An Early Start

When she was just 9-years old, Joselyn Gavilanes, began volunteering at Fred’s Pantry to earn hours for her Catholic Christian Doctrine (CCD) program. Turns out she enjoyed volunteering at Fred’s Pantry so much that nine years later, and now 18, she is still volunteering there.

“I like to meet new people,” says Gavilanes who just graduated from Peekskill High School. “I like the people who go to Fred’s Pantry. They come from all over and I like to find out why they are there.”

Overwhelmingly, clients have told Gavilanes that they like Fred’s Pantry because everyone is treated equally. “Everyone is family once they get to Fred’s,” comments Gavilanes. “People come here because they want to be treated well.”

Gavilanes notes that one of the biggest lessons she has learned from volunteering at Fred’s Pantry is patience. Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, Gavilanes spent time with the clients, going through their food choices with them and why they chose those items. She also finds being at Fred’s is a way to find out about the life experiences of other people and to gain an understanding about how events in their lives have impacted them. “There was a person who came here who was drunk. The first time he came, I thought this is not my problem,” she recounts. “But then I found out that his wife left him and that is why he started to drink.”

Besides the need for food, Gavilanes has found that there is another resource that Fred’s Pantry clients need: Someone to listen to them. “Our customers want to talk, but we’ve been really busy and we don’t have time to talk. Some of them are immigrants and they miss their families because they can’t see them.” 

 Gavilanes says that volunteering at the food pantry has been a great way to learn more about the community of Peekskill and to meet new people. She considers the Fred’s Pantry community to be her second family — they celebrate birthdays together as well as other important occasions just like any other family. “We’re trying to bring people together,” she notes.

This fall Gavilanes will begin her college career at Mercy College in New York City. She wants to be an FBI agent. While she acknowledges that some police officers do not behave appropriately, she wants to go into law enforcement to show others that there are good people in those jobs too. “I enjoy helping others and making needed changes in situations,” concludes Gavilanes. “I plan to continue volunteering at Fred’s Pantry as long as possible.”