Every day, Project Open Hand’s meals with love fly out of the kitchen at the Francis of Assisi dining room in San Francisco’s Mission District and into the waiting hands of hungry seniors. One person responsible for ensuring that the meals served here are dished up with love is Juanita, a volunteer who is a senior herself and has spent more than a decade donating her time and energy to our lunch program.
When it’s lunch time, Juanita is laser focused on her duties, but we had the chance to chat with her before the lunchtime rush and quickly experienced just how warm and welcoming she is.
“I have loved everyone and everything about volunteering here over the years. I would have left long ago if I didn’t!” she exclaimed. “It’s a good use of my time to get out and help people. It’s better than watching TV at home.”
Juanita moved to the United States from Cuba in 1969. She lived in Miami and New York for a time, but has called San Francisco her home for many years. Before she began volunteering with Project Open Hand, she was first a guest of our Senior Lunch Program.
“I used to come here to eat,” she recalls, pointing to a nearby table. “I sat under the Cuban flag in the dining room and especially enjoyed the chicken dishes and the soups.” When a volunteer slot opened up in the kitchen, she was delighted to assist and was soon asked to volunteer on a regular basis.
“At first, I was very hesitant, since I don’t know how to write very well or speak much English,” she said. “But that didn’t matter, because everyone is working together to help feed others in need, so there’s always a way around language barriers.”
Join Juanita as a volunteer in our Senior Lunch Program. We have more than 15 locations across San Francisco where we can use additional volunteers to help us nourish seniors in our community. Visit www.openhand.org/volunteer to learn more.