Our Team Helped Provide 4,725 Meals

The Grand Central Park & Woodforest development teams recently joined local real estate agents to spend the morning of Feb. 22 at the Montgomery County Food Bank, packing enough food for 4,725 meals.

Volunteers were split into two teams — one that sorted and packed more than 2,300 pounds of produce while the other filled 368 boxes of bagged rice and beans for boxes of meals. The crews worked with food bank “Red Shirts,” experienced food bank volunteers who could oversee the work and answer questions.

“They did an awesome job,” said Volunteer Services Manager Andrea Richardson. “Their work will result in 4,725 meals out into the community just in the couple of hours they spent packaging the rice, beans and produce on Wednesday. Every volunteer involved with us in any capacity makes an incredible impact.”

Richardson said the food bank relies heavily on volunteers to serve the more than 65,000 monthly recipients — a make-up of children, seniors and families in need. The center hosts 600 volunteers on average per month. The number is split almost evenly between individual volunteers and those who came as a group, like the team from Grand Central Park and Woodforest. Total volunteer hours during 2022 eclipsed 45,000 hours.

The Grand Central Park and Woodforest teams worked two of the three sorting areas at the center. Richardson says the Produce Rescue Center is unique to the Montgomery County Food Bank, where volunteers work in the refrigerator to sort through produce donated from grocery stores and others to determine freshness and longevity, then packaging the produce.

Individuals interested in volunteering can do so online. Groups can reach out to Richardson at 936-271-8820.

The Feb. 22 volunteer event is one of four that we have planned this year. In April, we’ll invite Realtors to join us volunteering at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter. September will see us return to Habitat of Humanity Montgomery County for a Build Day. In December, we will help out at Meals on Wheels. The “Giving Day” initiative is part of the communities’ Empower Realtors program, a series of classes and events to help real estate agents personally and professionally.