By Tom Spalding, Communications Volunteer
August is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and Boulevard Place Food Pantry is celebrating all of our 150+ volunteers who share their time, talents and compassion with their neighbors.
Andre Moore is one of them.
At least once a month, usually on the second Saturday, Andre and his wife Cheri (and even daughter Sasha!) volunteer at the pantry. His responsibilities vary from shift to shift, but he often bags groceries, manages shoppers’ carts and helps keep people moving during shopping days.
He also takes on another important role: making the experience more enjoyable.
“I do whatever I can to make it fun around here,” Andre says.
Andre knows something about entertaining a crowd. As a stand-up comedian, he performed at Crackers Comedy Club in Indianapolis as one of the club’s local house emcees. Today, he draws upon that experience to help pantry shoppers feel comfortable and welcome.
“Coming somewhere like a food pantry may not be the most pleasant experience,” Andre says. “If you interject a little levity and humor, it goes a long way toward making it a more pleasant experience.”
He calls his approach “practicing humanity.” It occurs whether he’s bagging groceries or retrieving carts, or during one shift, when Andre was called out to shoppers’ numbers. Instead of simply announcing each number, he added his own encouraging commentary with gusto.
“Number 20, you’re my hero!” he called out.
The difference was immediately visible.
“I saw more smiles in the room,” Andre recalls. “People came up and thanked me for making it a good experience.”
The positive energy stayed with Andre long after his shift ended. He found himself handling stressful situations better throughout the remainder of the day.
“That energy bounced back and went along with me for the rest of the day,” he shares.
Watch Andre in action: https://youtube.com/shorts/c9sThe62bCg?si=kXPtvf-sOGzxIQWt
Boulevard Place does not select a Volunteer of the Year. Instead, once a year during Volunteer Appreciation Month, the pantry hosts an appreciation picnic. We recognize that every volunteer is the most critical component of our operation, from director to donation-collector to door greeter. They each contribute something meaningful and critical, bringing personality into the process.
Andre’s service also demonstrates how volunteers provide more than food. Through simple acts of kindness, encouragement and laughter, they help preserve the dignity of every neighbor who enters the pantry.
We thank Andre and all who give of their service!
Interested in becoming a volunteer? Email the Boulevard Place Volunteer Coordinator: ataylor@svdpindy.org.
