Fallbrook Food Pantry presents Volunteer Appreciation Awards

Ellen Fusco

Special to the Village News

On Friday, Oct. 6, the Fallbrook Food Pantry hosted our 2023 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at The Hearth. We had 26 attendees as we gathered to express our heartfelt gratitude to our volunteers who are a group of extraordinary individuals who make a difference assisting to alleviate hunger in our community every day.

Volunteers are the backbone of any community. They give their time, energy, and expertise freely, asking for nothing in return except the satisfaction of knowing they are making the world a better place. They are the unsung heroes who step up, show up, and never give up.

Our volunteers wear many hats: they are mentors, advocates, and friends. They help us build bridges between generations, cultures, and backgrounds. They plant the seeds of hope, and through their actions, they inspire others to do the same. Their selflessness is a beacon of hope, and we are immensely grateful for all that they do for our organization. Their kindness and generosity truly make our world a better place.

Fallbrook Food Pantry 2023 Volunteer Award winners

The NCPC (North County Philanthropy Council) Volunteer of the Year award winner is Christine Jameson, who has volunteered at the Fallbrook Food Pantry for over eight years. She has so much energy and passion, and each task that she handles is completed with the biggest smile ever seen. Christine always offers a kind word to our clients; she has taught us that even the smallest gestures of goodwill can have a profound and lasting effect on the lives of those we serve.

The Frank and Sue Russell Dedication and Compassion Award Winners are Dona Fritz and Mary Scott. Dona has been a volunteer at the Fallbrook Food Pantry for three years. She has taken over the task of creating specialty boxes for our unhoused clients. She manages our special needs volunteers with kindness and grace. We are very thankful for her weekly presence at the pantry. Her zeal for providing the best service possible for our clients is truly appreciated.

Mary has volunteered at the Fallbrook Food Pantry for over two years. She has so much enthusiasm that is contagious for other volunteers. She understands that her efforts are positively impacting the lives of children, adults, and our senior community. She is the most energetic, along with Christine, they even have contests on who can go faster to create grocery carts.

The Marti Warner Lifetime Achievement Award Winner is Jean Dooley. Jean has volunteered at the Fallbrook Food Pantry for over 20 years; she has been a true advocate of the pantry. She is a working board member and she was a bilingual translator for our community when there was no one capable of understanding our true clients' needs.

The Honorable Mention – Volunteer is Alastar Jameson. Alastar is Christine's 10-year-old son. He volunteered for our Professor Bean Food Science Spring Camp at the Boys & Girls Club as well as at the pantry throughout the summer with his mother. His assistance is truly appreciated. It was great to see his level of dedication, always with a smile, to all the tasks that he was assigned. "Get them young and train them right, and you will have a lifetime volunteer."

Collectively all our 2023 volunteer recognition award recipients are the reason we continue to grow, to thrive, and to make a meaningful impact which has enabled the Fallbrook Food Pantry to be a premier organization fighting hunger. We thank them all for their continued dedication and evolution along with the Fallbrook Food Pantry.