

Turning excess into access: Mimi’s crusade against food insecurity
Although a coordinator arranges the pickups and deliveries, Mimi has adopted regular routes, transporting surplus goods three days a week from two local bakeries to the Urban Ministries of Durham, and Durham Tech Campus Pantry. Since these organizations are conveniently located along her commute, Mimi integrates her volunteer work into her daily routine.
She also responds to other unique requests as they arise.
"A new restaurant recently opened up nearby. In order to properly train employees, they had to make dozens and dozens of meals that normally would have gone to waste. I was able to bring those meals to the Ronald McDonald House and Durham Rescue Mission instead."
Sometimes the donations are so substantial that Mimi needs to come up with creative solutions.
"One week Isaac's Bagels was a little overzealous with their production and ended up with about 80 pounds of bagels to donate. I showed up at Urban Ministries to donate the bagels, and they did not have enough room for all of them! I called around and found that the nearby Durham Rescue Mission would happily accept the rest," recalls Mimi.
For those considering volunteering, Mimi suggests starting locally and finding a cause that resonates personally. "You don't have to do anything grand. I give half an hour, three days a week, and I've managed to feed 1,300 people," she said.
In the end, it's about starting small and staying consistent. As Mimi puts it, "Just start. Just put yourself out there and just start."