Melinda has been lending a helping hand at STEAC for many years now. When she’s not packing or distributing for client food appointments, you can find her shopping for food items for STEAC at the Yolo Food Bank’s Nonprofit Center, or serving as a lead back up for our pantry manager. Melinda also assists during the STEAC Food Project sorting events where her expertise in food programs and food inventory help sort items appropriately, which is extremely helpful when coordinating for program logistics. Learn more about Melinda below:

Every Monday at STEAC, I am the main lead who drives out to the Yolo Food Bank to make our weekly food purchase. I drive back to the Pantry where a few other volunteers help unload the boxes of items that were purchased. I would consider this task the most difficult because we lift 12-15 hundred pounds of food on average a week. Thankfully, I have strong legs since I used to bike and run a lot! 

I am currently retired and worked as a nurse practitioner for almost 40 years. I donated food for many years and eventually, through community involvement, I got into STEAC where I now regularly volunteer and help out with things such as shelving and food distributions on a weekly basis. When volunteering, I look forward to the companionship the most. Feeling like you’re giving back to the community. It feels nice! You also get to meet a lot of nice people.