Earlier this year, Sangeeta Sohoni joined the movement to end hunger in a creative way, inspired by her daughter’s passion for ensuring neighbors have access to nutritious food.
Sangeeta, a retired tax preparer living in South Carolina, made some savvy investments in the 1990s, purchasing stocks that have appreciated in value. When she decided it was time to use the increased value of her investment to help causes she cares about, she wanted to be just as savvy in choosing which ones to support.
Sangeeta was still contemplating her options when she visited her daughter Sunny in Chicago. During her trip, she joined her daughter for Sunny’s weekly volunteer repack session at the Food Depository. Sunny has also helped us distribute food at Stand Down events for veterans and share information at our Get Out the Vote events.
Inspired to help
Sunny still remembers the first time she volunteered at the Food Depository. “Oh my goodness, it was awesome,” she said of helping to repack the bulk food we purchase into family-size portions.
“It was a way to combine one of my loves – food – with giving back to the community.”
During the pandemic, she had been troubled to learn that many people were having a difficult time affording and accessing food – so she started donating to Feeding America. Soon after, she joined her college alumni group for a volunteer repack session at the Food Depository, drawn by the fact that we’re a member food bank of the Feeding America network.
Sunny (right) and Sungeeta with Phil, a Food Depository Volunteer Ambassador.
After that first great session, Sunny began volunteering regularly at the Food Depository, enjoying the whole experience. “I meet great people, there’s good energy and fun music, it’s for a good cause and they share the impact you make in real time," she said.
"The food goes out into the community so quickly and it’s food that resonates with people’s culture.”
Sangeeta was inspired by her daughter’s passion – and by her own experience volunteering. “We packed pasta and black beans. Everything operated so smoothly. Everything was done so sincerely. I was very impressed,” she said. “The enormity of the process struck me.” Sangeeta has since volunteered during a couple more visits to her daughter, motivated by the fact that food insecurity is still elevated for so many neighbors.
A meaningful impact
After seeing our operation firsthand and learning about the high percentage of each donation that directly supports our programming, Sangeeta decided to gift her stocks to the Food Depository, joining her daughter in the movement to end hunger.
When individuals donate appreciated stock like Sangeeta’s, the shares are transferred to a nonprofit, which sells them and uses the proceeds to support their mission. Both mother and daughter say that the main inspiration for their support is the Food Depository’s core belief that food is a basic human right.
“I hope it helps people, because you can’t do anything on an empty stomach,” Sangeeta said of her donation.
“The Food Depository is touching so many communities. It feels good to do something to help.”
Learn how you can support the Food Depository with a stock gift, donor advised fund or other option.
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