Meet Every Meal’s Volunteer Team
Volunteers are critical to the success of Every Meal’s mission. Meet our Volunteer team – they connect volunteers’ gifts of time and talent to roles and projects that help feed kids experiencing food insecurity. Behind the scenes, they lead the recruitment, training, development, and retention of volunteers across the organization. They champion a volunteer environment that is mission-focused, caring, consistent, and energetic. By fostering a volunteering experience that is intentional, welcoming, and community-centered, Every Meal is able to expand our impact in child hunger in Minnesota.
Get to know the team by reading what they like most about their role and their favorite food tradition.
Barbara Fritz:Senior Volunteer Coordinator |
What do you like most about your role? Working with, training, and getting to know our fantastic volunteers! We could NOT do what we do without them. I also enjoy looking at the processes and procedures within volunteer roles and coming up with new ways to make them better.
What is your favorite food tradition? I really like a good fish sandwich. 🙂 I love being on the water, and my dad taught me how to fish. There is nothing better than a shore lunch of fresh caught fish, or a fish fry with friends and family. My dad passed almost 20 years ago now, but I still go fishing when I have the opportunity. Here’s a pic of a monster trout I caught ice fishing with a friend.
Liam Green:Volunteer Coordinator |
What do you like most about your role? I receive great satisfaction from uniting volunteers to learn about our service-oriented mission, food insecurity, and social justice as a whole. My background is in music education, so being in charge of coordinating, scheduling, and leading our Food Bag Packing Events is a great application of my skills. I am undoubtedly a people person, so in addition to fostering meaningful connections, I love “DJing” our Packing Events and seeing what makes people “tick”!
What is your favorite food tradition? My dad is a former chef and my mom makes delicious pastries and desserts in addition to being a full-time cake decorator. During the holidays, my dad and I always beg her to include dark chocolate cognac truffles in her mix of holiday treats. All year round, I’m asking when she can whip up some homemade baklava (The Unofficial Dessert of the Mediterranean) as it ties us to our Croatian heritage.
Lindsey Torkilsen:Vice President |
What do you like most about your role? The diversity every day brings. Volunteers touch every part of the process at Every Meal. Each bag is packed by volunteers. That’s over 12,000 bags going home with kids each Friday. If we didn’t have volunteers we wouldn’t exist. Barbara and Liam are also a TON of fun! 🎉
What is your favorite food tradition? “Watermelon” ice cream cake. It is the family birthday cake tradition. Lime sherbet, vanilla ice cream, and raspberry sherbet all frozen to the edge of a bowl. When you flip it over and cut slices, it looks like watermelon wedges. Seeds (chocolate chips) optional!