Every Tuesday and Wednesday morning, Jay shows up early for his shift with Open Cupboard’s home delivery program. And by early, he means early. “We’re all early birds,” he laughed. “If you’re on time, you’re late.”
The delivery team gathers before the shift begins, catching up with one another while reviewing the day’s plan. Lina, the Delivery Program Coordinator, shares how many families they’ll be serving, often sending updates before volunteers even arrive.
“Lina is an energy tornado,” Jay said. “She’s full of passion. She brings spirit to the organization.”
Then it’s time to get to work. Volunteers sort produce, pack dry goods, organize deliveries, and prepare orders that will be delivered directly to families across the East Metro. Depending on the day, the team might serve 30 families — or more than 100.
For Jay, those few hours each week have become one of the most meaningful parts of his routine. But he didn’t start volunteering because he was looking for something to do. He started volunteering because he knew what it felt like to need help.
A few years ago, Jay was involved in a serious car accident that left both of his arms severely injured. Recovery was long and difficult. For months, he couldn’t work, couldn’t take care of himself independently, and had to rely on others for support.
“For the first three to four months of my recovery, I couldn’t feed myself,” he said. “It’s very humbling. You learn what it’s like to need help and rely on others.”
Throughout that journey, people showed up for him. Friends, family, and even strangers stepped in when he needed them most.
“I met a lot of good people that held me up during that time,” Jay said. “It awakened something in me, and I knew I had to find a way to give back.”
Open Cupboard felt like the right place to do that. As a young adult, Jay had needed food assistance himself. Later, when he was in a position to help, he became a donor. After his accident, he decided to become a volunteer too. “I decided this was going to be part of my recovery,” he said.
Fifteen months later, he’s still here. What keeps him coming back? Watching the organization respond when people need it most.
Over the past year, Jay has seen demand for the delivery program grow dramatically. What once averaged around 30 deliveries per shift climbed to 60, then 80, then sometimes more than 100 families.
There were moments when that growth felt daunting. But instead of pulling back, Open Cupboard expanded. The organization added extra delivery shifts, more volunteers stepped in, donors showed up, staff adapted. As a result, the program grew to meet the need.
“I keep coming back because I see how they continue to adapt,” Jay said. Watching that happen up close has left a lasting impression. “It’s one thing to see something on the news,” he said. “It’s another thing to get food to a family’s door.”
For Jay, the impact isn’t abstract. It’s the family receiving groceries they couldn’t otherwise access. It’s the senior who can’t make it to the market. It’s the volunteer team working together before most people have had their morning coffee. And it’s knowing that behind every box is a person who needs support.
Jay is especially passionate about Open Cupboard’s food rescue work, which helps redirect millions of pounds of fresh food away from landfills and onto kitchen tables. “I would say that Open Cupboard, to me, is a beacon of hope and sustainability,” he said.
That combination — feeding people while reducing waste — is one of the things he loves most about the organization.
But ask him what keeps him volunteering, and he’ll tell you it’s the people – the volunteers, the staff, and the shoppers. “The buy-in is real,” Jay said. “The people support this program. They aren’t doing it just as a job. They believe in it. It’s a mission.”
Somewhere along the way, volunteering stopped feeling like something he did and started feeling like somewhere he belonged. “It’s more than a community,” Jay said. “I consider them family.”
And after spending years rebuilding his own life with the help of others, he’s grateful to spend his mornings helping someone else get through theirs.