Volunteer Spotlight: Alain M.

Article By: Kevin Brown

A key Ottawa Food Bank Administrative Support Volunteer is Alain Marcotte. He recently retired after 31 years with the federal government. His last posting was Director-General (Finance) with the Environment Department. Alain says his administrative and leadership career made him a good fit as an Administrative Support Volunteer with the Ottawa Food Bank. 

“I feel when my weekly shift is over that I have contributed in a positive way to help the [Ottawa] Food Bank fulfill its mandate. I particularly feel good because I utilize the skills I learned and developed over three decades with the federal government, to support my volunteer work with the [Ottawa] Food Bank. Specifically, I have been working with the Warehouse team to develop a much more effective data-system for inventory management, knowing more about what food donations are in the warehouse, when they arrived, what the food and packaging dates are and what food items are requested by the community food banks helps the warehouse team manage more effectively. I have worked with them to improve their software and systems, and it has been extremely rewarding.” 

When he is not working on the warehouse data-system, Alain opens mail, processes cash donations, answers inquiries from three different email addresses, answers the Ottawa Food Bank phone, and helps with mass mailouts; and because he is bilingual, he is a go-to person to answer phone calls and emails in French. 

“I feel as though I have found a new calling here at the Ottawa Food Bank. I feel incredibly good about what I can contribute to support the staff, volunteers, and the corporate and community contributors. I knew I wanted to replace my career and work-life with something equally fulfilling and meaningful in my retirement life and the [Ottawa] Food Bank has given me that opportunity.”