16 volunteers recognized for outstanding service, totaling 4,900 hours
On Sept. 24, the Medway Village Food Pantry recognized 16 of its volunteers with the prestigious President’s Volunteer Service Award for outstanding service over the previous 12 months. The Medway Village Food Pantry is 100% volunteer-led (there are no paid staff positions), and the award recipients all dedicated a significant number of volunteer hours to the food pantry by performing a variety of different tasks.
It is worth noting that the pantry is open on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., which means these volunteers consistently arrive before 8 a.m. at the beginning of their weekends, and they stay until the last client has finished shopping.
Susan Dietrich, Executive Director of the Food Pantry, opened the awards ceremony by thanking the 16 service award recipients for dedicating over 4,900 volunteer hours over the last year. “This is an incredible achievement, and we are so grateful to this amazing group.”
Dietrich also thanked State Representative Jeffrey Roy, Medway Select Board Chair Glenn Trindade, and Susan Calhoun Nicholl from Senate President Karen Spilka’s Office for attending the event.
Rep. Roy presented awards to the following recipients who were recognized for their work at the food pantry between Sept. 2022 and Aug. 2023: Brian Adams, Blanca Choate, Marilyn Conley, Aidan Dietrich, Martin Dietrich, Susan Dietrich, Jean Geneseo, Beth Martin, Lily Reed, Michelle Reed, Brynn Sheehan, Mike Sheehan, Chris Tomasetti, Jen Tomasetti, Ryan Tomasetti, and Roy Young,

Teen Awards – ages 11-15

Brynn Sheehan is a freshman at Medway High School, and she earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 50 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Brynn has served alongside her family members on Saturday mornings at the main pantry wherever she is needed, and she happily takes on any task that needs attention. She has helped take groceries out to clients’ cars, served as a “runner” bringing groceries from around the pantry to the order management area, assisted with distributing paper goods, diapers, and toiletries, in addition to staying after a busy morning shift to help clean up and restock the shelves. Her excellent organizational skills and kind personality are a true asset to our pantry.

Lily Reed is a freshman at Medway High School, and she earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 53 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Lily has performed a variety of roles both at the main pantry on Saturday mornings and at the school program on Thursday afternoons, including packing orders, restocking shelves, assisting with distributing paper goods, diapers, and toiletries, and helping take groceries out to client’s cars. She greets everyone with a smile, and she shares her friendly demeanor with clients and volunteers alike.

Young Adult Awards – ages 16-25

Christopher Tomasetti is a senior at Medway High School, and he earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 101 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Chris is a vital part of our Saturday morning operation, as he keeps track of all the grocery orders while clients are shopping and ensures everyone leaves with the proper bags of groceries. This is no small feat considering that at any given time there are 8-10 orders “in process” with runners continually handing over multiple bags of groceries for various clients. Chris remains calm even when the pantry is extremely busy, and his ability to manage multiple demands for his attention simultaneously is unmatched.

Aidan Dietrich is a senior at Medway High School, and he earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 139 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Aidan has volunteered at the food pantry since the age of 8, when he asked for food donations instead of presents at his 8th birthday party. Over the last 10 years, he has managed a variety of functions at the pantry, including client check-in, helping take groceries to clients’ cars, and taking orders from clients during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past year, he has assumed responsibility for managing the flow of traffic both outside and into the food pantry, enabling us to serve up to 100 families in a two-hour window. He also delivers orders for the school program, helps with restocking shelves, and has even assisted with delivering groceries to home-bound clients. One of our longest-serving volunteers, Aidan makes it a point to greet clients with a winning smile while remaining focused on whatever task he performs.

Adult Awards – ages 26+

Beth Martin has earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 103 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Most weeks, Beth can be found assisting clients with toiletries, paper products, and diapers. Her observations about the indoor pantry operation led to our current system of using client numbers to keep track of orders, as well as our process for managing appropriate distribution of diapers. She shares her friendly demeanor and warm smile with everyone she serves, and she balances adherence to our guidelines with her genuine kindness.

Michael Sheehan has earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 108 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Mike has performed a variety of roles at the pantry including restocking shelves, clean-up, helping clients shop from the shelf-stable cabinets, serving as a “runner” bringing groceries from around the pantry to the order management area, and even taking over the order management station when help is needed. He always has a smile and a kind word to share with fellow volunteers and clients alike, and his relentless energy is contagious.

Roy Young has earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 117 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. In September of last year, Roy designed and implemented a new system for managing the volume of cars waiting to shop in the pantry that has revolutionized our Saturday operations. After initially clearing the parking area and installing the system, Roy sets it up and maintains it weekly regardless of the weather conditions, in addition to directing traffic before the pantry opens to ensure a smooth flow and assisting with traffic throughout the winter. He has also enhanced our outdoor operation with safety vests for volunteers, new numbers for waiting cars, and suggestions for continuous improvement. His dedication to the pantry and his welcoming smile is integral parts of the food pantry.

Blanca Marroquin Choate has earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 120 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. A fluent Spanish-speaker, Blanca is one of our bilingual volunteers who serves as a critical resource for registering clients and making them feel welcome. In addition to assisting in various roles at the pantry, Blanca also helps to translate all the pantry’s written materials into Spanish so that the 62% of Spanish-speaking guests have access to important information in their preferred language. Throughout the summer and fall months, she also brings weekly donations of fresh produce to the pantry along with shelf-stable foods year-round on behalf of her church in Millis, St. Thomas the Apostle. She has even helped to recruit new youth volunteers to help at the pantry when it is short-handed. Blanca shows tremendous compassion and care in all that she does, and her warmth shines through in every task she completes.

Jean Geneseo has earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 131 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Jean first began volunteering to help unload the truck deliveries from the Greater Boston Food Bank, and after a short while, she asked if there were other ways, she might be able to help. She began serving clients on Saturday mornings, most often distributing fresh produce, although she happily jumps into whatever role needs to be filled. Jean also helps at the Weekend Grocery Program, packing orders for families in the Medway Public Schools. She is always the one asking, “What else can I do?”, and her smile, energy, and sense of humor brighten any room in which she is present.

Brian Adams has earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 146 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Brian has been a faithful volunteer at the pantry for many years, rarely missing a Saturday of serving clients. He comes early every week to set up and manage the distribution of frozen meat, dairy, and eggs, and he makes an effort to learn the Spanish and Portuguese words for various foods so that he can ask clients what they would like in their preferred language. He also learns the meat preferences of many of pantry’s regular guests and takes special care to offer them specific items when he sees them. To see Brian at work, it is clear that he truly cares for the people he serves, and he loves and excels at the work he performs.

Marilyn Conley has earned a Silver Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 254 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Marilyn founded the Medway Village Food Pantry in 2002, and she grew it from two cabinets in the kitchen of the Medway Village Church to a thriving pantry with thousands of clients visits each year. Although she formally stepped down as the Director in 2017, Marilyn remains a vital part of the food pantry operations, helping every week with set-up, deliveries from Greater Boston Food Bank, and welcoming clients to the pantry. She always has a hug and a snack to share, and everyone looks forward to Marilyn’s smile, her playful antics, and especially the way she makes everyone feel truly and completely loved.

Ryan Tomasetti has earned a Silver Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 252 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Ryan first came to the food pantry many years ago as a Cub Scout leader, and when the pantry returned to indoor operations in September 2020, Ryan became a regular Saturday morning volunteer. While he loves helping clients select fresh produce – especially leafy greens – he is the definition of a utility player because he serves in whatever capacity is needed, including managing traffic outside, helping clients shop from the shelf-stable cabinets, serving as a “runner” bringing groceries from around the pantry to the order management area, and even taking over the order management station when help is needed. He stays every week to clean up and put everything away, which often means many trips up two flights of stairs to the attic, and he never leaves on a Saturday before cleaning the coolers and sweeping the floor. In addition to his weekly service to clients, Ryan also became the Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Medway Village Food Pantry in March 2023, dedicating significant time and energy into managing the pantry’s financials and reporting. Ryan always has a smile to share, seemingly boundless energy that lifts everyone around him, and a kindness in his actions toward clients and volunteers alike.

Martin Dietrich has earned a Silver Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 255 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. A volunteer since 2013, Marty has served in a variety of roles both behind the scenes and with clients. He played a critical role in keeping the pantry open during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and since that time has performed many tasks including picking up the bread donations every Saturday, managing traffic outside, distributing frozen turkeys at the holidays, helping clients shop from the shelf-stable cabinets, organizing and distributing produce, set up, clean up, restocking shelves, delivery to home-bound clients, and even driving a U-Haul into Boston to pick up orders from the Greater Boston Food Bank. He managed the process of establishing the pantry as its own 501c3 charitable organization, effective March 1, 2023, serves as the Clerk on the Board of Directors, and is the current Head of Strategic Planning. Marty enjoys looking up the Spanish and Portuguese vocabulary for whichever area he is managing on a Saturday, and he freely shares his love of music and good food with both clients and volunteers.

Michelle Reed has earned a Gold Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 503 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. After hosting several neighborhood drives to benefit the pantry, Michelle began volunteering weekly in 2022 in a variety of roles including helping clients shop from the shelf-stable cabinets, assisting clients with toiletries, paper products, and diapers, serving as a “runner” bringing groceries from around the pantry to the order management area, and training new volunteers. She quickly demonstrated her talent for social media and website design, and soon assumed responsibility for both of these functions for the pantry. She also coordinated several special events throughout the year including backpack and school supply distribution, toys and gifts at Christmas, Easter baskets, and even Mother’s Day gifts. In addition to her service at the main pantry, Michelle also assists weekly with the Weekend Grocery Program for families in the Medway Public Schools, she became the Volunteer Coordinator early in 2023, joined the Board of Directors and was named the Director of Communications in March 2023. Michelle’s tremendous organizational and technical skills are instrumental to the pantry’s success, and she demonstrates kindness and compassion for clients that lets them know they are cared for.

Jennifer Tomasetti has earned a Gold Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 915 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Jen began volunteering for the pantry in 2020, and she became the Assistant Director in April 2022. Since that time, she has assisted with weekly shopping at five or six retailers to restock the pantry, donation pick-ups, inventory management, ordering from the Greater Boston Food Bank, in addition to her weekly service at the pantry. Although Jen has served in almost every role on Saturday mornings, she has transformed our client check-in and tracking process, investing significant time and energy to ensure all clients are registered properly in our system. She also helps to set up the pantry every Friday in preparation for Saturday’s distribution, and then stays to restock, clean-up, organize, and make the next week’s shopping list. Jen joined the Board of Directors and assumed the role of Director of Operations in March 2023, and she plays an integral part in the day-to-day functions of the pantry. Though she shies away from recognition and attention, Jen always has a smile and a kind word for everyone she encounters, and the clients and volunteers all look forward to seeing her each week.

Susan Dietrich has earned a Gold Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 1,660 hours at the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2022 through August 2023. Susan began volunteering with the food pantry in 2013 and gradually increased her involvement, assuming the role of Assistant Director in March 2016 and serving as Executive Director since August 2017. Over the past few years, she shepherded the pantry through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of tremendous growth due to increasing need across Massachusetts communities. And despite this growth, Susan concurrently sought opportunities to expand the pantry’s reach, leading the expansion of our Weekend Grocery Program, a unique partnership with the Medway Public Schools that allows families with students in the schools to custom-order full-sized groceries. To support the pantry’s outreach, she has sought and captured grant funding and corporate donations that help offset costs and that support capital improvements like the outdoor cooler/freezer that was installed this year and is an absolute game-changer. She is truly the heart and soul of the food pantry and is involved in every aspect of its operation, all while demonstrating boundless compassion for the grateful clients she serves.

Submitted by the Medway Village Food Pantry Board