Newsroom

April is more than just springtime—it's Volunteer Appreciation Month! This is the perfect time to recognize and celebrate our dedicated volunteers who selflessly give their time and energy to support our community. I’m going to share a little bit about volunteering in our food pantry and introduce you to Tammy & Steve who have been volunteering with us for a couple of years.

HCCM is open 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. We have a morning shift (9 am–noon), afternoon shift (1-3 pm), and on Thursdays only, we have 2 additional shifts (3-5 pm, 5-7 pm). We rely on 6-8 volunteers for every shift. Many volunteers work multiple shifts per week. The pantry volunteers do a variety of tasks. Their priority is serving our clients by filling their pantry orders. Our clients come in on an appointment basis so that we can take the time to help each family individually and specifically. They are given a preference sheet where they can identify items they may or may not want or need from our master list. Then our volunteers will collect and bag each order. The clients are given many choices, such as types of cereals, produce, meats, etc. They are also able to choose breads and pastries that they prefer. Hygiene products and cleaning supplies are usually available as well.

The morning crews also help to receive the retail donations that come in every morning and prepare those for distribution in the pantry and Community Cupboard. Sometimes produce will need to be sorted for quality control. Decisions will be made to determine where donations will go – whether to the pantry clients or the cupboard customers.

Volunteers have many tasks to keep them busy in between clients, too! They will work on stocking shelves, and refilling bread, pastry and produce supplies. They also will fill bottles of detergent and dish soap for distribution.

One couple who are faithful food pantry volunteers is Steve and Tammy Knutson. They have been volunteering at HCCM for almost 2 years and work 2 shifts per week. Steve and Tammy have been married for almost 44 years, are retired, and enjoy traveling around the world! When they are not volunteering, they enjoy gardening, knitting (Tammy), coaching their granddaughter’s lacrosse team (Steve), and are avid Texas Stars hockey fans!!

What they say about volunteering at HCCM

Volunteering at HCCM Food Bank gets us out of the house and gives us a chance to enjoy working with our “second family” of volunteers and staff, to provide food and personal items to families in need. We feel it really makes a difference for people, and when someone thanks us for all we are doing for them, it feels extra good! We have had people ask us if they could hug us, boy does that move our hearts!

Though most of our pantry shifts are filled with regular volunteers, there are a few shifts that could use another person or two. Volunteers are able to choose a regular recurring shift (weekly), or they can simply choose shifts as they are available.

If you are looking for a volunteer position that would allow you to help for a couple hours in the morning once a week, please complete a volunteer application here: https://www.volgistics.com/appform/809266279 or reach out to Kandy Chimento at kandy.chimento@hccm.org.

Hi my name is Corbin Sherman, I was born and Austin and spent most of my life living in the Leander area. I have always loved sports and being active. Football is by far my favorite sport watch and play. My other interests include watching movies, eating, and working out.

In a world where economic disparities persist, innovative solutions are crucial to break the cycle of poverty. Recognizing this urgent need, HCCM has created a new program, Pathways, has emerged to offer clients in-depth assistance, support, and resources to overcome poverty. 

I was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley.  In 2009, I moved to Austin to earn a B.A. at the University of Texas at Austin.   I love the area so much that I decided to stay.  In 2017, I moved to Leander, where I would meet my other half later.  I enjoy spending my days with my 3-year-old son Desmond, playing softball, and hanging with our fur babies.   Before working at HCCM Thrift Store, I served as an educator and coach for 10 years.

National Nutrition Month ® is an annual campaign established in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.

Meet Cindy, a down-to-earth team member originally from Taylor, TX, who made her way to Houston in 1981 and proudly graduated from Cy Fair High School. Currently residing in Leander, she's loving life. Cindy's got a 6 ½ year old Chi-Weenie named Chapo, and outside of work, you can catch her refinishing old furniture and diving into redecorating projects. Her easygoing nature and creative pursuits add a wonderful touch to our team dynamic.

Did you know, we are more than just a food pantry? We serve about 4500 families, about 13,600 individuals a month. We offer Thrift Store voucher cards, vision vouchers, incontinence supplies, diapers, hygiene products, and pet food when you become a full-service client. We provide nutritious meals to clients during the holidays as well. We do case management, where we provide extra help with other resources such as finding a job, filling out a SNAP application,
referrals to other community resources, finding a health clinic, & more.

Although the Fresh Food For All (FFFA) food distributions started in 2016, many people are still yet to learn about them. FFFA is a mobile food distribution focusing on produce and fresh food options completely free to all members of the community. Usually, depending on the season and food availability, FFFA delivers about 15-20 fresh food options for each household. FFFA happens ten times every month throughout Williamson and Northwest Travis counties.