Volunteers Find Fulfillment While Giving Back

For the past nine months, developmentally disabled adults have been traveling from Riverhead to volunteer with the East Hampton Food Pantry to do their part in giving back to the community. 

The men and women are participants of , a nonprofit organization based in Riverhead that provides services and support to people with developmental disabilities, such as mental retardation and autism.

James Walsh, Senior Program Manager of Day Habilitation at East End Disability, explained that the program provides daytime services for people with development disabilities. They focus on skills training from computer skills to life safety skills, such as street crossing, to volunteerism.

The participants come out to the food pantry once a week, usually on Mondays, to pack and prepare bags to be distributed the following day. They put one of each item, such as toilet paper, soup, and cereal, into the bags. 

On Monday, the participants, along with their counselors, all worked together to complete the task of preparing hundreds of bags. There was a lot of smiling and laughter. Everyone seemed to enjoy the work while helping out the community.

Kathy Byrnes, who is a service coordinator for East End Disability and also the chairwoman of the food pantry, came up with the idea and proposed it to Walsh. "We were trying to find a way to keep these people fulfilled," while also providing food for those who cannot afford to buy it, Byrnes said. The food pantry feeds over 400 families each week.

Mona Forbell, an organizer at the food pantry, works closely with the volunteers, and helps facilitate the volunteer program. Direct care counselors from East End Disabilities, such as Kevin Stafford and Hannes Brunbauer, help Forbell ensure everything runs smoothly.

Different volunteers from East End Disability come each week so everyone can get a chance to help out. She said, "Some can function very well, others need a lot of guidance and sometimes it is just like a field trip for them. It's like a day out."

East End Disability picks up participants for Day Habilitation from their private homes, the organization's group homes and other group homes all over the East End. 

"We always want to help our local communities . . . it seemed like a nice thing to do," Walsh said.

Forbell said what's really great about the program is that these volunteers truly appreciate the opportunity to volunteer. She said she is most impressed with the excitement they exhibit. "It makes them feel good, it makes them feel wanted, feel independent and gives them responsibility." 

The program is a win-win for both organizations. Forbell said, "It is a pleasure to have them at the food pantry."