Question 3: What has been your most rewarding volunteer service experience, in or out of Verona, and why?
Christopher Piccuirro: Verona is full of residents that volunteer their time and energy to help others in need and make this town a better place to live. They do this in varying capacities, be it emergency services, recreation, charitable organizations, fundraising events, cleanup projects and many more. One thing is certain, this town thrives on the backs of its volunteer community and their impact reaches far beyond our town borders.
When I think of my recent volunteer experience in town one particular event comes to mind, the annual Verona Fights Hunger Week organized by the The Junior Woman’s Club of Verona (www.veronajuniors.org). I was lucky enough to participate in the final day of this event in October 2016.
My wife Nina joined the “Juniors” a few years ago. Afterwards we learned that my grandmother Jean (92) was a club member when she and my grandfather first moved to Verona decades prior. Nina made many friends along the way and her involvement gave me a sideline view of the club’s remarkable accomplishments.
My role on that final day of Verona Fights Hunger was quite simple, to help load and unload the many bags of food to and from the moving truck. A role that pales in comparison to the many weeks of hard work put in by the extraordinary women running the event, but one I was honored to fill. This particular job however came with a very special reward. I was one of the lucky few that made the trip to drop off the food at the Human Needs Food Pantry of Montclair (www.humanneedsfoodpantry.org). I was able to see the faces of the staff as we opened the back of a moving truck full of bags. I got to hear the comments on how it was the biggest donation they have seen all year. I saw warehouse shelves go from empty to filled as food was unloaded and sorted. This truly put in perspective the amount of good that was to come from the hard work of the Junior Woman and the generosity of the Verona residents that donated to the cause.
That experience was a shining example of what we can achieve when our community comes together. It also gave me immense pride in our town. Thank you Junior Woman’s Club of Verona and all of the other volunteer organizations in town for your long history of service and for all the amazing work you continue to do.
