'A Servant's Heart': Former Teacher Volunteers at LI Cares Food Pantry

LINDENHURST, NY – Former teacher Laura Martin spent her first year post-career "learning how to be retired," and found her groove volunteering with Long Island Cares Lindenhurst food pantry.

Martin, a West Babylon resident, told Patch she was "searching for a way to serve those in need." But helping others wasn't new for Martin, who spent 22 years working as a special education teacher with the New York City Department of Education in Queens.

"I retired two years ago. I took a full year to examine and learn how to be retired from working for a living. I come from a family of nine and was taught to have a servant's heart," Martin told Patch. "I also have a heart for the veterans of our country, and was very eager to volunteer on that day at the pantry."

Martin has worked with Long Island Cares, helping individuals facing food insecurity for a year, stocking shelves and guiding clients through the pantry.

She works twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and is happy to "fill in when necessary," said Enedina Coronado, LIC's Lindenhurst coordinator.

"Laura started with us a year ago. On her first day, it was like she already knew our process and fit in so quickly. She is filled with energy and finds many things to do around the pantry. If she is not with a client or stocking shelves, you will see her cleaning the site," Coronado said.

Martin told Patch that while she truly "enjoys" the day-to-day tasks with LIC—shelving, organizing products for display—the organization has created a sense of "community" that brings more to the job than just distributing food.

"It's not just about the food," Martin said. "There are friendships that develop over time with getting to know each other."

That community—and the people in it— are what Martin had in mind when she chose to volunteer close to home.

"I wanted to stay local in my volunteering quest and Lindenhurst is close to my home. I am so happy to be involved with my local community, especially after driving to Queens for 22 years," she said. "I would also say I really enjoy the interaction with the clients and the relationships that develop over time."

Martin said that along with the connections she's making, the LIC team is adept at what they do, which made a smooth transition from classroom to community outreach.

"I am very impressed with the organization's philosophy and actualization of the efforts it takes to coordinate and execute the services to those in need. They know what they're doing," Martin said. "I consider myself to be blessed to be able to be part of LI Cares."

But according to Coronado, LI Cares is blessed with Martin.

"Overall, Laura does an amazing job here at the South Shore Service Center in Lindenhurst," she said.