My name is Stuart Huggins and I am the manager of The Center Community Food Bank. It’s my pleasure to share an anecdote from my experience in this role, the impact we have, the service we provide and the impact we have in our community.

I was at my desk late one afternoon when the telephone rang. It was a gentleman named Curt. Curt was calling from Kansas City on behalf of a dear friend who lived in the Coachella Valley. When he lived here, he became friends with Denise. According to Curt, Denise was living on the margins and had little access to food. He asked if we could be of help to her. Her situation seemed dire. He offered her number to me and asked if I could call and talk with her. I assured him I would do my best to see to her need and assist if at all possible.

I called and Denise picked up the phone right away (I think Curt told her I was going to call). She let me know of her situation  (not having transportation, limited access to food and little available funds with which to purchase food) and asked what she needed to do to get help from The Center and the Food Bank. Once we determined her eligibility, I called our caseworker Jose and asked if we could get her into the system as soon as possible. We agreed that her case warranted entry and he issued a card to her. As a homebound person, she was a great candidate for Home Delivery for which she was very grateful. I let her know the delivery schedule and that we would start delivery the following week. I told her I would be the one delivering to her.

Armed with her address (and phone number in case I got lost), I drove to her house to make the drop-off that first week. When I  arrived, I was met at the door by a menagerie of animals, both cats and dogs. It was at this point  that I realized I had forgotten to inquire whether or not she had animals. Embarrassed, I told her I would bring pet food the following week (off schedule). She refused, saying she had enough to last until I  dropped off two weeks hence.

I’ve been delivering to her for about a year now and each time I see her, I am greeted with the warmest of smiles and a profound expression of gratitude which brightens my day.

As volunteers and staff of The Center, we seldom get to know our clients on this level, and I feel honored to be able to serve our community in this way.