it's important for people to volunteer? The community becomes stronger and more orderly when we all band together. I’m semi-retired so I had time available and wanted to make good use of it.
If you work, can you tell us where and what you do? I work part time as a Traffic Constable for the City of Framingham (FPD police details).
If you are retired, what did you do before? I worked 32 years in government and service. I was in the United States Marine Corps for seven years and also spent 25 years with the ATF as a Forensic Accountant.
Tell us a story of a time when you knew your volunteering made a difference: When you load food into a family’s car, and you see the look of relief and gratitude. You can see by the equipment in their car (vacuums, mops, etc) that they are hard working people (house cleaners, for example) who need a little help.
What's your best advice for someone interested in volunteering? Do it! You’ll feel better about yourself.
Do you have any comments you would like to add? Joe Mina and his staff are professionals who perform a meaningful community service.