The Plant-Based Community Cookery School
The Plant-Based Community Cookery School
Posted Wednesday 3rd June 2020...
It's Volunteers Week! And we're celebrating our amazing volunteer family. There are too many to all name individually so we'll be highlighting just a few of these generous souls to acknowledge our huge gratitude for the enormous contributions they are making during these challenging times.
Second up this week is Rebecca, one of our awesome meal delivery logistics coordinators in conversation here with our founder Sarah:
Sarah: Hi Rebecca, Thank you so much for your support these past months. What volunteer role did you have with Made in Hackney before the COVID19 crisis?
Rebecca: I’ve been a class host assisting with cookery classes, a project apprentice and helped at events, and I'm also a trustee of Made in Hackney!
Sarah: What was your employment situation before the crisis and has this been affected?
Rebecca: I was doing contract work as an actuary, and took some time out at the start of the year, and was going to look for work in March. But then the crisis came along.
Sarah: Tell us about your role volunteering for us during the crisis?
Rebecca: I have been involved with the free emergency meal delivery service, from speaking to the meal recipients to answering their questions and checking that they are ok, to answering queries from our cycle couriers delivering the meals to doing the routing for the couriers.
Sarah: How has performing this volunteer role for us affected your experience of lock down?
Rebecca: I think I would have gone a little crazy with nothing to do in lockdown, so this has given me a purpose and kept me far more busy than I had imagined! Some days can be tough, but we're doing a really important service so glad I can help with that.
Sarah: Have you learnt any new skills?
Rebecca: Lots! I had never using courier routing software before, so am up to speed on that. I've had to come up with quick solutions to all the problems that arise and they have been many and varied - like couriers not having enough meals to deliver, to calling an ambulance for someone in urgent need!
Sarah: What are the most rewarding (and the most challenging) aspects about performing this volunteer role?
Rebecca: The most rewarding is to hear how grateful some people are to receive a free meal, and most challenging is when there is a problem and we are unable to deliver a meal to someone in need. That’s the worst.
Sarah: Would you like to continue volunteering with us once the government lockdown eases?
Rebecca: Yes! Made in Hackney all the way! Was volunteering before and want to continue after :-)
Sarah: Thanks for everything Rebecca. You’ve been incredible.
We are profiling our wonderful volunteers all week so check back to our home page each day to read more of their stories or click here to get direct to their stories: Myia, Amy, James, Rohini