Marin Food Bank Volunteer Gets Hooked On Helping Others

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Paritem Poonian started volunteering at the local food bank early on in the pandemic out of a wish to help others, and the 69-year-old Tiburon man is still going strong.

Poonian is among an army of thousands of volunteers who give their time to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank volunteering to help the growing number of those in need.

Some 55,000 Marin and San Francisco households turn to the SFMFB each week, nearly twice as many as before the pandemic. In 2019 an estimated one in five San Francisco and Marin residents were already at risk for hunger, the Food Bank said.

“The people keep me going – the community of volunteers. Several of us are regulars who have been together now over a year,” Poonian said to Patch in an email.

“In the time we have developed a friendship, connection, and a bond. We all share a common attribute - wanting to help and give to others in need. We as a group feel and see how we are making a positive contribution to the community.”

The former Levi Strauss & Co. employee who now works in agriculture said experience volunteering has helped keep him centered during turbulent times.

“Volunteering at the Food Bank keeps me grounded and gives me perspective,” he said.

“It is a place that easily brings out the compassion that sometimes can hide within yourself. You not only feel, but also see the help you are passing onto someone with basic needs.”

Volunteers such as Poonian play a critical role in the Food Bank’s operations, and it is hoping to add more – even those who may not stick around as long as Poonian.

An anonymous donor is has pledged $25,000 if the SFMFB can get 2,500 new volunteer sign ups by the end of this month.

The offer comes at a critical time for the Food Bank and its clients, as inflation further strains families who were already struggling to afford the Bay Area’s notoriously high cost of living.

“You don’t have to serve this month – just sign up!” the Food Bank said.

“This is a great opportunity for the donation of your time to make even more of an impact on your community.”

Poonian believes donating one’s time benefits the volunteers, too.

“Volunteering gives a person insight into the community we may not often see firsthand,” Poonian said.

“You make connections with people outside your regular social circle with both the participants and the other volunteers. You leave with a feeling that you have made a positive contribution.”

For more information on how to volunteer for the SFMFB or to sign up, visit here.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 54 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.