On a bustling Wednesday morning, at the peak of the holiday season, a large group of volunteers buzzes with cheerful conversation in the briefing room at Gleaners’ South Campus. Optimism fills the air. “Alright everybody, who’s excited?” Volunteer Coordinator Alma Perez asks the group, prompting cheers and applause. “Thank you all for being here! By volunteering today, you are making a real difference for our communities.”
After coaching the group on their task—packing boxes of food with all the trimmings for a bountiful holiday meal—Perez assigns roles, and it’s off to the warehouse. From the flow-through racks on the assembly line to the packing equipment, everything is meticulously arranged for efficiency and impactful volunteer experiences. Just a couple of hours later, thousands of meals are ready for our neighbors.
“We ask ourselves: what can we do to improve at every level?”
Joe knight, senior director of opererations process and engagement
This is one of many examples of Gleaners’ strategic priorities in action toward continuous improvement. Joe Knight, senior director of operations process enhancement and engagement for Gleaners, explained, “We ask ourselves: what can we do to improve at every level—for our partner agencies, our volunteers, our guests? It’s all about making Gleaners as valuable as possible to the community.”
At its core, every improvement is about building stronger processes to do more and better for our neighbors. With the increased amenities of the South Campus, Gleaners’ operations team has focused on enhancing three key areas: volunteer experiences, warehouse productivity and partner agency support.
To learn more about how Gleaners team members are innovating for good, visit gcfb.org/improvement to explore our latest improvements and see how you can be part of the change.
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