Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services Welcomes Tessie Ernst to Our Team

Every year Xerox Corporation offers their employees the opportunity to apply for a Social Service Leave of Absence to work with a deserving non-profit organization and to give back to the community. Xerox and the non-profit organization is chosen and designed by the leave taker in conjunction with the sponsor from the organization. After meeting all of the qualifications and stringent application process, Tessie Ernst was selected as one of seven applicants NATIONWIDE to be granted the Leave of Absence and she choose Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services(SFBFS) to serve as a volunteer for one year leave of absence.

Xerox previously volunteered on several occasions with the Run to Feed the Hungry, SFBFS’ largest event on Thanksgiving Day. Tessie also brought a group of volunteers for the day to work in the programs and had also led many food, clothing and school supply and toy drives with Xerox. Based on her experience, Tessie felt that SFBFS would be a great organization to work with.

Tessie joined the staff of SFBFS in early February as a full-time volunteer as the Volunteer Services & Communications Assistant. Tessie provides support to volunteer services, sits on the Race for the Ring committee, spends time in various programs and helps to establish more efficient ways of serving clients.

In her first two weeks, Tessie volunteered in programs including:

· Clothing - sorting and hanging clothing

· Mother-Baby - sorting and hanging clothing; organizing the toy room

· Adult Education - correcting clients’ educational packets

· Food Assistance - distributing emergency food to clients

· Women’s Wisdom Art - assisting in the ceramics class

Tessie recently passed a background check is starting to volunteer in the Computer Clubhouse, Play Care and Youth Academy programs with the children.

Tessie is most excited to begin her volunteer time at mobile food distributions where volunteers set up an amazing array of food distribution stations such as fresh fruit and vegetables, produce, dairy, bread and more.

“I am very excited and honored to be able to take this year and work at the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services organization,” shares Tessie. Stay tuned for more updates about Tessie’s involvement at SFBFS.