Feeding Tampa Bay

This month, we’d like to introduce you all to Don Germaise! Don has been volunteering with us since 2012 when his daughter first graduated high school. As a retiring TV Reporter, he reported a lot on food insecurity and the conditions that those in need are facing; but instead of just reporting on it, Don really wanted to help do something about it. 

Don tried numerous different volunteer opportunities across the Bay Area like the Ronald McDonald House and Metropolitan Ministries, but when he saw a truck from Feeding Tampa Bay deliver food to Met Min, he decided to try volunteering closer to the source of the food because “people need to eat.” Starting with sorting our shelf stable items like we still do in our main warehouse, Don has seen a lot of Feeding Tampa Bay’s evolution and now acts as a Captain for our Tuesday Muscles & Tetris shifts and has recently helped aid in our new Neighborhood Service assistance shifts as well.

When asked what keeps him volunteering, Don says that he “gets a kick out of helping to make the world a better place” and that he loves what he does. “The majority of the people we serve are truly appreciative of our help and what we do. I appreciate giving my time and hearing genuine thanks from people.” Don also volunteers at Trinity Cafe and says that he loves the one on one experience of making people smile and showing them that they have value which is his favorite part of volunteering. 

Don’s advice to other Captains is to branch out of your comfort zone once in a while and see what other ways there are to volunteer even if it’s seeing other organizations so that you can get a well-rounded idea of what people are going through, how else you can help and how what you already do may be positively affecting other aspects of the volunteer world.

Thanks for 12 years of service, Don!