Tania was one of our volunteer Food Bank Assessors, originally introduced to the charity through our Training & Education programme.
“Starting from the first day where I contacted the Renewal Programme, I received a very warm welcome even by the phone.
I started at The Renewal Programme as a student to learn English because I come from another country; whilst attending the course, my teacher one day told us about the volunteer role that takes place every week in the hall downstairs.
From this first moment, I was very curious but at the same time I was afraid of not being able to do it because of my poor English speaking.
With a little bit of confidence I filled out the volunteer form and was contacted in the following days and accepted the role as an Assessor at the Food Bank.
At first I was so scared, because I was confronted with a fairly prepared team and coordinators who were very well prepared in their job, but slowly they helped me to enter and integrate with the environment.
I have been part of a wonderful team for almost a year where I meet so many people and made lots of friends with whom I still keep in touch, and when I had to leave my heart was in tears.
I thank every single person who is a part of this wonderful community for changing my life only in a better way, for making me think in a different way about some point of view in life, for giving me a chance to help them and to help myself at the same time. I will keep this experience, and the charity, in my heart always.” – Tania
