Volunteer Spotlight: Shaina F.

Shaina is originally from the Boca Raton area and took a gap year before starting university. It wasn't in her original plans, but she felt it was best to wait a year before going to school in Maryland due to the pandemic. She says, "I wanted to make my time meaningful for the gap year and feel like I'm making a difference."

Shaina originally started out volunteering in our warehouse, packing meat and produce for food distributions. Since then, she's transitioned into helping our volunteer manager and operations manager with administrative tasks three days a week. She also helps out in our carline once a week with new client registrations and check-ins.

Before she started volunteering at BHH, she says she was "stuck in a Boca bubble" and didn't realize just how many people need help. Interacting with clients first hand in the carline food distribution has been an eye-opening experience for her. She says, "You realize they're just regular people who are having a hard time and need help."

Shaina says that people inspire her to volunteer, both clients, and fellow volunteers alike. Before this experience, she "never really felt that sense of purpose," and that the team has been incredibly welcoming and now considers them family.

She says, "It feels really nice knowing that you're part of a family that cares about you and that you're all doing this together to help people for the greater good."