Every other Tuesday morning at The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Dorchester, a dedicated team from Lifeworks LES-Boston helps ensure hundreds of individuals and families have access to nutritious food while being greeted with kindness, dignity, and respect.
For more than a year, approximately eight individuals from LES-Boston have volunteered at the Kroc Center’s emergency food pantry distribution program. Working alongside Lifeworks staff, established volunteers, and Captains Michelle and Shakai Drigo of The Salvation Army, the group helps organize and distribute groceries including produce, dairy products, frozen foods, and dry goods to community members facing food insecurity.
The work is fast-paced and demanding, but according to LES Case Manager Patrick Kelley, the volunteers consistently rise to the occasion.
”“The feedback from the individuals who volunteer at this offsite life enhancement activity demonstrates how much they enjoy serving their time through such a meaningful opportunity,” Kelley said. “They do not just deliver groceries, but a tremendous amount of assistance in the lives of all those who attend the emergency food pantry.”
Their efforts were recently recognized during Volunteer Appreciation Week at a special luncheon hosted at the Kroc Center, where Lifeworks volunteers were celebrated alongside other community volunteers and staff members for their outstanding service.
LES-Boston individuals at volunteer celebration at the Salvation Army's Kroc Center.
For Captain Shakai Drigo, the partnership with Lifeworks came at a critical time.
After relocating to Boston with his family in 2021, Drigo faced the enormous challenge of rebuilding the food pantry’s volunteer network following the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, only a handful of volunteers remained to help distribute more than 3,500 pounds of food every two weeks to hundreds of families in need.
“We had absolutely no help,” Drigo recalled. “It was just myself, my wife, and a few elderly church members trying to serve the community.”
The food pantry environment was stressful and overwhelming as staff worked to meet growing community needs while navigating language barriers and staffing shortages. Determined to continue serving families, Drigo began searching for partners who could help stabilize operations.
That search eventually led to Lifeworks.
After connecting with Lifeworks staff and identifying volunteer roles that would fit the strengths of LES participants, the partnership quickly flourished.
“Now the system works like a well-oiled machine,” Drigo said. “The Lifeworks volunteers are pleasant to our community. They greet people with enthusiasm and kindness at every station.”
Beyond helping improve the efficiency of the pantry’s operations, Drigo says the volunteers bring something equally important: compassion.
”They give people dignity and respect when they come to the food pantry,” he said. “This is important for people with food insecurities. It makes them feel welcome and not looked down upon.
For the volunteers from LES-Boston, the experience has become far more than a service project. It is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to their community, build relationships, and take pride in helping others.
And every other Tuesday, that impact can be felt throughout the Kroc Centerone smile, one grocery bag, and one act of kindness at a time.
