Cat began volunteering for FareShare Midlands at the start of 2019. Cat volunteered at our Narborough depot, which is dedicated to sorting surplus food received from Central Co-op stores. Food received at Narborough includes vegetables, fruit, bread and freshly baked goods which have all reached their best before date, but are still perfectly good to eat. In her voluntary role, Cat would help sort through the deliveries of food and repack items still usable, ready to send off to charities and community organisations across the Midlands.

Cat came across FareShare Midlands after searching online for a voluntary role which could allow her to contribute in some way, she shares with us:

"I particularly wanted to support people that were struggling and in need. FareShare's aim to redistribute surplus food fits with my own interests."

We hope that by volunteering with us, individuals are able to develop skills in a variety of areas. Cat shared with us exactly how volunteering with FareShare Midlands impacted her personally:

"Since I started volunteering in January 2019, I have become a lot more confident over time. It also gave me a new sense of purpose which I was lacking before."

We aim to fight hunger and tackle food waste, and Cat mentions that she is personally much more aware of food waste and

"at home we no longer throw food away now just because of the date on the packet!."

When asked if anything had particularly surprised Cat whilst volunteering for us, she told us that:

"Initially, the sheer volume of food that comes in was a surprise. It was also great to discover just how much of that can be rescued and forwarded to groups that need it, rather than going to waste."

She adds that she was encouraged by the number of friends and neighbours who joined her in volunteering, both before and since the COVID-19 pandemic started. People genuinely want to help but often don't know about the local opportunities.

Now, FareShare Midlands is lucky to have Cat working as part of our growing staff team! After hearing about a vacancy for Volunteer Administrator in Leicester, Cat applied and was successful. Cat now uses her previous experience as a FareShare volunteer to help to recruit and support volunteers across our Leicester sites. Cat adds:

"Volunteering for FareShare Midlands at Narborough was really great - being part of a fantastic team that was helping make a difference to so many people. Now that I'm working for FareShare as one of two volunteer administrators covering South Wigston and Narborough, we're responsible for ensuring that we have enough volunteers on the rota for each day, as well as meeting new volunteers and initial training. It's been really rewarding to see the depots with plenty of volunteers, although it's not without its challenges! However, the volunteers always come through and it's great to be able to play my part."

If you would like to try volunteering for FareShare Midlands, get in touch today!