“A little bit, but it’s a difference,” Insights from a Dedicated Food Sort Leader

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“I just thought of this carrot the size of my forearm,” laughed Kyu Choi, a volunteer Food Sort Leader, when asked what has stood out to her about her time with Second Harvest.

“It’s amazing to see how much produce gets rejected. I used to think everything from farms went straight to grocery stores — but then I started volunteering here and realized, these veggies could totally be used for cooking. Still, they won’t make it to store shelves because of grading regulations and specifications. All the veggies in grocery stores look perfect."

Kyu first got involved with Second Harvest a couple of years ago, around the time her daughter was becoming more independent. With a bit more space in her days, she began thinking about how she wanted to spend that time.

“I was thinking, ‘Okay, I’m going to find something to fill my time.’ Initially I was thinking, should I go back to work? Should I volunteer? And I came across Second Harvest.”

Since then, Kyu has become a familiar and welcoming face at the Second Harvest warehouse. On a typical shift, she arrives early to set up for the day, prepares the food waste education presentation, and greets incoming volunteers at the door. She leads the group through orientation, helps during the sort, snaps a few group photos, takes inventory of the day’s work and tidies up before heading out.

“I want people to leave here thinking about the impact they can have,” she says. “I like the education piece — it feels like I’m making a small contribution.”

Kyu’s experience at Second Harvest took on even more meaning when she joined a driver assistant shift, helping deliver food to community partners across the city.

“You read it on the news, you hear it everywhere, but when I went along as a driver’s assistant, I could hear the need from food banks —asking what’s on the truck, saying they need more protein.”

Being part of something bigger means a lot to Kyu — but it’s the warmth and friendliness at Second Harvest that keep her coming back.

“The best part is, people are so friendly here. And at the end of the day, you are making a difference — a little bit, but it’s a difference.”

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