Before volunteering at Bendigo Foodshare, Bruce was a senior manager in the primary health care network. After retiring in 2019, he travelled with his wife Liz and then in March 2020, as the COVID pandemic was taking hold, he heeded the call for more volunteers at Bendigo Foodshare.
Bruce started volunteering as a driver, then preparing orders in the warehouse, but due to his years of experience as a senior manager during his working life, he took on the role of afternoon Shift Co-ordinator one day a week.
Bruce starts his shift an hour before his team arrives so he can do a handover with the morning coordinator to see what has come in and needs sorting into orders to go out the next day. He assigns his team to suitable tasks, and co-ordinates the clean-up at the end of the day to ensure the warehouse is left tidy and clean.
Bruce says he enjoys volunteering at Bendigo Foodshare as he knows it’s helping people in need, by supporting other local charities who distribute the food.
“Volunteering at Bendigo Foodshare is a fulfilling experience. It fosters friendships; a sense of working as a team while contributing to a worthwhile cause, and at the same time providing flexibility to pursue other interests.”
When Bruce is not volunteering at Bendigo Foodshare, you’ll likely find him on a gravel bike trail somewhere, clocking up the 200-300 km a week he rides on a regular basis on his bicycle! Bruce and his wife Liz also share a passion for travel and undertake house-sitting opportunities as a way of seeing different places while living like a local. Their next adventure will be in their retro caravan – heading out for a few months to explore the West Coast of Australia.
Thank you Bruce for all that you bring to Bendigo Foodshare, and safe travels to you and Liz.
