Bill and Marilyn Emmert have been volunteering at the New Braunfels Food Bank for more than 3 years. “We began immediately after COVID-19 pandemic struck. We thought to ourselves, how can we help, what could we do for our community?”
The Emmerts have been married for over 35 years. Bill and Marilyn both enjoy volunteering and have done so throughout their lives.
“When we called New Braunfels Food Bank to ask how we could help, they introduced us to the Home Delivery volunteer opportunity. Home Delivery Volunteers require a personal, reliable mode of transportation. This is critical because perishable and shelf-stable food is being delivered directly to the homes of clients. Program volunteers receive a list of addresses that are within the same zip code making it easier and efficient on not just the volunteers, but also for participants to receive food during an acceptable timeframe. Also, safety precautions are set to maintain social distancing, meaning volunteers simply drop off grocery items at the client’s door.” The precautions were important to the Emmerts. “As time went by, we became acquainted with regular program participants. We now know each family by name.”
Currently, Bill and Marilyn deliver food as well as volunteer in New Braunfels Food Bank’s warehouse, where food is sorted for delivery along with organizing sustenance in the Client Choice Pantry area. The Emmerts volunteerism is truly an asset to the New Braunfels Food Bank. They have collectively completed over 300 hours to fight hunger in our shared community.