Behind the Scenes: February 2010

Margie Nesson, longtime coordinator of JF&CS Family Table (food pantry) in greater Boston, retired in December 2009. She worked hard for about 10 years to keep the program growing to meet demand. I recently sent her some questions so I could post a "virtual interview" on this blog. It is inspiring to me to learn the story of what keeps someone like Margie going strong in a career working with the community.

1) What year did you begin working on Family Table? Were you there at there at the beginning of the program?

I was not part of the staff when Family Table began. It began in 1994 or 1995 as a collaborative effort between JF&CS, Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, JCRC and Hillel in response an identified need of Jewish families with children who were in need of assistance. It has always been staffed by JF&CS employees and is now a program exclusively of JF&CS but is actively supported by the Synagogue Council. I began working at JF&CS Family Table in 2000 and at that time we were serving approximately 80 households.

2) What were your best experiences at Family Table?

Working literally hundreds of volunteers from different communities has been a very rewarding experience for me. Jews (and non-Jews for that matter) from different denominations, from young children to senior adults, come together with the united purpose to help a neighbor in need. The spirit and dedication of the volunteers is positively inspiring. So often when we have thanked our volunteers, their response has been "Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to help."

It is great to see families bring their young children for this "hands-on Tzedakah" experience of helping to sort, pack and deliver food orders. I often have wished I was a fly on the wall as these families travel to and from their deliveries, with parents having the opportunity to "teach" their children the meaning of the mitzvah they are participating in.

It has also been very special for me to be instrumental in making a difference in the lives of literally hundreds of recipients over the years. These are people just like you and me who have come on hard times and need help putting food on their families tables. It is an honor to be able to help people and know that it is the entire Jewish community making this assistance possible.

Working with the dedicated staff of JF&CS has been an pleasure. The Family Table staff is passionate about their work but the entire agency is full of professionals that frequently help out at Family Table "behind the scenes" by making emergency deliveries, unloading truckloads of food and supporting the work that needs to be done.

One of the most memorable conversations I had with a client was when he called to tell us: "The food you provide me with every month feeds my body, but the challah I recieve every month feeds my soul."

3) Can you share a particular instance of a family who was helped that was very meaningful to you?

I remember receiving a letter from a single mom who had been a recipient for several years, and she was writing to thank JF&CS Family Table for all the assistance over the years and to say that she no longer needed our assistance. She said that her two older children had graduated from college and a third was about to graduate from high school. She said her older sons now had good jobs because of their college educations, and said something to the effect that she and her sons would never have made it through many very difficult years without the assistance provided by Family Table every month.

4) What changes have you seen over the years with the program?

So many changes. Most poignant is the dramatic growth of the program. Right now Family Table is serving over 225 families every month. The need and the level of desperation in the voices of those calling for assistance is heart-wrenching. So far the program has been able to keep up with the pace because of the generosity of donors, the support of the community and the dedication of volunteers and staff. Hopefully our economy will recover soon and people will begin to experience some financial relief. It is so sad to see the needs grow so dramatically but we are part of a very special Jewish community that is there to help.

5) What memories, experiences or thoughts will stay with you following your long tenure with Family Table?

I actually loved it all, to tell you the truth. Some of the special memories have included watching pre-Bar Mitzvah kids coming to Family Table once in order to fulfill some "community service" hours, as a requirement from their Religious School. For so many of these kids, the one-time experience was so inspiring and fun that they became "monthly" volunteers through their teen years and for many, until leaving for college. I happily wrote many a college reference for these dedicated teens and there are actually a handful of these folks who continue to come back to volunteer during their summer vacations and winter breaks. Seeing one of them walk through the door on a Sunday morning distribution is sheer joy me as well as some of the many other long-term monthly volunteers. It truly is a "homecoming".

6) What are you looking forward to doing in the coming years?

My husband and I look forward to having more time to spend with my bi-coastal children and grandchildren. I have a lot of hobbies and personal interests and am already enrolled in some courses and two book clubs. I transitioned to being a volunteer at Family Table Sunday Distribution Days and look forward to being one of the "crew" whose dedication and commitment I have always admired so.

7) Anything else that you would like to share?

JF&CS Family Table is made possible by the generosity of its volunteers and donors. Every hour spent packing or delivering and every box and can of food donated make a difference. This is important, life-sustaining work that is meaningful and rewarding and truly falls into the realm of Tikkun Olam. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in this work and look forward to continuing to work together to make a difference in the lives of those friends and neighbors in their time of need.