I’m Jim McDonald, and for the past five years, since I retired in 2020, I’ve been a volunteer rescue driver for Cultivate Food Rescue. Every Wednesday morning I load up the van with empty totes, hit the road, and visit around thirteen locations to rescue food that was prepared but never served. My job is simple but purposeful: fill the totes, get them back on time, and make sure our team can repurpose everything into meals for school children, food banks, food pantries, veterans’ homes, and anyone facing food insecurity in our community.

In this area, we have an amazing number of such generous people who give money, talent, time and energy, and you name it. It kind of restores my faith in mankind when you see what people are willing to do. I’m inspired by the people I meet every week, the folks at the restaurants and bakeries who are always happy to see us, and the team at Cultivate who put their energy into something meaningful. I enjoy being out on the road, talking to people, and feeling connected to my community.

Knowing that I am doing something purposeful makes me feel fulfilled and happy, and I wish to inspire other people to do the same for their communities. There's always something we can do within our means, and this ended up being one of the things I do with that purpose in mind.