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In this April 2026 Issue:
- Food Bank Developments
- Change to the Monthly Pack
- Farewell to a Valued Volunteer
- Volunteer Spotlight
- In Memory of Ralph Day
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Alimentos Para Compartir Food Bank Developments
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Soft Opening
The date for the soft opening of the food bank has been set! Several families will be invited to participate starting May 5th. The food bank will be open Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and Saturday afternoons from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Our volunteers will interact with a controlled number of clients in order to learn the process. By June we should be ready to open to the public.
Food bank clients will register their cedulas and those of their family members. They can then shop for a weekly food allotment based on their family size. BVB clients who receive monthly deliveries may switch to weekly food pick ups but may not participate in both programs.
The food bank will be staffed by two full-time employees, as well as a number of volunteers who will assist clients with registration, check-in, and food selection. Volunteers may sign up for shifts once they have attended a training session and signed an agreement to abide by the food bank’s privacy policy. (Volunteer training sessions were held on April 16 and 18. Additional training sessions will be available at a later time).
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New BVB Monthly “Pack” Process
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New “Pack” Process
We changed the arrangement of the “pack” in March to align the packing process with the food bank’s set-up and operations. We implemented a new packing traffic pattern designed by our food bank warehouse expert based on the following priorities: moving the heavy products as little as possible, having good people flow in the space, and making the process efficient for both the monthly pack and the food bank operation.
Volunteers were assigned new job titles:
- Bin Fillers – responsible for keeping the food bins stocked.
- Rice Bag Toters – responsible for putting rice in bags and carrying them to the loading dock.
- Pick and Packers – responsible for pushing the bags along as they fill them with items from the bins.
- Dock Toters – responsible for moving bags from the Pick and Packers to the dock.
- Dock Workers - helping delivery drivers back up safely to the loading dock, count, assemble and load their bags for delivery.
We hope that this new system will enable us to complete the monthly pack in a quick and efficient manner.
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Farewell to a Valued
Volunteer
We would like to give special recognition to one of our volunteers, Wayne Hayes, who has made significant contributions to BVB. Wayne initially volunteered to help with the monthly packing and delivery of food bags.
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At that time, we were doing our food packs at the Handicap Foundation building. The conditions in the packing area were very crowded, as we shared space with the Thrift Store located in the same building. Packing day was mayhem, with too many people and too little space to pack.
A little over a year ago, Wayne was instrumental in relocating our packing activities to the Amigos de Animales building, a much larger space. Several months later, we were able to relocate our packing to an even larger facility that was more conducive to a quick and efficient packing system. Wayne helped us innovate and streamline our previously cumbersome packing system, which had required the name of each client and delivery person on each bag. Instead, we now number the bags, and every client receives the same amount of food.
Wayne and his wife, Sandi, are planning on moving back to the States. We want to thank Wayne for his time and organizational skills that he has kindly shared with BVB. We will miss him and wish him and Sandi the best in their new adventure.
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This month, we introduce you to Ben Llewellyn, one of BVB’s newest volunteers. Those of us who participated in the March food pack met Ben, the gentleman handing out name tags and managing the logistics of matching up delivery drivers with the food bags assigned to their respective families.
As soon as Ben moved to Boquete at the beginning of the year, he decided to look for opportunities become involved in and contribute to his new community. He decided to join BVB, as its mission aligns with his values. Ben previously volunteered with “Food & Friends,” a Washington D.C. organization that delivers meals and groceries to area residents with serious illnesses.
Originally from Connecticut, Ben spent most of his adult life in the Washington D.C. area working for various government contractors. Most recently, Ben worked with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ben decided to move to Boquete after retiring from the workforce, bringing along his 5-year-old cat, Kitty Pong. In his spare time, Ben enjoys writing, shopping at the Tuesday Market, listening to live music and meeting new people.
Welcome, Ben!
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Ralph trekking into the mountains to make a food delivery.
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It is with sadness that we share the news of the passing of Ralph Day, a valued BVB donor and volunteer. Ralph and his wife, Betsy, began sponsoring Rosa Carpintero and her family over 10 years ago.
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Ralph and Betsy have been faithful in making their sponsorship donations for this family, who like other large families, receive a double portion of food assistance each month.
Like many of our volunteers, Ralph and Betsy became involved with the Carpintero family. They provided encouragement to the family when they were displaced from one of their homes. Ralph and Betsy were particularly supportive and proud of three of the daughters—Gabriela, who studies Accounting, Adelaida, who studies Journalism, and Evelia, who studies Criminology. Betsy will continue to sponsor the Carpintero family and help the three girls with their studies.
We were grateful for Ralph's dedication and honored to have him as a BVB volunteer over the years. We know the Carpintero family will greatly miss him, as will all of us.
Our condolences to his friends and family.
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Buenos Vecinos exists to help people who are unable to meet their basic food needs. We have provided emergency food support on many occasions and have been successful in helping families through hard times. We will help them with food support until the working age adults in the family can find enough income to become self-sustaining.
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