Every day at Gleaners’ South Campus, compassion turns into action thanks to the volunteers who show up ready to serve. Whether they’re packing food boxes, sorting produce, re-packing cereal, or supporting drivers behind the scenes, volunteers are the heartbeat of our mission to nourish neighbors across Southeast Michigan.
In fiscal year 2025 alone, more than 10,000 volunteers gave their time to help make fresh, nutritious food accessible to families who need it most. Their dedication allows Gleaners to respond to growing need, support our partners, and ensure that every guest is treated with dignity and care. For many volunteers, the impact goes both ways, providing purpose, connection, and hope with every shift.
Here are some of the incredible community members helping make a difference for neighbors facing hunger.
Patti Leonard
“I don’t think anyone should have to go hungry. I’ve always felt very strongly about it. So as soon as I retired, I was like ‘yeah, we’re volunteering.’ I brought my husband in and that’s what keeps us going! That we’re actually making a difference.”
Dave Cataldi
“Two things keep me coming back: Number one is the opportunity to give back. Food insecurity is a huge global issue and so whatever I can do to help with that, I feel good about. The second thing is just the regular volunteers, the Gleaners people, and the groups that come in.”
Mary Pat O’Malley
“I love Gleaners. I love what they do—taking things that maybe weren’t going to get used and giving them to people who could really use the food. It’s been my joy to bring students from Divine Child here for 16 years.”
Amer Awad
“I love helping people and want to be able to give back in my spare time. Before volunteering here, I had no clue of the actual numbers of people who are hungry in our communities. In a single day, we could pack thousands of meal kits. It just makes me feel good to know I’m helping people out.”
Patrick Bowers
“It’s the people that keep me coming back. I’ve made a lot of friends volunteering at Gleaners. Also, I love being able to see how much food we give out to the community. Say we pack 900 boxes, that means at least 900 people are going to eat in the next couple of days. It’s almost like every box tells a different story.”
Kari Valverde
“[As an admin volunteer, I] print out drivers’ reports, organize them and get them to the drivers in their mailboxes for the next day… I make sure everything is filled out for auditing purposes.—and do anything else that’s needed. I keep coming back because I like knowing that I’m doing something good for people that are hungry.”
Get Involved
Every volunteer story reflects the same powerful truth: when people come together, hunger can be solved. To learn more about volunteering at Gleaners South Campus and across Southeast Michigan, visit gcfb.org/volunteer.
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