A Toni’s Kitchen Guest Story: Guest Interactions at Choice Pantry

(NOTE: This is part of a series of stories focusing on how we work to improve the lives of our guests at Toni's Kitchen, To see previous "Toni's Kitchen Guest Stories," please click here.)

One area of focus at Toni's Kitchen is to promote a sense of community among and across volunteers, guests and the staff. Recently, the following observations at Choice Pantry of guests helping other guests by:

• Offering translation services in Creole for a new guest, who recently arrived from Haiti, during the registration process.
• Lending a hand to a seated guest with a mobility impairment by helping them stand when it was their turn to pick up groceries.
• Carrying another guest's filled grocery bag out to their car as it was too difficult to manage on their own.
• Helping another guest scan a QR code to register for auto text notifications of important announements from Choice Pantry.
• Giving one of their grocery bags to a guest who forgot theirs.
• Sharing their positive experience with Zufall mobile dental services and encouraging another guest to schedule an appointment.
• Informing others about Choice Pantry's services and accompanying them to register.
• Explaining their experience and pointers for applying for NJ FamilyCare to another guest who is ready to apply.
• Letting another guest have a free children's book that they both had their eyes on.

The spirit of community, cooperation and connection is in everything we do at Toni's Kitchen. We are grateful for the amazing support we receive from our community every day!