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08/26/2020 08:30 AMAt a time when programming and in-person volunteering looks quite different at many non-profits, Marie Mordarski has taken on the role of volunteer/program coordinator for the non-profit Community Dining Room (CDR), based in Branford.
The North Branford resident brings her enthusiasm and appreciation for all that volunteers can give, based on personal and previous experience. She has a dozen years of volunteer coordinating experience working with church members at a what she simply describes as a Connecticut-based church where she served as director of children’s ministries. In addition to also spending many years volunteering as a church member herself, Marie and her husband, Egon, currently volunteer in their hometown with the North Branford Land Trust.
“Volunteers are so valuable, and they do it all without getting a paycheck,” says Marie. “That’s why I love working with volunteers, because they’re always passionate about what they’re doing. They’re giving of their time and their talents, and they’re having fun being there.”
That said, relying on a base of volunteers during a pandemic is new to everyone, says Marie, who started her new job with CDR at the beginning of August.
“I think that I’m starting at a time when things are much different than they would be than if we were fully functioning. But I’m kind of looking forward to that,” says Marie. “I’m learning this job while I’m working with volunteer teams that are smaller, because we have to do more with less people.”
The same could be said for programming, which is taking place differently in this “new normal” of the pandemic, Marie says.
“Eventually, things are going to open up and we’re going to be able to do more of our programming and we’re going to be offering more of our services,” says Marie. “I’m looking forward to that, because some of the things that have been done here are things that I know I would really like, like [coordinating] Tuesday summer dinners on the Town Green for families—that sounds like a ton of fun to me.”
While some things may have changed, the mission of CDR has stayed the same: to provide nutritious meals, delivered in many forms and through several programs, for those in need from East Haven to Old Saybrook.
Right now, Marie’s working with a reduced corps of volunteers who remain at the nucleus, helping to get things done during the pandemic. Smaller numbers of volunteers are on the job to help out in the CDR kitchen for meals that are packed up and passed out for lunch and dinner curbside delivery. Others are there to prepare, package, and deliver meals to those in their homes who rely on meal deliveries from CDR in Branford and North Branford.
“We can’t serve a meal at CDR without our volunteers,” says Marie.
Responding to a Need
Area residents’ requests for CDR assistance ticked up dramatically beginning in March 2020, due to those experiencing job loss and other setbacks from COVID-19. Requests for assistance rose steadily through June, says CDR Executive Director Judy Barron.
“Numbers seem to have leveled off; however you always discover something new that comes with something new, and a pandemic for us is definitely new,” says Barron.
Response to some programs offered at CDR during the pandemic have resulted in an ongoing call for assistance and will continue to be offered, says Barron. For example, CDR’s twice-weekly Friday night meal program became a weekly offering during the pandemic and will continue to be offered weekly going forward.
Additionally, many homebound individuals introduced to CDR’s meal delivery program during the pandemic will continue to be served as regular delivery participants.
In her work, Marie also works with volunteers from local organizations which assist CDR, such as coordinating with groups from clubs and businesses coming in monthly to give the kitchen crew a break by providing and cooking meals at CDR.
“I’m amazed by these organizations which have continue to help, even with the COVID-19 restrictions. They come out every month to cook a meal, and they bring a small group with them because we’re not allowed to have too many in the kitchen,” says Marie. “You don’t have to twist arms to bring in these people—they’re doing it because they love it. That could be said for all of our volunteers. They really love to be here, helping.”
Although the pandemic seems to drag on, there will someday be a need for volunteers who can help out at CDR once dine-in services are cleared to resume. Last week, Barron and Marie met with East Shore District Health Department’s public health educator, Barbara Naclerio, to talk about implementing a safe and healthy plan of in-house training for new volunteers.
“We hope to see one of those training sessions start up by the end of September,” says Barron.
Anyone interested in getting into the queue for the volunteer training can contact Marie at CDR by calling 203-488-9750.
Marie has also been delighted to find so many current volunteers have been with CDR for a long time.
“I just spoke with someone who said he’s been volunteering here for 15 years. That speaks volumes about CDR. You’re not going to keep volunteering if you don’t feel like what you’re contributing is valuable to the organization,” says Marie. “I think volunteers need to feel what they’re doing makes a difference, and I think they feel that here. I definitely want to make sure they’re having that experience.”
Joining CDR
Before Marie joined the CDR staff, Egon created a connection with CDR as a volunteer a few years back, following his retirement.
“He loved it here,” says Marie. “But he was only able to volunteer for a very short window, because he ended up getting a part-time job and his schedule changed and he wasn’t able to volunteer anymore. He’s always missed it.”
In her career, Marie had transitioned from her church work to join Branford’s School Aged Child Care (SACC) program, where she served as a site supervisor for SACC children at Tisko Elementary School.
“I was only there for a short time. I started in October [2019] and then of course March came and everything closed down,” says Marie. “[SACC] was fun, and there was such a great team there—it was such a nice group of people. I was just getting to the know the kids, and they were just getting to know me.”
As the pandemic kept school buildings closed and SACC shut down for weeks, and then months, Marie began to keep an eye out for other opportunities in the area. She says she was thrilled when she saw the CDR job posting.
“I thought, ‘Wow, that sounds interesting!’” says Marie. “I applied, and I feel very lucky that I got the job.”
While COVID-19 protocols are still keeping CDR’s dining room closed in the Patricia C. Andriole Volunteer Services Center on Harrison Avenue, “this place is always abuzz,” says Marie. “We’re really focusing on what we can do, and doing it well.”
In addition, community members and business representatives continue to reach out to CDR to help.
“When I go home every day, I tell my husband how it’s just so nice to see people swing by and drop off items they’ve collected or want to contribute,” says Marie. “Every time you look outside, someone is dropping something off. People are so generous.”